Your idea of light for rod/reel? 2024
Jason Angel reply :
This has been something I've been wondering about ever since I started getting into bass fishing (maybe a year or so now), what's considered "light" for a rod and reel combo? I'm waiting on my tax refund and might end up ordering a new rod and reel online, and want a relatively light setup. I guess I haven't handled enough rods to really get an idea of what it means. And I also like to be able to quantify in ounces to really good a good grasp on the idea. Of course it's gonna come down to opinion, but I'd like to get a concensus on it.
kickerfish1 reply :
Well, up until the last few years most reels were between 6.5 and 8.5 ounces when looking at the low profile options. Something lighter than 6.5 like the Steeze or Core came at a premium. Now it seems like all manufacturers are offering sub 6 ounce reels and some offering sub 5 ounce reels.
Rods are hard to find very light. Problem is as the length and power of a rod increases so does the weight. The Zbones are very light and weights are posted on Kistlers website. You could also have a custom built on a decent blank using minimal components and bling.
If you are talking about a bait casting rod and reel I would consider anything under 9 ounces to be quite light. I have a Core 50 on 6'10 Cumulus rod that weighs a whopping 8.5 ounces. I paid about $500 for new for the combo.
Really depends on what you have to spend and what would feel noticeably light to you?
aquaholik reply :
Reel, anything under 7 oz. Rod, anything under 4 oz. I fish tip up most of the time so unless I step up to an NRX, most rods longer than 7ft is going to be tip heavy for me. Going lighter on the reel amplifies the problem. I normally fish with a 6'8 M or 7' M or ML Fast action Loomis.
cottny27 reply :
Reels 6oz and less are easy to find at affordable prices. If you put together a setup under 10oz then that is light to me.
buzzed bait reply :
i have no science to it so can't offer you much.
a rod/reel combo either feels right to me or it doesn't.... it may weigh 10 oz total or 20 oz it's just a feel thing.
cottny27 reply :
Yeah its a balance thing for me. If its a 9oz combo that's too tip heavy then I'm going to grab another setup to fish with.
Maybe one of the lightest rods in the $100 range is the Quantum Smoke. I think my Duckett Ghost feels light, but I've never weighed it.
Paul Roberts reply :
Has everything to do with the lure sizes you need to throw, and the size hooks they have. I use rigs from UL (4lb lines) to heavy (50# braid).
Here's a quick run down of my light end of things:
-UL spinning rig with "4lb" (.008) line for 1/32-1/8oz baits with small #4 to #12 hooks. Small ponds, stream smallmouth, and on larger waters when big hatches of prey fish fry cause bass to become myopic. Otherwise I prefer more a powerful rig.
-L/ML spinning with "6lb" (.009) lines for 3/32-1/4oz baits for small baits in early spring, and during winter. I also use a 9-1/2ft rig with "6lb" for Float-n-Fly rigging in winter.
-M spinning with "8lb" (.010) lines. A standard rig for early spring when water is has high clarity and is mostly cover free. Using small jigs, grubs, small to med hardbaits, jerks, in-line spinners, blade-baits, ... .
I'm listing only spinning rigs because my lightest casting rigs have a minimum of 10lb lines on them which is getting out of the "light" side of bass fishing in my experience.
Hope this helps.
Ah! Are you asking about "light tackle" rigs or "light weight" rigs? LOL. As in weight?
Edited by Paul Roberts
Re-read OP...
rippin-lips reply :
It's easy to find a 6.5-7oz reel and a 4oz rod these days so making a 10-11oz combo is easy. Anything 9oz and below is what I'd call dang light. As mentioned it's more about balance though. You can have a heavier combo feel lighter than it really is due to how it balances. A tip heavy combo sucks. I've sold so many good rods because they didn't balance out how I like them. Also longer rods will generally require a tad heavier reel. It's all preference.
