A seemingly new category of rod has been gaining a foothold on the in-shore scene for the past several years. The use of a Spilt handle butt section has become what looks to be a fad with some staying power. As a guide I have both solid and split butt poles in my quiver; but which one is better? For the sake of this discussion I am referring to spinning gear in the medium to ultra-light size range. A difference in weight between the two can typically be measured in ounces. This doesn’t seem to be much until you spend an eight-hour day working artificial lures on the grass flats. The split butt poles are an obvious match with newer series of reels that have been on the same weight loss program. Coupling these combos with the braided lines used by many, an angler can complete an extremely sensitive low weight fish catching tool.
The lack of extra cork on the butt of your rod does allow you to detect even the softest hit typically increasing you hook-up numbers in those situations—much like added insulation can deaden vibrations, and the lack of an insulator has the opposite effect. As with anything, aesthetics plays a major role in your purchase, and the split butt looks pretty cool. So will the split butt completely replace the solid butt on your local flats? I doubt it! Diawa, Shamano, Gloomis, and TFO are all great manufacturers of both split or conventional. Check them out and compare the feel of each. A quick FaceBook poll leads me to believe people will use what they feel confident and comfortable with. And above all confidence in your gear catches more fish than anything.
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