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| I'm new to muskie fishing and was looking at all the different rod options available. I'm curious as to what rear handle length everyone likes to use on their rods and why? Great info on the sight! |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | 16" to 18" fat cork
Reason, leverage. |
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | +1 to what James said.
I personally like a bit of a fatter handle like he puts on his TI rods.
It makes your hands less cramped and in the end, your hands and arms are less fatigued.
Just one man's personal opinion!!
I would say go to your local sporting goods store and handle a few different rod and handle lengths.
See what you like and don't like... |
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Posts: 537
Location: Gilberts IL/Rhinelander WI | Every rod on the market has too short of a handle for me. I have had all mine extended to 18"-22" from the reel seat. The first one I had extended for jerkbaits as it fit better under my arm. After that they all felt short and I liked it so much I had them all done. |
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Posts: 203
Location: Minnesota | Another +1 to what James said...
I started off with 7'0 Grandt Rod and 7'6 Cabela Rod when I jumped into Muskie fishing... then a year later, I upgraded to 8'6 Pro Edges and 9'0 Reaction Strike rod... Pro Edge had 15" x 1.5" handle while RS had 15"x1" handle... I found myself wrapping up the handle with electric tape then finishing it off with rod wrap for approx 1.25" thickness... That was 4 years ago...
Last year, I found myself starting to use jerkbaits and gliders way more... so I went back to 7'0 Grandt rod... It was a rod of a major discomfort due to the 12" handle... During the off-season, after getting the latest issue of Musky Hunter, an article by Bill Turgeon caught my eye... and since I saved the handle from an 8'6 Pro Edge that basically shortened itself from 8'6 to 6'6 in midcast, I went ahead and did the homemade extension, and now the rod is 7'6 with nearly 18" handle... I've made few dry-casts outside in the yard and man, is it a HUGE difference... Very much more comfortable... Definitely am looking forward to using that more often this upcoming season... I mated an Okuma Isis to that rod... Should be a sweet combo for jerks/gliders...
So far, the main rods I use are: 9'0 Telescoping XXH mated with Saltist 30TH for burning big blades and live sucker fishing, 9'0 Telescoping XXH mated with Okuma Cedros for Big Rubbers and slow-rolling big blades, 7'6 Modified Grandt Rod mated with Okuma Isis for Gliders/Jerkbaits/WTD, 9'0 Reaction Strike MH mated with Abu Garcia 6600 for Prop Topwaters...
I can honestly say that my two best investments has been purchasing the 2 TI Rods and extending the handle on my Grandt Rod... Handle length and thickness really plays a huge role in casting and reeling comfort...
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | Also a fan of long handles, had 1 extended 3" and wish I had gone 3 more still to short. |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | It is very easy to extend your rod handle, here is a rod I added 6" .
(gears 016 [320x200].jpg)
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 gears 016 [320x200].jpg (40KB - 160 downloads)
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Posts: 127
| When you're talking about adding 3" and 6", how long is the final rear handle? Stock Legend Tournament is my short end, with 18" at the long end. |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | RStien321 - 4/19/2011 4:40 PM
When you're talking about adding 3" and 6", how long is the final rear handle? Stock Legend Tournament is my short end, with 18" at the long end.
I like a rear handle length of 18" U can add 1" to about 8" to any rod |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | Mine was on a Loomis, not sure what exact lenth is now guessing around 16" but after getting used to the 18" on my TI rods it's way to short. |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | PIKEMASTER had a great idea for me a while back. Look on eBay for old golf club shafts. They are perfect for extending handles! Done a few already and they are fun to do and worked out perfect. Guys are selling them all the time on eBay. Cost me about $1 each. Got most of my other supplies from www.Mudhole.com |
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Posts: 116
| when it comes to handle length, the more the merrier....I've never use a rod with 'too long' of a handle |
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Posts: 582
| the longer handles like James rods are great. Its one of the reasons i stopped buying st croix rods (premier and mojo) because the handles are just way to short. |
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| I prefer mine no less than 16 inches in length.
The grip doesn't have to be fat because my fingers are short and I like to wrap my fingers around the grip so they touch.
My personal opinion.
Scott M.
i |
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Posts: 551
Location: Columbus, Georgia | Leverage and fatigue are justifications for a longer rod butt. I sold my entire St. Croix Avid line of rods because the handles became very short once they started producing rods with butt handles that were two or sometimes three inches longer. Of course; now I'd like to have those Avid's back ... but that's another story.
Another voice stating that to instruct a newbie to get a rod with "fat cork" is not sound advice.
That fat cork deal is a personal preference. I am more comfortable and experience less fatigue with a thin cork handle. Others here have said the same.
Get to a source that has both fat and thinner butt handles in stock. Hold the rods and get a feel for yourself.
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Posts: 272
| Judging by the responses, I'd have to say most of you guys are palmers. My butts are all too long, except my lone 8-footer, which is a Fenwick Techna AV.
I'm actually looking to SHORTEN my butts by 3-4". My 8'6"ers are all way, way out there on the butt section when you're foregripping your rod like I do. Becomes problematic when you cast and transition into the retrieve, and when you transition from the retrieve into the F8. CONSTANTLY getting hung up on the underarm material of my jacket. Obviously, more noticible the colder it is and the more layers you're wearing.
Any suggestions for how to do this? Can a guy just take a hacksaw to them and find a butt cap that fits or is there more to it? I guess I'm a little scared I'll shatter the blank.
Thanks,
Eric |
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