Take a look at all your rod and reel combos.  Most of us could probably point to a couple that we enjoy using more than others. To what can we attribute this?…  According to Kelly Watson of Pinnacle Fishing that answer is “balance”.

Balance isn’t the only goal, though. Watson says that “lightness and balance are the ultimate goals.”  If you nail both, you have achieved a result that is as close to perfection as possible. Maybe that’s why Pinnacle’s flagship rods are called Perfecta.

I can attest to the name’s implication.  I own a 7′ Perfecta (701CAMCB) paired with a Pinnacle Optimus XLT and it is right on the money. I guess the engineers at Pinnacle tinkered around long enough and found the winning recipe. It’s one of the lightest feeling, most balanced combos I’ve ever held. Even though the Optimus XLT reel is 7.7 ounces, a little heavier the many of today’s reels, it still feels super light. It just goes to show how much balance affects your perception of weight.  It also proves that achieving balance takes more than slapping on a featherweight reel. Simply reducing reel weight might help, but it doesn’t always get the best result.

“You can’t just stick a tin can of a reel on there and expect the rod to feel right, it will just get tip heavy”, says Watson.

Not to mention, some of these featherweight reels costs considerably more. It’s getting to where you’ll pay an extra $100 for every fraction of an ounce you reduce.  Before you spend this kind of money or put this kind of reel on one of your rods, you should A) be able to afford it, and B) be sure it balances with the rod you plan to pair it.

We’ve all heard the term “perfectly balanced”. Watson believes that some companies throw this term around too much. Like Pinnacle, other companies make both rods and reels. When a company claims that their rods “perfectly balance” with one of their reels, they could be misleading you. Just because a rod and reel may carry the same logo doesn’t mean you’ll get a balanced result by randomly pairing up one of their products.

“We’ve got 17 different models of Perfecta rods. The length variability between models is up to 16 inches.  As soon as you change the length you change balance point.  It’s impossible to design all our rods to perfectly balance with any one reel.  As a company, it doesn’t make any sense to do it. You would have to make 17 different reels to go with 17 different rods.”

It seems that the concept of balance is more nuanced than people realize and can be quite subjective. “There’s a fairly wide range within our discernible perceptions of what can be considered “balanced”, Watson claims. “Lots of factors can affect it. It could be somebody’s hand size, your personal preference, all kinds of things…”  He makes a strong point.

Scott Estes, President of Denali Rods, agrees. “We try to hit a middle ground…  There’s actually some fudge room.”

Balance is just one consideration in the Denali rod building philosophy. Achieving “perfect balance” can sacrifice other important variables.

“We’re not going to add weight to a rod or build 3′ handles onto a flipping stick just to balance it,” says Estes. “It’s really a balancing act as far as where to prioritize. There are other things you have to account for in addition to balance, and that would be function.

“A lot of this depends on what kind of rod you’re building. If it’s a spinnerbait rod or something you’re going to do a lot of roll casting with, you’ll need a shorter handle.  If it’s a jerkbait rod, you want a shorter handle because you’re usually throwing during the colder months. The bulky clothing can get in the way of a long handle.”

He’s right. I can’t stand it when the butt of my rod is catching fabric and hanging on pockets. That rod could be perfectly balanced, but it’s still a pain to use due to lack of attention to these other considerations.

Pinnacle pro staff angler John Crews echoes both Kelly Watson and Scott Estes. For Crews, it is more about what feels right overall. Obviously multiple factors go into this. Size, ergonomics, weight, and balance are just a few of those components.

“A lot of other manufacturers in recent years have done a good job of matching their rods and reels together, but I’d put Pinnacle against any of them”, Crews exclaims. When I put my Pinnacles in my co-anglers hand, they always say, ‘man that feels really good’.  They don’t say ‘light’ or ‘balanced’.  They say ‘good’.  They just know it feels right.”

Crews cautions anglers not to buy a reel or rod based on what it feels like by itself. “Separately they may feel good, but when you put them together, they don’t always feel right.”

That’s why we’re starting to see manufacturers make rods and reels that are designed for use together. To clear up any confusion, companies like Quantum and Daiwa are streamlining the names of their product. Consider the Quantum Smoke and Exo lineup. Both the rods and the reels carry the same name.  Also consider the Steez lineup from Daiwa.  The message they send is clear. It says, “we designed these reels to go with these rods.”

Do rods and reels of the same name offer any added benefit?  Maybe, maybe not.  It sure is a great marketing strategy, though. At the end of the day, I’m pretty sure balance is balance and feel is feel. No matter how you arrive at it, mixing brands or matching brands, it either feels right or it doesn’t.

FishStrong!

Full Story

Leave a reply

Fields marked with * are required