So I replaced my moving bait rod this year with the new favorite sick stick. They did a great job keeping everything light but in doing so they made the split grip shorter than they normally do. I prefer a longer handle so I can support the rod with the length of my forearm. I would just sell the rod and move on, but i genuinely love the rod with the exception of that one facet. 

 

Is there any kind of purpose built slip-on extension available to give the handle a little more length or do i need to suck it up and buy another defender? Google has been less than helpful.

Nothing available for that. A rod builder could cut it and extend it but it’s not going to look the same. 

You could get the big sexy it’s got a 17 inch handle!

Just now, Burros said:

You could get the big sexy it’s got a 17 inch handle!

The big sexy is gorgeous... I only handled one but it was a gorgeous rod. Sadly it's cost prohibitive at this point. I mostly run the defender rods and they're perfect for me. Maybe I'll have to see what sales come this summer. 

 

Do you guys remember the balancing system that used quarters and slipped on to the butt of the rod for balance? I was thinking of something like that but like 3" long. Oh well. I guess I have an excuse for a new rod. ?

Over priced if you ask me?

10 minutes ago, Burros said:

Over priced if you ask me?

I honestly don't know. I haven't fished one, only handled one. I can tell you at half the price the defender isn't overpriced. I'm even ok with the lunkers edition for 30 bucks more to get the black reel seat and black camo grips instead of the blue. Problem is the big sexy is double that ?

A rod builder can do most anything you want to that rod.  I bought a factory second that was 6'11" instead of 7'.  That threw off the balance so that I did not like it at all.  My rod guy added 1.5" to the handle and made all the difference in the world.

2 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

A rod builder can do most anything you want to that rod.  I bought a factory second that was 6'11" instead of 7'.  That threw off the balance so that I did not like it at all.  My rod guy added 1.5" to the handle and made all the difference in the world.

The problem is I don't have one that I know of locally. By the time I pay to ship the rod off, pay to have the work done, and pay to have it shipped back I could just buy a new defender for 100 or a lunkers tv edition for 130. I'm going to peruse the internet to see if I can find someone local. 

4 hours ago, Beetlebz said:

The problem is I don't have one that I know of locally.

 

 

Go talk to someone at your local tackle shop.  They should know someone that does that kind of work.