Sure you can remove it. Place the reel seat in a plastic bag and then place the bag in a pot of boiling water. Give it a few minutes and then see if it will come off. If this does not work, it can always be cut off with a abrasive disk on a Dremel tool as a last resort. My question is does it really need to be removed, or just a new skill you want to aquire? Either way, sounds like a fun project.

Brad