ROD QUESTION

[g-man]

has anybody ever heard of a rich forhan seeker glass rod? that has a Tenn. wrap handle. it doesn't have a reel seat, you have to tape the reel to the rod. the reason i'm asking is my partner bought one off the web from some guy out of state, and he was not told that you had to tape the reel to the rod. he emailed the guy back telling him he wanted his money back, and would ever pay return shipping. the guy won't take it back and give my partner his money back. he said any pro knows about the Tenn. wrap handle. it sounds like a scam to me, iv'e never heard of this style rod before.

[triple trout]

love the tenn. handle. most rod builders have old timers and some younger guys like me that really like them. kunan and loomis were and phoenix were building them back over 20 years ago. I wanna say shimano and qauntum offer this in a few models still today. I have a Loomis split shottin rod I made over 15 years ago with this style handle out of a steelhead blank,oversized cork. lets just say when we are light line fishin it is my first rod I grab to this day. I really think your partener should try it out I bet he will really like it. if it is the look he dont like or the stickyness of the tape (which is why I like it) tell hime to first.

.tie a stainless steel piece of wire tight enough to secure reel and tape over the wire wrap. then apply a rod wrap over all the electrical tape. remember to really apply the electrical tape tight.

rod wraps are available at most tackle shops.

[Elmhurst bassman]

They are legit. I think I have seen photos of Gary Klein using them. A few guys I know use them. Pretty neat in that you have more flexibility for reel location on your rod

Shimano still makes em
http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage ... CRTSR.html

[swordfish]

the tennessee handle is -was real, the rods had sliding rings ( 2 )before and aft of the reel seat these could be moved ahead or back to balance the rod - reel they move during a hook set or while fishing thus the tape, also some guys said forget the rings the tape will do or vice versa I could be way off here but I remember tenn. handles have fished with them and too bad Billy Westmoreland is no longer with us he would know.

[Jim W]

I had a couple of rods like that that I bought in the 80s. They were Billy Westmorland signature spinning rods from BPS. You taped the reel to the handle and they worked great.

[g-man]

triple trout, thanks for the info. i can't believe i'm 33 years old and have been fishing since i was about five years old, bass fishing for over 10 years and never heard of it. well at least i can tell my partner that it is a true style of rod. thanks again.

[g-man]

thanks to everyone for the info.

[triple trout]

the tennessee handle is -was real, the rods had sliding rings ( 2 )before and aft of the reel seat these could be moved ahead or back to balance the rod - reel they move during a hook set or while fishing thus the tape, also some guys said forget the rings the tape will do or vice versa I could be way off here but I remember tenn. handles have fished with them and too bad Billy Westmoreland is no longer with us he would know.

No sweat g man If i can help I try. im only 34 but been chasen greenies and all other specieas since i could hold a rod. .And wont stop till I die.
i still have a billy westmorland rod and a few tail spins he gave me as a little kid over 30 years ago at trinity. he loved the bronzies. oops i just let out a little secret spot. he was a classy guy that could really fish. the funny thing was " his rod s were so short they barely over 5 feet and stout with a light tip. great wormin rod.
the coolest thing we actually had a mold made of his tailspin last year .I cant remember the name of it to save my life. anyone remember?

[swordfish]

Billy will always remembered as the smallie king , of course he was ledgendary on Dale Hollow Res Tenn. he went much further than that He called smallies Them Ole Brown Fish
Rest in peace Mr. Billy gone but not forgotten......

Lets consider the short rods he used was it the time frame
was he in the know he did in fact use very short rods design???

Good question on the tail spinner all I know is Tom Mann Named the little George tail spin after George Wallace the Gov. at the time of Georgia and they caught fish big time top to bottom maybe the name was obscure for patent reasons..

[bryanmc]

G-Man...
You can go check out Rich's rods at http://www.revolverrod.com I don't think he builds a spinning rod with anything but a Tenn handle. As far as mounting the reel, Rich recommends a 3" piece of strapping tape wrapped around the front and rear, followed up by an overwrap of electrical tape or tommy tape or whatever you choose.

[swordfish]

I may be out of line here or off my rocker, i have been away from the west coast many years now...however I remember Mr. Rich Forhan as a low key guy how many guys know he was a key element in the development of Weapon Jigs which were associated mostly with Gary Klien and tournament lures? T.L. was truly ahead of its time offering high performance tackle when few options existed at the time the Sheffield steel hooks with a round bend and small barbs @ needle point these guys actually started the owner gama and daichi trend and were pioneers...and as for glass rods Rich and Gary were the front runners in bucking the graphite trend and bringing back ole fenwick glass blanks for reaction baits . I have many of these rods still ya know , I pass some on to my best pards and treasure the rest

[Gary Dobyns]

A glass rod with a Tennessee does not sound right to me. Are you sure it's glass? The Tennessee handle is an awesome idea and is used a lot with custom spinning rods. I have had many made over the years. You do tape the reel in place on the handle. There is no need for the rings that some people put on. If you put a wrap of strapping tape on first and then a layer or two of black tape a truck couldn't pull the reel off. I love a Tennessee handle on spinning, the problem is many fishermen don't understand the advantages of this handle. I would love to add some Tennessee handles to my line up of rods but the truth is they just don't sell. I answered a Q&A custom rod question a little while back, I listed three custom guys that all do great work if your looking for a Tennessee handle. Lynn Williams has built 7or 8 for me and they are awesome.