Fishinthefish reply :
Balance increases sensitivity more so than lightweight does. Just remember, the light rod will feel a lot heavier out of balance after a few hours than a perfectly balanced rod and reel.
cottny27 reply :
Rippin, seems like today's nicer reels are all on the light side 6.5oz and lighter. Add that weight to the butt of your rod...easy balance solution.
cottny27 reply :
On 2/12/2016 at 3:59 AM, Fishinthefish said:Balance increases sensitivity more so than lightweight does. Just remember, the light rod will feel a lot heavier out of balance after a few hours than a perfectly balanced rod and reel.
Its a fake feeling of lighter when held horizontal to the water/ground. I've gotten to where I prefer a neutral balance for jerkbait fishing not even a slight tip heavy rod. Just easier on your wrist after all day of fishing. But I agree with you 100%.
new2BC4bass reply :
Okuma Helios 701M rod 3.4 oz. Helios Air reel 5.3 oz. on TT review. 5.7 oz. at TW. Pretty sure I've seen an Abu reel listed around 4.5 oz. Not cheap, tho. So it should be relatively easy to get combos weighing less than 10 oz. total. You won't be limited to throwing 1/8 oz. lures either. 
cottny27 reply :
Pinnacle Producer LTE is 5.75oz for like $70 on Amazon. Lightest reel I know of in that price range and its got good reviews.
rippin-lips reply :
On 2/12/2016 at 4:08 AM, cottny27 said:Rippin, seems like today's nicer reels are all on the light side 6.5oz and lighter. Add that weight to the butt of your rod...easy balance solution.
Adding weight to a rod is counter productive.
Fishin' Fool reply :
On 2/12/2016 at 2:28 AM, Jason Angel said:This has been something I've been wondering about ever since I started getting into bass fishing (maybe a year or so now), what's considered "light" for a rod and reel combo? I'm waiting on my tax refund and might end up ordering a new rod and reel online, and want a relatively light setup. I guess I haven't handled enough rods to really get an idea of what it means. And I also like to be able to quantify in ounces to really good a good grasp on the idea. Of course it's gonna come down to opinion, but I'd like to get a concensus on it.
You never really said, are you looking for a spinning or baitcast set up? I think alot of people are assuming you want a baitcaster. However, if you want a spinning check out a St Croix Avid X and a Shimano CI4 reel.
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
Balance is negated the higher you position the tip of your rod during actual fishing. The overall weight of the rod/reel comes into play more if say your tip is pointed high like / Balance will show itself more the closer to parallel you get, holding rod straight out ---
So if bottom contact fishing with tip high balance isnt going to be as important as lightweight combo.
Sensitivity is effected more by weight and stiffness than balance. The lighter stiffer you get the more sensitive something is.
cottny27 reply :
On 2/12/2016 at 3:56 AM, rippin-lips said:It's easy to find a 6.5-7oz reel and a 4oz rod these days so making a 10-11oz combo is easy. Anything 9oz and below is what I'd call dang light. As mentioned it's more about balance though. You can have a heavier combo feel lighter than it really is due to how it balances. A tip heavy combo sucks. I've sold so many good rods because they didn't balance out how I like them. Also longer rods will generally require a tad heavier reel. It's all preference.
On 2/12/2016 at 6:25 AM, rippin-lips said:Adding weight to a rod is counter productive.
A rod is either balanced or it isn't. The reel plays no role in that. A true neutral balance is at the reel seat. A rod balancing at the fore grip could use about a 1/2oz to achieve perfect balance. After that any weight reels works just fine.
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
On 2/12/2016 at 6:25 AM, rippin-lips said:Adding weight to a rod is counter productive.
be it to the butt or heavier reel
If I had to choose i would add less overall weigth to the butt than try to balance using a much heavier reel.
Jason Angel reply :
On 2/12/2016 at 7:50 AM, Fishin' Fool said:You never really said, are you looking for a spinning or baitcast set up? I think alot of people are assuming you want a baitcaster. However, if you want a spinning check out a St Croix Avid X and a Shimano CI4 reel.
Yeah, I was aiming more at a baitcast setup with this post, but I'm more than welcome to hear opinions on spinning rods. Don't use a spinning rod as much while bass fishing as I really focus on topwaters like hollow bellies. But I can think of a few times I would like a spinning rod for topwater. I'll check them out!
cottny27 reply :
You can fine tune the balance much easier at the butt. Add a couple quarters and an end cap to the butt for bottom contact baits or less weight for a slight tip drop for cranks/jerks. Weights are removable on the go and don't have to be permanent.
