Does the reel REALLY matter when it comes to balance?

[curls]

I often hear from people "this rod balances perfectly with this reel" or "this rod feels tip-heavy - I need a different reel to help it balance better".

I was thinking about this today and just want to see if I'm way off-base based on my understanding of the physics, and to see if maybe this kind of talk is all just an excuse to buy more gear.

If the fulcrum of a combo is ALWAYS the reel seat, as that is where your hand is and thus where the rod will be forced to pivot due to the nature of, well, fishing... what difference does the weight* of the reel make to the balance** of the rod? You can add all the weight you want centred over the fulcrum, and it will not change the balance of the combo. Think of a see-saw. If you have weight only on one end, the see-saw (rod) will be lower on that side (let's call this "tip heavy"). You can add all the weight you want to the fulcrum (middle - let's call this the "reel seat") but that see-saw plank will still never move from its non-horizontal state. Add weight behind the fulcrum and the see-saw plank (rod) will change angle (let's call this "adding butt weight" or "reducing tip-weight").

* This is assuming the middle of the fulcrum is the middle of the reel.
** This is assuming balance = the relative tip-heaviness of the rod.

I obviously see how weight of the combo can feel heavier or lighter, but balance-wise, there should be no difference assuming my assumptions are correct.

Thoughts?

[Teal101]

My fulcrum point is where my ring finger goes underneath the rod, which is generally the foregrip. When I balance test a rod with a reel I put the rod foregrip on my finger and let it balance. Because my hand is so far forward on the rod the reel does definitely matter. If I were to un-grasp the reel and only hold the reel seat that is where my balance point is.

[curls]

My fulcrum point is where my ring finger goes underneath the rod, which is generally the foregrip. When I balance test a rod with a reel I put the rod foregrip on my finger and let it balance. Because my hand is so far forward on the rod the reel does definitely matter. If I were to un-grasp the reel and only hold the reel seat that is where my balance point is.

Unless I'm misunderstanding... the fulcrum is the pivot point. So you do not use your wrist/heel of hand to jig/twitch? Instead of that, you somehow tip the combo back/forth on the ring finger? That actually seems impossible unless you have magic hands that can pivot the rod while keeping your wrist locked perfectly rigid.

How you balance-test a rod in your description (place finger on foregrip) has nothing to do with how you physically manipulate the rod while fishing, and thus has nothing to do with how the rod balances while fishing.

Now, if you hold the combo such that the front 1/3rd of the reel is against the very bottom of your hand (basically at the wrist) then I can see how the bulk of the reels weight is actually behind the fulcrum point (wrist), and then the reel weight would matter. I cannot see that as being a logical way to hold the reel though... your palm and fingers would be way in front of the reel and in the way of the line!

[Teal101]

My fulcrum point is where my ring finger goes underneath the rod, which is generally the foregrip. When I balance test a rod with a reel I put the rod foregrip on my finger and let it balance. Because my hand is so far forward on the rod the reel does definitely matter. If I were to un-grasp the reel and only hold the reel seat that is where my balance point is.

Unless I'm misunderstanding... the fulcrum is the pivot point. So you do not use your wrist/heel of hand to jig/twitch? Instead of that, you somehow tip the combo back/forth on the ring finger? That actually seems impossible unless you have magic hands that can pivot the rod while keeping your wrist locked perfectly rigid.

How you balance-test a rod in your description (place finger on foregrip) has nothing to do with how you physically manipulate the rod while fishing, and thus has nothing to do with how the rod balances while fishing.

Now, if you hold the combo such that the front 1/3rd of the reel is against the very bottom of your hand (basically at the wrist) then I can see how the bulk of the reels weight is actually behind the fulcrum point (wrist), and then the reel weight would matter. I cannot see that as being a logical way to hold the reel though... your palm and fingers would be way in front of the reel and in the way of the line!

