Did I ruin it?

[MOPanfisher]

After a productive day spent in a boat crappie fishing yesterday I noticed for the umpteenth time that one of my crappie rods simply has too long of a handle.  It's a 6'6" St. Croissants Med Lite spinning rod.  The handle is just long enough that it hits against my body (belly mostly) while sitting g down fishing.  After Che mo I lost a lot of my balance so I don't stand up as much fishing and the dang handle is just irritating, just enough loge than my 6' St Croix that it doesn't work as well for me.  So . . . . After a few hours of contemplating it I got out a hacksaw and cut almost 2 inches off of it, that was easy.  Since I am picky about balance every rod I use has a lead weight of varying size glued to the butt end to make it balance where and how I like it, right on my index finger or even the tip slightly lighter.  Seems to make the rod more lively and light hits easier to detect, and not as tiring tonuse.  As luck would have it I had a weight already sitting the shelf that was the right weight and diameter. I have an oak board with different diameter and depth holes drilled in it.  I pour molten lead into them and let them cool to make the weights with.  Glued it on and now it balances right and hopefully wont hit against my body when sitting.  Do you think it will change the action of the rod?  I can't thing of any reason it should as it is still the same balance and from the reel to the tip nothing has changed.  I am not of fan of the longer handles on rods, but many must be judoing by they number of them made that way.  If this works out as well as I hope I may shorten another one or two.  I still have a couple that I use fishing from the bank where the longer handle doesn't bother me.  

[MOPanfisher]

Apparently I can't text today.  St Croix rod, not a croissant!

[fishinwrench]

Nope won't hurt anything at all.  I do pretty much the same thing to most of my rods. 

One of the reasons I don't like the newer low profile baitcast reels is that they are too light to balance out a 6'6" or 7' rod.  

[Deadstream]

You guys are serious about this stuff.  I get along fine with just stock stuff.  I fish with a stick and 2 Lb Maxima a lot in the swamp.  Best bait caster I own  is a 5500. If you can cast that.....   

 

 

The  Orvis snobs laugh at my casting on the Ausable, Pere Marquette, and Manistee(back yard).  I out fish them 

I do have WAY to much money in "new" gear,  but I can catch all the fish I want/need with just the basics. 

Anybody need  a lot of cool looking tackle?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dutch]

As long as you cut off the butt end.  An inch off the tip will make significant changes.

[snagged in outlet 3]

23 minutes ago, Dutch said:

As long as you cut off the butt end.  An inch off the tip will make significant changes.

That's what she said

[MOPanfisher]

I kind of like to modify stuff to my liking.   Knives, rods, pow guns etc.  I fishing for a little while before work this morning and the rod worked perfectly, balance point was right and the butt end was hitting me all the time.  Gonna take a closer look at a couple others I have.

Years ago I had a cheapo rod that I used to throw gitzits on some creeks I waded, always thought it was a little soft for that, but one day it had an accident and lost a few inches off the tip.  I promptly repaired it with a new tip and it was a completely different rod, was much better after that.  I like happy coincidences.