JustinU1X reply :
My Okuma Helios rod(3.6oz)/reel(6.3oz) is my lightest setup. Light as a feather
smalljaw67 reply :
My idea of light weight for reels is under 7oz and for rods it is under 4oz but that isn't counting flipping sticks or anything like that. When you start getting into long rods with heavy powers then light is pretty much out the window as the main concern with those rods are power and balance.
5fishlimit reply :
On 2/12/2016 at 11:37 AM, cottny27 said:A rod is either balanced or it isn't. The reel plays no role in that.
The weight of the reel has a lot - if not everything - to do with how a rod balances. It's plain physics. Think of a basic lever, and the point you balance the rod being the where the fulcrum is located. When the weight (in this case the reel) is increased at one end then the point of balance (or location of the fulcrum) shifts to counter that additional weight.
Case in point... I have a 7'6" rod for A-Rigs, and when I put a Daiwa PXL-R (5.8oz) on it the balance point is about a 8" in front of the reel. When I take the same rod and an OG Zillion (8.6oz) the balance point moves backwards to about an inch in front of the reel.
If that isn't the reel playing a role in the balance then we are throwing away about 2300 years worth of physics. Thankfully, the principles of Archimedes have stood the test of time.
rippin-lips reply :
Hahaha Daniel. It was too late when I saw it to type out a response. Thanks for the 9:30am laugh though.
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
On 2/12/2016 at 10:20 PM, 5fishlimit said:The weight of the reel has a lot - if not everything - to do with how a rod balances. It's plain physics. Think of a basic lever, and the point you balance the rod being the where the fulcrum is located. When the weight (in this case the reel) is increased at one end then the point of balance (or location of the fulcrum) shifts to counter that additional weight.
Case in point... I have a 7'6" rod for A-Rigs, and when I put a Daiwa PXL-R (5.8oz) on it the balance point is about a 8" in front of the reel. When I take the same rod and an OG Zillion (8.6oz) the balance point moves backwards to about an inch in front of the reel.
If that isn't the reel playing a role in the balance then we are throwing away about 2300 years worth of physics. Thankfully, the principles of Archimedes have stood the test of time.
Your description is on an unbalanced rod though. On a rod that is balanced, fulcrum at the reelseat, where you hold it while fishing no matter the weight added/subtracted at the fulcrum point the balance will remain the same.
5fishlimit reply :
On 2/12/2016 at 10:36 PM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:Your description is on an unbalanced rod though. On a rod that is balanced, fulcrum at the reelseat, where you hold it while fishing no matter the weight added/subtracted at the fulcrum point the balance will remain the same.
Science begs to differ.
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
So if you're at a seesaw and balance both ends, 50 pound kid on one end and 50 pound kid on the other, and add weight at the center fulcrum the balance will be out? No, The balance will remain the same
5fishlimit reply :
On 2/12/2016 at 10:41 PM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:So if you're at a seesaw and balance both ends, 50 pound kid on one end and 50 pound kid on the other, and add weight at the center fulcrum the balance will be out? No, The balance will remain the same
I've never held, or heard of, a rod that would balance right at the reel seat with no reel mounted on the rod.
buzzed bait reply :
On 2/12/2016 at 10:50 PM, 5fishlimit said:I've never held, or heard of, a rod that would balance right at the reel seat with no reel mounted on the rod.
OMG so simple, you just put quarters in the butt end..... 
5fishlimit reply :
On 2/12/2016 at 10:41 PM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:So if you're at a seesaw and balance both ends, 50 pound kid on one end and 50 pound kid on the other, and add weight at the center fulcrum the balance will be out? No, The balance will remain the same
So then the above statement....
On 2/12/2016 at 10:56 PM, buzzed bait said:OMG so simple, you just put quarters in the butt end.....
....is negated by this statement because you are adding more weight to one end than you have on the other.
Again.... Science!
cottny27 reply :
On 2/12/2016 at 10:38 PM, 5fishlimit said:Science begs to differ.
