Where do you like to leash your rod?

If you were having a custom made rod for kayak fishing would you like a permanent leash point?

Personally, I'd like something above the reel but I'm torn between doing some in more elegant than the double zip tie method or going more along the lines of a fixed pad eye. Kinda like an oversized hook holder.

Any other ideas?

Thoughts?

Here are some hijacked interweb pictures to kick off the brainstorming.

I hate rod leashes and use foats whenever possible.  Make sure thot the foat is actually large enough for you rod tough.

My stugeon rods need leashed so ill be following this thread.

I only like leashed for surf launch and landings ...

I don't do this, but if I could, I'd like to attach a leash to the end of the butt.  It would be much harder to get it tangled up with the rod - which I do too often right now with the leash attached around the foot of the reel.

Something small and kind of flattened, like a modified pad eye, since it would only need to fit a small, flat webbed band.

Hmmm ... do you use tube type rod holders for trasport? I'm thinking it would be a tight fit to get the rob butt and leash into the rod holder.

I don't do this, but if I could, I'd like to attach a leash to the end of the butt.  It would be much harder to get it tangled up with the rod - which I do too often right now with the leash attached around the foot of the reel.

Something small and kind of flattened, like a modified pad eye, since it would only need to fit a small, flat webbed band.

Think chinese finger trap with a padeye.

I don't do it because I haven't figured out how to do it - but Justin's suggestion is interesting.

Thin straps - like the material used for seat belts - wouldn't cause much of a problem in a bazooka tube, depending on how fat the rod handle might be.  Of course, there'd have to be a way to attach the strap and even Velcro patches could increase the bulk...

Probably not feasible - and that might be why I haven't tried it.  Rats!

I've been buying 1/8th inch bungee cord by the foot at REI and cutting it into 5ft lengths.  I tie a small loop at each end, and use heat shrink tube to make it look clean.  One end slides under the reel seat and then the reel is screwed into the seat.  You can pull the loop tight as you are tightening down the reel so it sits well.  With the leash under the reel, it's behind and out of the way.  The other end I use a small carabineer that I clip to whatever is near by, pad eye, or make a slip knot around my rod holder.

For storage, I just wind the leash up on the reel.  They work for me.

I tie a loop of cord to each of my reels so I can clip a leash to it.  The loop is about two inches long so it will hang outside of any of my rod holders.  For leashes, I use the smallest size of retractable dog leashes, which have a clip at the end which I clip onto the loop of cord.  The dog leashes work great.  When casting or when playing a fish, I usually don't even notice that the rod is leashed, which I think is a sign of a good leash.

Guys ...
I am not asking about what type of DIY leashes you use.
If you had the option of a custom rod with custom features ....

What type of leash attachment would you like built into a rod?

Guys ...
I am not asking about what type of DIY leashes you use.
If you had the option of a custom rod with custom features ....

What type of leash attachment would you like built into a rod?

IMO:
I don't know that I would personally want a built in leash attachment.  The times that I have used them, they always seem to interfere with the rod holders and needed to move it around to fit.  If you could match up your current setup it would be fine I suppose.

On a baitcaster, I'd put the mount on the underside of the reel.  On a spinning rod, somewhere on the lower end of the butt of the rod.

I prefer to keep mine about half-way between the reel and the bottom of the rod butt.  Any closer to the reel and it's asking for trouble.

Guys ... I am not asking about what type of DIY leashes you use.
If you had the option of a custom rod with custom features .... What type of leash attachment would you like built into a rod?

The reason I attach my leashes to my reels is that with many kinds of rod holders, the butt of the rod is inserted into the rod holder, and in some kinds of rod holders, such as the Folbe rod holders and the Scotty Orca, the base of the shaft of the rod is enclosed by the rod holder.  But the reel is never enclosed by the rod holder. So in answer to your question, if I was ordering a custom rod with custom features, I wouldn't ask for any leash attachment on the rod.

The kind of leash you use may influence where you prefer to attach the leash to your rod.  Some kinds of leashes can get tangled up in your reel if they are attached to your reel.  For example, because a spinning reel hangs down below your rod, if you attach the leash to your spinning reel, the leash will go right past the handle and the bail, and may get tangled in them.  But that isn't a problem with trolling reels, baitcaster reels, and other reels which mount on top of the rod.

For casting rods, I attach a split ring through the pistol grip. For standard grips, I screw in a pad eye on the rear grip.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=11521.0