So as i look around the higher end rods have bottom up reel seat nuts where as ever spinning rod i have ever fished is top down.  What is the difference and is it better for some strange reason????

I have one that tightens from the rear and have never liked the way it feels in my hand. It is an older Cabela's Fish Eagle and I like the rod except for that seat. 

all of my spinning rods I have built and have  Tennessee handles. don't like it when the nuts loosen up. top or bottom.that's the #1 reason I started building my own rods. could never find what I wanted so I build them now.

The fore grip seems to be a lot longer on the rear nut seats as well.  Hate to spend big money to buy or have one built and hate it.

Wish manufacturers would incorporate some kind of bushing within the threads (like self locking nuts) that would keep things from loosening up. The ocd in me keeps snugging the locking ring and one of these days I'm probably going to break one.

Some of the megabass rods have that but i dont know if its on the spinning rods or not???

Seats can be installed down locking or up locking. It's totally preference and has no affect on performance beyond that. 

I prefer up locking spinning reel seats, but I prefer the Fuji vss (I think that's the model) seat that's used on my St Croix Legend Xtreme spinning rod (previous gen with cork grip and recoils). 

 

As far locking nuts loosening up over time an easy fix is wrapping one layer of teflon tape on the seat threads, if you're careful you can wrap just enough so it's not visible when the nut is tightened down in place. Although I've not had to do this on my rods with vss seats installed in an up locking orientation. 

I MUCH prefer up locking reel seats. Then again I also prefer to have a for grip on my spinning rods.

up locking is the only way to go for me also. I HATE down locking ones and will never buy a rod with that style again.

I don't suppose I could get anyone to post a couple of photos or a clear explanation of this.  I'm not really all that sure what is meant by up locking and down locking.  I guess that I don't understand if it is up or down from what????

Down locking= tightens down from the top (tip)

 

up locking = tightens up from the bottom (butt)

2 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

Down locking= tightens down from the top (tip)

 

up locking = tightens up from the bottom (butt)

Thanks.  I thought that might be it, but wanted to be sure.  My baitcaster (just a cheap 6' Ugly Stik to help me learn the art) and spinning rod (BPS Ocean Master 3 piece travel rod) both have down-locking mounts.  They snug up tight and have never come loose by accident.  

 

I have owned cheap rods in the past where I did have a problem with them loosening during use.  I had a Garcia flyrod back in the mid 60's that I could never seem to keep tight, and it was a mid range rod.