Try it for yourself. If you are placing a reel directly on the fulcrum point then it just simply doesn't matter the weight of the reel. People have the old philosophy of changing reel weights to balance rods out wrong.
And no I have never felt a perfectly balanced rod at the reel seat, but you can make em that way with butt weight.
buzzed bait reply :
we've moved on from science and logic.... useless on the interwebs.
Q: "what's the lightest setup"
A; "just add more weight"
aquaholik reply :
On 2/12/2016 at 11:43 PM, cottny27 said:Try it for yourself. If you are placing a reel directly on the fulcrum point then it just simply doesn't matter the weight of the reel. People have the old philosophy of changing reel weights to balance rods out wrong.
And no I have never felt a perfectly balanced rod at the reel seat, but you can make em that way with butt weight.
When people hold a "balance rod and reel", they don't hold it at the exact center of the reel seat. They palm it and the "balance" point now is just in front of the reel. This way, the weight of the reel matters.
a 10 ounce combo is light, but not when the reel weighs 5 oz and the rod weighs 5 ounce. The balance point is going to be4 to 6 inches in front of the reel and you'll be fighting the tip all day if you are jigging light stuff.
rippin-lips reply :
How many off the shelf rods can you show me that balance right at the reel seat with no reel? We are talking normal bass rods. 6'6-7'6 medium - heavy power. For that neutral balance to happen you have to either move the reel seat up/down which then causes a longer/shorter handle length. Maybe Mike @DVT will chime in since he's built thousands of rods and could explain it better.
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
On 2/12/2016 at 11:53 PM, aquaholik said:When people hold a "balance rod and reel", they don't hold it at the exact center of the reel seat. They palm it and the "balance" point now is just in front of the reel. This way, the weight of the reel matters.
a 10 ounce combo is light, but not when the reel weighs 5 oz and the rod weighs 5 ounce. The balance point is going to be4 to 6 inches in front of the reel and you'll be fighting the tip all day if you are jigging light stuff.
That would be a poorly made rod.
I have 5.5oz reel and 4.8oz 7'1" rod that balances 1/2" or so from reel
And the same 5.5oz reel on my 3.4oz 7' rod balances about maybe 3/4" in front of reel
A custom made 7' 5oz rod could be made to balance under a 5oz reel.
Change hand position all you want palm the reel where ever but the balance point wont change it will remain the same.
aquaholik reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 12:38 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:A custom made 7' 5oz rod could be made to balance under a 5oz reel.
Absolutely, by moving the reel seat up further resulting in an effective shorter rod, or add more butt material if the real seat is a reasonable distance. Or using lighter guides.
Swapped my 7ft broken tip IMX MBR 842 C for the newer "lighter" IMX MBR 843 C. Couldn't even balance the d**n thing using my "old" nearly 9 ounces Calais DC. Forget about putting an Alpha on there. All the weight seems to be from the thick finish and the guides. First Loomis that disappointed me. Luckily they allowed me to swap for the IMX jig and worm series and I went with the 6ft 8 medium action just to stay on the safe side.
rippin-lips reply :
For those of you that keep mentioning about adding weight to the butt... Please take some time and look around on some of the rod building forums a bit and you will see that adding weight to a rod is the last thing that you would want to do. @Delaware Valley Tackle
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
we had this discussion before and its better than adding even more weight with heavier reel.
If it makes it more balanced it will help with sensitivity. Why add 3-4oz to rod,with reel, when 1/2-3/4 will do the same the less weight added overall the better.
DVT quote http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/86950-tip-heavy/?p=991184
"Weight added weight anywhere on the blank has a negative affect on sensitivity. With that said, a small amount of weight on the butt area would have the least affect and admittedly probably less that human hands could detect"
quote from: http://www.fishing-tackle-repair.com/rod-crafting/resource/articles/rod-balancing.html
"Jump Lures
Jigs, Worms, Spoons, etc. These are slack line techniques and tip heavy rods can be made more sensitive by adding weight to the butt."
