Fishing Rod Balancer

A fishing rod balancer could mean the difference between feeling more bites & catching more fish or catching fewer fish and experiencing more arm fatigue. This article is going to walk you through balancing a fishing rod and exploring your options for products that will balance rods.

Most fishing rods average 6-8’ in length. Some are shorter, some longer. Even with a reel attached, the weight of a long rod can can make the rod “front heavy”, meaning if you lay the rod on your open hand and try to balance it where you would normally hold it, the rod will tip forward and want to fall out of your hand. To counter this front-heaviness, you have to impart a bit of back force with your grip at all times. Over even a small amount of time, this leads to hand & arm fatigue.

Balance Your Rod and Feel More Bites

When your grip hand is at the balance point of a fishing rod, the slightest pressure from the tip will be more easily detected because the balance is thrown off. Feeling more bites means catching more fish!

Cast Lures Farther with Balanced Fishing Rods

Another great benefit of a balanced rod is cast ability. Fishing rods that are balanced will be able to cast lures farther than front heavy rods.

How to Balance a Fishing Rod

Now that you know why a balanced rod can improve your fishing, let’s take a look at how to accomplish this.

1. Determine if your rod needs to be balanced.
   First, confirm your fishing rod needs to be balanced. There is usually only a small area on a fishing rod handle that you can expect to grip it while fishing. That fulcrum (pivot point) however, may or may not be at the balance point of the rod. Wherever you naturally want to grip your fishing rod, lay it across your open hand. Does it want to fall forward? Does it balance nicely in your hand already? Or, does it fall back in your hand? If it falls forward (towards the rod tip), your rod is a good candidate for balancing.
2. Experiment with rod & reel combinations
   If you already have your rod & reel combination purchased, you’re kinda stuck with what you’ve got (go to step 3). But, if you’re still shopping for the right rod/reel combo, now is the time to pick a reel for your rod that balances on its own or is very close. A good fishing tackle store like Handler Fishing Supply or Bass Pro Shops will help you fit the right reel to your preferred rod.
3. Balance the rod by adding counter weights behind the reel.
   Balance a front heavy rod by adding some sort of weight to the other side of the pivot point. In this case, the pivot point (fulcrum) is your hand. How you add the weight is up to you. Some people just wrap a bunch of tape around their rod butt. Some tape sinkers to it. There are some commercially available options that make balancing rods easier. Let’s take a look at a great rod balancer made by Luna Sea Sports.

   

Elite Pro 2 Fishing Rod Balancer.

Luna Sea Sports knows that fishermen want to catch more fish and be comfortable doing it. They released the Elite Pro 2 rod balancer to help with this! The Elite Pro 2 is a mini version of Luna Sea’s popular Cush-it, a proprietary, high-end foam rod butt cushion that can float rods and cushion fishermen from hard rod butts. The inner cavity of the Elite Pro 2 is specifically designed to accept up to several regular washers which act as weights to shift the balance point of a fishing rod. What it does is create a small cushion for your fishing rod butt and at the same time acts as a housing for counter weights. Professional bass fisherman like Edwin Evers are singing its praises because bite sensitivity is increased as well as comfort level.

Buy the Elite Pro 2 Fishing Rod Balancer (Now in stock! Buy online or call 269-685-5555 to order today!)

The Elite Pro 2 rod balancer is attached to the fishing rod over the rod butt like other Cushits. You might use a small amount of soap or coconut oil to lubricate the inside of the cushit and make it easier to slip over the rod butt. Depending on the amount of weight needed, sometimes the cushit alone can be enough to balance the rod. If you need more weight, just insert washers as needed into the bottom of the Elite Pro 2 Cushit. Once your rod is properly balanced, you’ll have a comfortable, bite-sensing, fish catching weapon in your hands!