I have seen some custom rods where there is no reel seat and the reel is either clamped and taped or taped to the blank. Aside from being able to adjust the position of the reel on the rod at any time are there any other advantages or disadvantages to tape/claming the reel on instead of having a fixed reel seat?

Would anything be different for a spinning reel versus a conventional reel?

It will be smaller so the hand sometimes fits more comfortably than if a seat is used. I have seen it done a million times with spinners but I never saw a conventional just taped on. Maybe clamped and taped but not just taped.

When you grab a spinning rod your fingers go over the reel feet but not when you grab a conventional . I wouldn't want a conventional that was taped on but I did tape a spinning reel on for many many years at one time.

Some people go in between the tape and the reel seat by using a plate seat.

I put reel seats on both my spinning and conventional gear because I like the security of the grip. Especially for conventional (with trigger, or palm trigger) it helps control the cast and fight the "twist" you might get on conventional when fighting fish (since the eyes are on the "top" of the rod).

The main argument I hear for taping the reel on is that it does not choke down the blank when casting, providing greater distances. This is probably true since the sleeve that forms the reel seat forms a rigid point in the blank where the rod will not bend. However, I feel I make up the difference with the better grip on the rod/reel and the confidence it gives me to really load the rod.

Either way works.

I have a spinner and conventional with plate type seats and they just don't feel as solid as a proper seat. These are both underwrapped with friction tape and the conventional I've wrapped with thread and epoxy...it's on very tight, but it's not good enough.

-spence

During the early years tape on spinning reels held president over the heavy and cold chrome/brass real seats of it's day. I still prefer tape reels but with the reel swapping and tranporting and use a Fuji graphite seat. I recently picked up the ergonomic Fuji reels model DNPSD OR DNPSM. They have a very confortable feel as you grip the reel stem. Priced closely to the standard DPSD.

Thanks guys!

I still tape all my spinning reels on, Try it once you'll never go back