TackleTour

After my first real season of fishing ever, I've learned some things about fishing rods. I won't go into all of them. But one of the things I learned is that I think I prefer a short foregrip so my finger can touch the blank. I can only do this on my Kistler Helium3 rods, which have no foregrip, just the reel seat screw which is padded with EVA foam. When palming the reel, or almost-palming(?) it, I have my little finger under the trigger and my index finger on the blank. I use my index finger for leverage when walking baits, which helps to not wear out my wrist like when frogging for 4 hours straight (or longer). Having my index finger on the blank also allows me to feel more with the rod, and with the NFC blanks that Kistler uses for the Helium3, I can feel a LOT. I feel like if my hand was only on the reel, and a cork foregrip, I wouldn't feel as much. I would still hope to feel a lot, and I will often put my finger under my line when jig/bottom contact fishing, but I can't always comfortably put my finger under the line and have a good grip on my rod, so I really like being able to touch the blank.

What do you think? Do you like to be able to touch the blank? Do you think it's even necessary? Do you prefer rods without foregrips or rods with foregrips? Maybe rods that have small foregrips that just barely allow you to touch the blank? I'd like to hear from people to see if they think touching the blank helps, or if they think it's unnecessary.

Touching the blank does help sensitivity. I fish with all of my fingers in front of the trigger. The standard foregrip nut with no threads exposed is what I use on my custom builds with PULS Palm Forward seats. I have tried various larger and smaller foregrip nuts, but the standard nut is the most comfortable for my medium hands. I also don't put thread or clear coat where my fingers touch the blank in front of the foregrip nut. This helps sensitivity also.

Us guys in the north here sometimes fish in that freezing temps so it's good to have a cork fore grip.

toddmc wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 30, 2019 10:28 am

Touching the blank does help sensitivity. I fish with all of my fingers in front of the trigger. The standard foregrip nut with no threads exposed is what I use on my custom builds with PULS Palm Forward seats. I have tried various larger and smaller foregrip nuts, but the standard nut is the most comfortable for my medium hands. I also don't put thread or clear coat where my fingers touch the blank in front of the foregrip nut. This helps sensitivity also.

I do feel like the unpainted NFC blanks from Kistler help sensitivity as well. I don't mind the glossy black finish of my St. Croix Premiers, but I feel like the glossy paint removes a little sensitivity. I will sometimes completely palm my reel with all fingers in front of the trigger as well, but I find that when reaching my index finger up to the blank or to the line, I don't have as good a grip on the reel/rod as I'd like, and moving my little finger under the trigger gives me excellent grip and leverage, and thankfully doesn't seem to cause any hand soreness or anything.

Trim them reel seat threads and no foregrip. Some really nice foregrips and lock down hoods sure look pretty, but I generally only use them on moving bait sticks. I fish with just my pinky behind the trigger, and my pointer finger on the blank - weightless plastics, bottom contact, etc.

Excess reel seat threes is a big no for me. To me that equals a unfinished rod

I prefer no foregrip or as little as possible.

slipperybob wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 30, 2019 12:21 pm

Us guys in the north here sometimes fish in that freezing temps so it's good to have a cork fore grip.

Here in Finland we fish all the time at freezing temps and we don't use foregrips. Useless extra weight wrong side of balance point.

I dread the threads. If I see them on a rod I’m out. Foregrip minimal at most, and only to cover threads. I too like touching the blank for bottom contact lures.

i prefer a small foregrip on a thread cover type hood. the fuji pts hood looks to be long enough that i could probably do it without a foregrip.

i'm really wanting to put a rod together this winter (my 1st) and am trying to decide on exactly this now. i have a pts seat with the thread cover, but may order another without and see which i prefer.

I prefer small foregrip especially on longer rods , helps if I want to grab the rod in front of the reel.

The only rods I like having a foregrip on are spinning rods. And even then, I am touching the blank because of the way I hold the rod.

I still fail to understand what a fire grip is, honestly.

russ57 wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 19, 2019 8:55 am

I still fail to understand what a fire grip is, honestly.

Maybe when someone puts the death grip squeeze on a hot charcoal briquette?

Hogsticker2 wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 19, 2019 8:59 am

russ57 wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 19, 2019 8:55 am

I still fail to understand what a fire grip is, honestly.

Maybe when someone puts the death grip squeeze on a hot charcoal briquette?

Ha ha, you know I meant fore grip.