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 12:57 AM, rippin-lips said:For those of you that keep mentioning about adding weight to the butt... Please take some time and look around on some of the rod building forums a bit and you will see that adding weight to a rod is the last thing that you would want to do. @Delaware Valley Tackle
I agree completely. An appropriate handle design on a quality blank with the right drive train will balance as well as can be expected. Paying for all this and adding extra weight is counter intuitive. Rods are fished on multiple planes and with varying degrees of tip pressure.
A lot of our perceptions of sensitivity , fatigue, stretchiness, smoothness etc are rooted in misinformation disseminated in the form of marketing and comments by "tournament pros" repeated so many times it's taken as fact. This whole game is all about personal preferences at the end of the day and you should do what works for you. For me, adding weight to nearly any rod is avoided.
A casting reel is either palmed or held behind the reel. The former is a neutral position the latter is in front of the fulcrum of the lever (Rod). The size and weight of a reel can of course affect the feel but I can't see a heavier reel balance a Rod unless you're fishing it from a foregrip.
Raul reply :
Well, adding weight ain´t gonna make it lighter since you´re adding weight.
My lightest setup is TDZ/Pixy/Chronarch 50 Mg paired to a GLoomis CR723 IMX, less than at around 9.7 ounces I doubt you can get lighter than that.
Team9nine reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 1:09 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:
If it makes it more balanced it will help with sensitivity.Why add 3-4oz to rod,with reel, when 1/2-3/4 will do the same the less weight added overall the better.DVT quote http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/86950-tip-heavy/?p=991184
"Weight added anywhere on the blank has a negative affect on sensitivity. With that said, a small amount of weight on the butt area would have the least affect and admittedly probably less that human hands could detect"
See highlighting above - you simply can't add more sensitivity to a rod by also adding more weight. Any weight added beyond the original weight of the blank (guides, resin, wraps, handle material, balancing kits, etc.) will decrease sensitivity whether you can detect it or not (it would be measureable). See DVT's bolded quote above. As DVT also stated (above) though, if you are going to add weight for better balance (ergonomics), the further from the tip the weight can be added, the better. It will require less and be the least (but not zero) detrimental.
Quotequote from: http://www.fishing-tackle-repair.com/rod-crafting/resource/articles/rod-balancing.html
"Jump Lures
Jigs, Worms, Spoons, etc. These are slack line techniquesand tip heavy rods can be made more sensitive by adding weight to the butt."
The above bolding is part of the misinformation being disseminated as DVT mentioned below in his comment. They can be made more balanced, but not more sensitive.
On 2/13/2016 at 1:17 AM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:I agree completely. An appropriate handle design on a quality blank with the right drive train will balance as well as can be expected. Paying for all this and adding extra weight is counter intuitive.
A lot of our perceptions of sensitivity , fatigue, stretchiness, smoothness etc are rooted in misinformation disseminated in the form of marketing and comments by "tournament pros" repeated so many times it's taken as fact. This whole game is all about personal preferences at the end of the day and you should do what works for you. For me, adding weight to nearly any rod is avoided.
That said, I weigh all my rods since that information is rarely publshed. reel weight is actually pretty easy to find though. My spinning rods (all 6'-7' rods) range from 2.8 to 4.1 ounces. My baitcasters range from 3.9 to 6.2 ounces. Not of these are crazy high dollar rods. In fact, some of my best balanced rods are the least expensive rods I own, but that certainly doesn't make them the most sensitive.
-T9
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
On 2/12/2016 at 10:50 PM, 5fishlimit said:On 2/12/2016 at 11:35 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:Balance is negated the higher you position the tip of your rod during actual fishing. The overall weight of the rod/reel comes into play more if say your tip is pointed high like / Balance will show itself more the closer to parallel you get, holding rod straight out ---
So if bottom contact fishing with tip high balance isnt going to be as important as lightweight combo.
Sensitivity is effected more by weight and stiffness than balance. The lighter stiffer you get the more sensitive something is.
On 2/13/2016 at 1:53 AM, Team9nine said:See highlighting above - you simply can't add more sensitivity to a rod by also adding more weight. Any weight added beyond the original weight of the blank (guides, resin, wraps, handle material, balancing kits, etc.) will decrease sensitivity whether you can detect it or not (it would be measureable).
