I have seen a couple of swimbait rod builds that use the Alps aluminum reel seats. Is the extra strength worth the extra weight?

Strength is not the issue here, bling is. Any of the nylon/carbon seats will hold far more load than you will subject them to. They have been doing so for many decades with much heavier loads.

The extra strength isn't needed, and the extra weight will be barely felt, if at all on a swimbait rod. I just don't like the way most metal reel seats feel in my hands. 

Who holds a swimbait rod reel where they need a reel seat in that configuration? Casting is 2 handed, with forward hand and thumb on the reel spool, band hand at the rod butt.

Retrieving I need a fore grip that any good swimbait rod design has. 

Tom

I have this reel seat on a surf rod.  It does not hold the reel tight.  It wobbles.  To stop I have to put electricians tape on both sides of the reel foot.

On 3/22/2022 at 9:53 PM, spoonplugger1 said:

Strength is not the issue here, bling is. Any of the nylon/carbon seats will hold far more load than you will subject them to. They have been doing so for many decades with much heavier loads.

Can confirm, have built many saltwater rods with standard Fuji graphite seats with no issue. There’s not a freshwater fish that I know of that requires aluminum. 

I like to be able to have the reel in different positions at different times. I ordered my last big swimbait rod with cord wrapped (deckhand style) butt section and a turk's head knot at the top of the wrap, and a crutch tip at the butt end. May not be everyone's cup of tea, but I liked my party boat rods wrapped like that and I'm comfortable with a big swimbait rod wrapped like that. For smaller swimbaits, I could probably live with it in a fixed position, but when casting 4 to 5 or more ounces, it makes a difference to me.