I am surprized I havent heard of this before!!!

[ZEEK1223]

The other day I met up with a buddy for some bass fishing. I noticed that all his jigging rods ( 7ft bait casters) were all wrapped with athletic tape at the butt. They looked like a hockey stick after taping up the end. I thought it was just tape until he proudly pointed out that the tape was holding a duck decoy weight around the butt. This gave the rods a nice balanced feel while jigging......I just thought I would share what I thought was pretty cool

[Central Bassman]

I have never heard of a duck decoy before but i have some of these on my rods...

[Wanderer]

Ahhh, the Balancer. Wouldn't have a flippin stick without one.

[NCLaker]

Many of BassPro's rods are designed to add weights at the but end that you can order as an add on.

[Pherris]

The Balancer is available at Bass Pro you can also get it locally at Capras or Frankies. This is a great product that will reduce the wrist/arm fatigue. I have them on about 90% of my rods. They are also made here is Minnesota by disabled folks. Very good product.

[slipperybob]

A rubber band and some rubber core sinkers...cheap and ugly.

[NCLaker]

What do you consider the right balance on your baitcaster rods? And does it only apply to rods used for jigging?

None of my BC rods have any extra weights for balancing. I typically hold the rod with two fingers either side of the trigger for most everything. When jigging, I will go 3 fingers ahead of the trigger to give me a better balance point on my 7ft rod - I guess I do that to compensate for a more balanced feel so it isn't so tip heavy. I've came to do it this way out of experimenting, do others hold it this way?

On my spinning combo's (especially thosed used for jigging) try to set them up with reels so that the rod's balancepoint is on the finger/or two towards the tip of the rod.

[Cecil]

You usually want the balance point (balance on you finger) to be just above the reel, for sure on the cork above the reel. I do not use the balancer's (don't want more weight to hold) but have in the past, and know a couple guys that do use them. Keep in mind the better the rod the less a balancer is needed.

[Fluker]

I once had the same line of thought as Cecil, in that why would I want to add weight to a rod? I did get one of the balance kits pictured above at the FM event last year on Waconia. I was surprised to learn (or finally realize what I'd been told) that even if you add weight to balance, it actually makes the rod "feel" lighter. I didn't believe it until I tried it, and maybe many won't.

The problem with the one picture above is that it's very bulky. For an easy add on though, it's quick and cheap. For me, it was bulky to deal with while fishing, and it wouldn't fit in my rod locker as I have holes to insert the butt's of the rods in.

Since I build my own rods ("Ugly Monkey Rods" as ike calls them), I looked for a better method. THere is an awesome Matagi system that has all the bling you need and the function, but they run about $75. Then I ran across a much less expensive method. A car hood bumper! A guy I know from another site had some brass weights machined to fit. So I built up my new FS with it, and I gotta tell you, after putting it to the test for 5 days straight last week, I LOVE it. It made what I thought would be a heavy, bulky FS feel very light and sensitive.

I am a believer in adding weight to balance now. However I will note that so far I have note seen then need on anything 7' or shorter. My 7'6" and longer rods seem to be the only ones that aren't correctly balanced to start. (Note that I build them to be as well balanced as I can - handle length, lighter guides, etc.)

The final comment I'll make is in response to Cecil comment of "the better the rod, the less a balancer is needed". I agree to a certain point, but on stock rods that's not always the case. The lighter the blank, the less it's need, but some companies are great rods, but heavier (weight wise) blanks, so they still would benefit.

I'll try and get some pics of my system.

Fluker