-T9
I've never held, or heard of, a rod that would balance right at the reel seat with no reel mounted on the rod.
I replied the same see my underlined bold text
Team9nine reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 2:00 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:I replied the same see my underlined bold text
Yep, it is all a mass-modulus (stiffness) thing. Every little bit of weight you add beyond that can only decrease resonant frequency, but it might increase your own personal "fishability" factor 
-T9
kickerfish1 reply :
Interesting how a question directed towards "light weight" shifted more towards balance. OP hopefully there are enough pieces of info here to help you out some.
cottny27 reply :
If your palming a reel the reel is in the middle of your hand directly over the reel seat (fulcrum point). If you haven't tried adding a little weight to the butt then you are missing out. Throwing a reel on there that's 9oz to try to balance is ridiculous.
rippin-lips reply :
^^^ see Mike's answer above, or do a little reading. It's counter productive. To make it plain to understand - it's a dumb idea.
cottny27 reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 4:21 AM, rippin-lips said:^^^ see Mike's answer above, or do a little reading. It's counter productive. To make it plain to understand - it's a dumb idea.
Its how I like it. Just like you like dressing your reels with purple accents..dumb
rippin-lips reply :
And that's great if that's what you prefer but spreading misinformation around by saying to add weight the butt is not great. It's a last resort and should be avoided if at all possible. Have a nice day.
IAY reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 4:50 AM, rippin-lips said:And that's great if that's what you prefer but spreading misinformation around by saying to add weight the butt is not great. It's a last resort and should be avoided if at all possible.
I would agree with you on most cases except for swimbait rods. Some of the sticks are very heavy and hard to balance even with 12 oz plus reel. The benefit from having easier casting will outweigh the loss of sensitivity imo. Most of the swimbait strikes are big hammering hits anyways.
rippin-lips reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 4:52 AM, IAY said:I would agree with you on most cases except for swimbait rods. Some of the sticks are very heavy and hard to balance even with 12 oz plus reel. The benefit from having easier casting will outweigh the loss of sensitivity imo. Most of the swimbait strikes are big hammering hits anyways.
Yes,totally with you there. My 7'11 H guide select with Cardiff 301 is not light by any means. In terms of general freshwater gear though we are on the same page.
cottny27 reply :
Sayonara.
Easier casting is another huge advantage. Most haven't really fished with a true balanced setup so they don't understand the benefits. Makes it feel more sensitive imo. You are dragging the weight of the lure and not a tip heavy rod along with it...but I'm blowing smoke to close-minded people.
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 4:21 AM, rippin-lips said:^^^ see Mike's answer above, or do a little reading. It's counter productive. To make it plain to understand - it's a dumb idea.
and adding a heavier reel (like you mention to do at times) to balance is an even dumber idea
cottny27 reply :
Quake, that old philosophy everyone seems to go by. It's total misinformation.
On 2/13/2016 at 5:20 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:and adding a heavier reel (like you mention to do at times) to balance is an even dumber idea
I can see that working on spinning setups somewhat. I do see some people holding them up on the fore grip, but very few.
IAY reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 5:15 AM, cottny27 said:Sayonara.
Easier casting is another huge advantage. Most haven't really fished with a true balanced setup so they don't understand the benefits. Makes it feel more sensitive imo. You are dragging the weight of the lure and not a tip heavy rod along with it...but I'm blowing smoke to close-minded people.
http://imgur.com/IDT8VRb
Pretty hard to get more balanced than this right at the locking nut. Pretty light rod too, coming in at 87 grams. Yes it would make the set up more balanced, but you are dampening the blank a lot more than it is worth in my opinion.
cottny27 reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 5:32 AM, IAY said:http://imgur.com/IDT8VRb
Pretty hard to get more balanced than this
Its that a UL or lite action rod? That is pretty good about 2 quarters from perfection.
rippin-lips reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 5:20 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:and adding a heavier reel (like you mention to do at times) to balance is an even dumber idea
None of the reels I own are over 7oz except 1 and the rest are under 7oz. So using a 6.5oz reel on a certain rod would balance it out better than using a 5.5oz reel. That's what I mean by using a heavier reel. You also aren't adding weight to the blank itself resulting in a loss of sensitivity. It's fishing so do whatever you feel is best for you. However, when a man who's built 1,000's of rods tells you it's a last resort and overall bad idea you still don't believe the facts.