[Ken C.]

I love a Tennessee handle on spinning, the problem is many fishermen don't understand the advantages of this handle.

Gary, thanks for the insight - Please excuse the ignorance of a rank beginner - can you explain exactly what are the advantages of the Tennessee handle??

Thanks!

[Colebass]

It would take Gary two hours to type his thoughts . The guy types with one finger

Welcome back buddy (Gary, I know you'll read this!). How many coons did you kill? Oops, PETA might read this.....LOL!

When will the new rod line be out? How many rods will you have? I hope this isn't like the last "Trainwreck" you had..... . Just kidding, looking forward to seeing the new line up!

[Gary Dobyns]

Sure Ken. A Tennessee handle lets you move your reel around to perfectly balance your rod. I think it is much more comfortable than a spinning reel seat. One of the biggest pluses on my customs was I would use a split handle design with about 5 inches of cork. I would place the cork so when I taped my reel in place, I had my forefinger on the blank in front of the reel and the heel of my hand on the blank behind the reel. A real plus for sensitivity. With a Tennessee handle you get the best of balance, regardless of which reel you use, and the best of sensitivity that your rod blank and line can give you. FYI, different lines have different stretch and sensitivity factors also. Hope this helps a little.

[mark poulson]

is that like the small Loomis spinning rod with no reel seat, just a cork handle?

[TTCal]

is that like the small Loomis spinning rod with no reel seat, just a cork handle?

Mark, that's exactly what it is...

[Ken C.]

Thanks Gary - Makes sense! I've seen this type of grip around for a long time. I couldn't really ever figure out why anyone would want to trust a couple of rings or some tape to hold their reel on. But I'm guessing this isn't the best setup for flippin a big jig into some heavy cover and having to horse a fish out!

Thanks again!

[Riplip]

....Yeah, and the lack of a reel seat adds "feel" to the handle because of no dead spot in flexibiliy under the reel. I have used these since the 70's and thought I was about the only one still likin' em! I have never had any problem with the reel coming loose, even in a downpour.

[g-man]

gary, the rod says glass right on the side of it. why does it not sound right to you?

[upriverLMB]

I have two with this type of handle, a Loomis IMX SJR722 and an IMX SJR723. Wow are they comfortable! Like Gary said, I cut the rings off and use good electrical tape to attach the reel. I wish Loomis still made spinning rods this way but unfortunately they only offer this type on handle (17) on 4 ½ and 5’ pan fish models

[Ray Vanacore]

I used them for years until I got ripped off. there was a guy in Clearlake that used to build them with the split handle design but for the life of me i cant think of his name. If someone can refresh my memory on who it was i would appreciate it. Seems to me he could not fish tournmaments or something like that.
RVanacore

[Gary Dobyns]

A couple of reasons. First, most glass rods are casting models not spinning. I have seen very few spinning. I don't see an advantage to a Tennessee handle on a glass rod except for balance and with glass being heavier anyway. With glass your not looking for sensitivity. I just don't see the need or any real advantages to a glass rod with a Tennessee handle. Try contacting Rich Forhan and get his views. Maybe I'm missing something.

[mac (Doyle McEwen)]

Not arguing with you Gary, but the original Tennessee handles were on glass rods..Even though there may not have been any increase in sensitivity due to better balance..I never really liked them anyway..For what ever reason they were very popular in the South in the mid seventies..

mac

[Triton Mike]

I agree with Gary there really is no advantage to a glass spinning rod. However the BS 706 Seeker blank that Rich uses is a great blank for a casting rod. Very good jack of all trade master of none type rod. Very versatile with alot of power fishing baits and darn near indestructable. Probably one of the lighter glass blanks you'll see.

T Mike

[swordfish]

Glass spinning rods were the orignal noodle rods, partly beacause graphite rods were still evolving then also because they were very forgiving with light lines and small hooks, they were heavier and less sensitive but were good on the fight if you got a hook set, I still refer to my light casting rods ( GLASS) AS NOODLE RODS....they bend......and allow the fish to TAKE the bait..

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

I have a Loomis that i use for dropshotting that has this handle. Mine did not come with rings I taped the real on about 5 years ago and it has stayed solid from then until now. You can place your reel at the perfect balance point.

Jim

[WCRODS]

Not sure what blank Rich Forhan is using but I think that Seeker uses the “Sâ€