I always balance my rod and reel. But not where the article says. I want my rod to balance where my high sign finger is on the rod. Sorta the middle of my grip While I am holding the rod, and open up my grip so that the only finger touching the rod is my middle finger....THAT is where I want the rod to balance when a reel with backing and line is on it. Static weight that is. Of course it changes when you cast out line. But it is just where I balance my rod outfits.
I use two tv tables and a thin metal bookend. One tv table to put the book end on and the other tv table at the end of the rod...just to support the tip of the rod while arranging stuff and weighing it.
I took a plastic soda pop bottle, cut it in half and punched a hole in each side of one half with a single hole paper punch. Tied each end of about a 6-7" string into the home made cup holes.
i actually mount a reel that is supposed to fit the rod and mark the cenber of the reel foot...on the reel seat with blue painters tape. Then remove the reel.
Then pick up the rod fully assembled without a reel...and false cast a couple of times and find out where "I" like to HOLD the rod in my hand. (because I am going to be the one using the rod) I mark the spot where the top part of my high sign finger is touching the underside of the rod grip. When I turn the grip up slightly toward my face to look at my palm.....the top of the middle finger (at the fingertip) on the grip....is where I like to mark it.
Hang the home made plastic cup...I use the bottle cap end....not the bottom half of the container. I dunno...I just seem to like to funnel the weight down toward the bottle cap, instead of it being spread all around the flat bottom of the cup. Anywhooo.....I hang the cup, partially filled with some coins, on the mark I made on the reel seat.
Now I place the rod on the book end....again it is a very thin metal book end....I place the rod on the book end where I made the mark that my middle finger touches the grip...or say 3/16" up from the center of the fingernail. I like to make the mark where the top of my middle finger is touching the grip........the top edge of the finger.
I then fill the cup with coins till I get balance. Weigh the cup on a digital scale...which I got from harbor freight. I subtract 2 ounces for the lack of a line and backing being on the rod. So....if the rod balances at 6 ounces.....I figure I need a 4 ounce reel on that rod to make me happy. Doesn't have to be exact...probably within 1.5 ounces satisfies me. More than that and I get too tip heavy or reel heavy, and the rod is tiring to fish with for a day.
'tis just fyi
That's how I do my rods. I am sure there are a dozen ways to do it....and a dozen who say don't do it, and a dozen who say do it.
Just what I do...for iffen it heps anyone.
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