IAY reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 5:42 AM, cottny27 said:Its that a UL or lite action rod? That is pretty good about 2 quarters from perfection.
It's rated for 3/8th to 1/16. It actually balances right at the edge towards the reel, but hard to show .
rippin-lips reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 5:32 AM, IAY said:http://imgur.com/IDT8VRb
Pretty hard to get more balanced than this
That's where I aim to have all my combos balance at. With what's available today in terms of rods and reels I see no need to ever have to add additional weight to the butt. The weight of the coins or washers that people use and the rubber chair cap are heavier than people realize. I can swap a reel that's within 1oz of another and achieve what I prefer for balance.
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 5:43 AM, rippin-lips said:None of the reels I own are over 7oz except 1 and the rest are under 7oz. So using a 6.5oz reel on a certain rod would balance it out better than using a 5.5oz reel. That's what I mean by using a heavier reel. You also aren't adding weight to the blank itself resulting in a loss of sensitivity. It's fishing so do whatever you feel is best for you. However, when a man who's built 1,000's of rods tells you it's a last resort and overall bad idea you still don't believe the facts.
When you put a reel on the rod that is weight on the blank the same as if you put weight on the butt with a cap you are putting weight on the blank. The weight is just attached to a different point. So instead of switching a 5oz reel for a 7oz reel you can add much less weight to the blank on the rear for greater effect.
cottny27 reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 5:53 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:When you put a reel on the rod that is weight on the blank the same as if you put weight on the butt with a cap you are putting weight on the blank. The weight is just attached to a different point. So instead of switching a 5oz reel for a 7oz reel you can add much less weight to the blank on the rear for greater effect.
I'm going to refer to my own personal experience on the water with this over what someone else "tells" you.
Quake, you make total sense.
rippin-lips reply :
So you are discrediting Mike's years of knowledge and experience with building and fishing all different types of rods. That makes total sense. I've gotten muddy enough, I'm done wrestling now.
Good day,sirs.
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
If you want to use DVT's words OK--
DVT quote http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/86950-tip-heavy/?p=991184
"Weight added weight anywhere on the blank has a negative affect on sensitivity. With that said, a small amount of weight on the butt area would have the least affect and admittedly probably less that human hands could detect"
--
Im not discrediting him Im using his own words.
Weight anywhere on the blank so that would include the reel seat area with heavier reel or say larger guides towards the tip, anywhere.
And then stated small weight on the butt will have the least effect (on sensitivity) less than could be detected so that would lead it to being the best place to add weight if wanting to.
IAY reply :
It is important to note that the way that someone like DVT or custom rod maker looks at balancing problem is different from end users. A professional rod builder like DVT will never look to compromise the performance of the blank by adding weight to the end, since there are plenty of options you can do before hand to adjust for balance. The end users have none of these options available to them. If someone cares a lot about balance, then adding extra weight could do the trick. You are sacrificing other performance factors though.
cottny27 reply :
No discrediting anybody here. Just trying to prove the fulcrum point which has been lost in this conversation.
BlackIce3758 reply :
Hello to all ???? Hope I don't side track everyone. And, not that this has anything to do with the last few comments but... My idea of a light combo would be my own current favorite baitcasting combo. Light in anybody's opinion, if you ask me. I literally weighed it today on my lunch break.. Including the swim jig, speed shad, and braided line it came to 7.5 oz total. NRX 893c jwr, 20lb max quatro on a Alderbaran 50.. I throw mostly jigs. I'm not sure how many of you have had the opportunity to hold a NRX never mind throw one or own one but it's pretty amazing. 110% worth the high dollar price tag.