You're overthinking this. The fulcrum point has to be on the rod, it's not your wrist. If it's your wrist than the fulcrum point is going to be behind the reel and the reel weight will definitely affect the balance. The rod is balanced where my fingers go underneath it and as I move my wrist the rod is manipulated and levers on my fingers. Yes my fingers are in front of the reel, helps detect bites. Heres how I plam my reels...


If the fulcrum is my wrist it is behind the reel so weight matters, but its not, it's on my fingers in front of the reel. My middle finger is underneath the foregrip, ring and pinky are under the seat here. I generally grasp the line in front of the reel with my pointer and thumb, sometimes I switch it up though to alleviate fatigue and use the ring under the foregrip. I dont hold the rod with a rigid death grip when working a jig either. Different strokes for different folks.

[njbasscat]

My opinion is that the reel weight does not change the balance of the rod. It's too far forward. It does effect how the setup feels though. A flipping stick or big cranking rod feels better to me with a heavier reel. Lighter rods feel better with lighter reels, at least in my hands.

[DavidSA]

adding reel weight in an attempt to better balance a rig is horribly inefficient. I like to add very small weights on the back of the rod while at the same time using the lightest reel that can handle the application I am fishing.

case in point- my NRX894 had a 7.5oz reel on it. Balance not great but rod not heavy so the imbalance not a big deal. Then I added 1/2oz to the butt of my rod and dropped reel weight to 6oz. So net, I have taken 1 full oz out of the rig but honestly if feels 4oz lighter.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Most as it relates to fishing define the fulcrum as the balance point of the rod/reel combo, so its not always going to be the middle of the reel seat. You are right though if the balance point of just the rod is directly where you hold it during fishing the weight of the reel wont effect the balance. Now if the balance point is in front of the reel seat 2"-3" with a 5oz reel, just as an examble, a heavier reel say 8oz will change the balance point, where the rod wants to pivot on its own. The extra weight will bring the fulcrum/balance point closer to seat and change the feel.

[SteveSchmelzle]

I fish.

I fish a lot.

I fish for many many different species using many different tactics, 12 months a year.

I constantly move my reels around, and have never, ever, felt that a rod was "out of balance" when I was using it.

Must just be me.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

I fish.

I fish a lot.

I fish for many many different species using many different tactics, 12 months a year.

I constantly move my reels around, and have never, ever, felt that a rod was "out of balance" when I was using it.

Must just be me.

I only have 2 that stick out as not being balanced as I would like, a StCroix LTB and Omen Black 2

[SteveSchmelzle]

I bet it is due to my range of rods I use.

Going over my list, I'm currently at 45 rods.

only 7 are casting bass rods, and only 11 are spinning rods.

27 of my rods are trolling rods....

and trolling rods don't even attempt to be balanced.

I think I'm used to unbalanced rods/reels.

[IlliniDawg01]

The lighter the combo, the more noticeable a tip heavy rod will be. By adding a heavier reel, you can trick your arm into not noticing the tip heaviness a bit just because ibecauset is a smaller ratio so to speak. The force required to lift the tip is the same but it now requires more force to lift the entire combo.

DaveJ

[trevorvandam]

It depends on what bait/technique the rod is made for. If it's a jig rod or a flipping stick, then the weight/balance should be toward the reel seat or the handle because your mostly fishing with your rod tip up. If it's a cranking rod, then the weight/balance should be more toward the front of the reel seat or so. Because your fishing with your rod tip down.

[bigfruits]

the balance point is on the foregrip on all of my rods. changing the reel weight does change that balance point a bit.

[masterbass]

Adding weight to the butt of the rod is the most efficient way to balance a rod. I use rubber chair bumpers and coins and I get the combo to balance under the reel perfectly. It costs about $1.75 including coins and the bumper plus it doesn't alter the rod which can void warranties and it adds protection to the butt.

[Hennessy]

I fish.

I fish a lot.

I fish for many many different species using many different tactics, 12 months a year.

I constantly move my reels around, and have never, ever, felt that a rod was "out of balance" when I was using it.

Must just be me.

I'm with you Steve. I didn't even know about balance til I joined tackle tour