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Posts: 105
| Never used a split grip rod and thinking of getting one. Anyone have any opinions on pros or cons on having this style grip? Thanks M4L |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | I like them myself. Feels very natural for casting and the rod forces you to place your hands in the optimal position. For tucking under the arm they are not as comfortable but I do not mind it. Length is another option. I think most musky rods come with 14", 16" or 18" split grip handles and not many in the 18" length. I prefer the longer 18" myself and this is also why my rods all have the fat cork 18" handles. My customers either love them or hate them. My suggestion would be to try one while fishing or at least go hold one at a show coming up. Some good brands out there have the split grip handles on them including mine. |
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Posts: 2037
Location: lansing, il | Pretty much what James said, I got one of his T/I split grip xxh rods and love it. I havent used it in the summer yet where all I have on is a t-shirt so i dont know how comfortable it will be then, but for slingin big stuff this fall it is awesome. |
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| where do you measure from to determine handle length? |
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Posts: 313
Location: Bemidji, Lake Vermilion | Second what James said. Love his long handles, awesome. Also true about what he said about hand placement, and the longer handle helps with casting power. I also believe the split grip is not as nice for really heavy/hard pulling baits when tucked against the body, but its great for smaller stuff, easy topwaters etc. James full fat cork handles are also great and just feel better than sickly thin cork. |
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Posts: 162
Location: Bemidji, MN | Before you settle on a handle length, try different ones. I build all of my own rods, some for my friends, and a few for sale. I say this because arm length plays a major role in wether or not a long or short handle is comfortable for the angler. For instance, I am not a big guy at only 5'9", so I do not like a handle much longer than 14". Yes, an 18" handle will give me more casting leverage, but I would have all the rest of the butt to deal with the rest of the time, especially when switching from casting to reeling, I find that a really long handle will hang up on my gut, especially in cold weather when i am wearing alot of clothes. Fishing style, and how you hold the rod will factor into this also.
As far as the split grip, I don't use it very much except on spinning rods, where sensitivity is a factor. Being able to put your hand in direct contact with the rod blank really helps out in that department. On a musky rod, I like cork, and lots of it! it is more comfortable, and if you drop your rod overboard, it floats! (trust me I Know!). And considering the rest of the rod components, the weight difference is pretty negligable.
Cork diameter can also be adjusted by a rod builder, for big or small hands, or just personal preference, as well as different size (diameter) reelseats.
One thing to note about split grips, is that in my opinion, you don't want to troll with them if your particular rod holder will have contact with the bare rod blank. this could put a great deal of stress on one spot, causing the rod to fail later. A full cork handle will cushion this.
Ok, I am sort of biased because I build rods, but I suggest that you get in touch with your local rod builder, and try to determine what type of handle "fits" you best. There are many good ones out there. BUT, they tend not to be cheap, because they are building rods one at a time, tailored to each individual, not mass producing them.
With that said, there are many good rods on the market out there, with varying handle lengths, styles, and diameters. Go put as many in your hands as you can, preferably with the reel that you will be fishing with, and try to go through all the fishing motions you can think of to see which is best for you. |
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Location: SE Wisconsin | You can always sand cork. I've sanded all of my Okuma cork handles (which are very straight and thick) to taper in the middle of the back end, as well as the head and butt of the foregrip. |
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Posts: 398
Location: WI | Try one before you buy. I got a split grip last summer & really don't like it. Maybe over time I'll get used to it, but for now, I'd rather have a full cork grip. |
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Posts: 90
| I bought a pair of rods with split grios last year, and wasn't crazy about them, but after a little while I got used to to it and now my full grips seem odd to use. I really like mine and will probably not buy another full grip rod if I have a choice. |
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