LionHeart reply :
I don't get too excited about weight or balance. I'd say most of my reels are around 7 oz. And rods just under 5 oz. If I get fatigued from fishing, it's from standing in the sun and wind for 4 + hours, not because of a few ounces on a rod and reel. Oh well, maybe I just don't know any better.
As for balance, a rod has to be pretty tip heavy for me to care.
BlackIce3758 reply :
On 9/17/2018 at 5:52 AM, LionHeart said:I don't get too excited about weight or balance. I'd say most of my reels are around 7 oz. And rods just under 5 oz. If I get fatigued from fishing, it's from standing in the sun and wind for 4 + hours, not because of a few ounces on a rod and reel. Oh well, maybe I just don't know any better.
As for balance, a rod has to be pretty tip heavy for me to care.
I understand where your coming from.. I do.. however, for the type of fishing I do, which is mostly plastic/jig bottom contact, balance and feel and sensitivity are the most important factors I consider when buying my gear. And at the end of the day, and I've fished from sunrise to sunset, the weight and balance make fishing more enjoyable for me. Unfortunately the weight reduction comes at a price for some, more than others..
WRB reply :
Interesting thread. Balance is located at the center of balanced fulcrum point regardless of the weight. If a rod is balanced at the center of the reel seat and the reel weight is centered to the reel seat the weight doesn't change the balance point.
To off set the fulcrum point changes the balance and that is what we do when holding the rod and reel, we hold it where it's comfortable with a lure tied on.
Rod weight is dependant on it's length, thickness, guides, reel seat,handle material, all the components that makes it up. My 6' 10" heavy power fast action jig rod weighs 3.8 oz, the reel with line is 6.8 oz or 10.6 oz total. My swimbait reel weighs 9.6 oz for example and balances with the 8' Xheavy swimbait rod is 8.3 oz, both feel good to me.
Tom
JoshFromBolo reply :
For the sake of making a new post, would yall consider a baitcasting reel in the 7-8oz a heavy reel?
WRB reply :
On 10/21/2018 at 5:38 AM, JoshFromBolo said:For the sake of making a new post, would yall consider a baitcasting reel in the 7-8oz a heavy reel?
What size reel?
JoshFromBolo reply :
On 10/21/2018 at 5:53 AM, WRB said:What size reel?
200
WRB reply :
On 10/21/2018 at 5:56 AM, JoshFromBolo said:200
About average, TW list all the reel weights if you are interested, rod weights take some research.
Tom
jbrew73 reply :
For your typical baitcasting reel I would consider it average weight.
JoshFromBolo reply :
On 10/21/2018 at 5:58 AM, WRB said:About average, TW list all the reel weights if you are interested, rod weights take some research.
Tom
On 10/21/2018 at 5:59 AM, jbrew73 said:For your typical baitcasting reel I would consider it average weight.
Thanks you guys! Normally don't really get into all the weight stuff, but It was just on my mind.
BlackIce3758 reply :
On 10/21/2018 at 5:34 AM, WRB said:Interesting thread. Balance is located at the center of balanced fulcrum point regardless of the weight. If a rod is balanced at the center of the reel seat and the reel weight is centered to the reel seat the weight doesn't change the balance point.
To off set the fulcrum point changes the balance and that is what we do when holding the rod and reel, we hold it where it's comfortable with a lure tied on.
Rod weight is dependant on it's length, thickness, guides, reel seat,handle material, all the components that makes it up. My 6' 10" heavy power fast action jig rod weighs 3.8 oz, the reel with line is 6.8 oz or 10.6 oz total. My swimbait reel weighs 9.6 oz for example and balances with the 8' Xheavy swimbait rod is 8.3 oz, both feel good to me.
Tom
Thank you for the technical explanation on this subject. I feel that its always interesting how the rod weight feels depending on which reel is attached. I always go by feel when changing in and out rods and reels. One of the most comfortable rod and reel combo I currently own isn't the lightest combo I own. Just baised on the "swing weight" that I feel when the combo is in my hand, makes for a good all day rod. No matter the lenght or action. In the end, I guess the total weight matter to an extent. But then again, I like using my lightest & most expensive combos the least. That way I won't have a favorite combo and neglect my lower end gear..
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