Rod guides

[Johnny marks]

If micro guides are out of alignment just a little would that affect rod sensitivity or performance for fighting fish and or casting ?

[hoohoorjoo]

Depends on how many are off-center and how bad they are off. One or 2 guides slightly of out alignment? Not really. If they are all off to the same side, it could affect casting control and likely distance, also, because torque would cause the rod blank to twist near the tip during the cast, thereby stealing some of the energy that would have gone into propelling the bait forward.

[poisonokie]

How micro are we talking? Obviously the regular sized guides found on most rods can be off by quite a bit without occluding the line guide completely, but with tiny guides it doesn't take much misalignment at all to be unable to look all the way through the guide train. However, if you think about it, unless you return your levelwind to the center position before every cast, the line is coming off outside the center of the guide train, anyway, and the line coming off the other side of the spool is going through the level wind at a much steeper angle, unless of course you have TWS. Some people say that makes a difference while others say it doesn't. I think it can in some situations, but that's beside the point. The point is that the distance between each guide is much greater than the distance between the top of the spool and the level wind, so I highly doubt it would make much difference even with the smallest of micros, unless one is way off to the left and the next is way off to the right. Also, if you think about these acid wraps that some are so excited about nowadays, the line takes a crazy path down the blank and the proponents of that layout say it doesn't negatively affect the rod at all. I think it's all in your head.

[Slazmo]

If micro guides are out of alignment just a little would that affect rod sensitivity or performance for fighting fish and or casting ?

Question would beg where in the guide train are they off?

If they're only a fraction to the left or right of the rest - they wouldn't be of any more concern than that of a QC and visual menace... If they were 90 degree's to the rest of the guides so that your line dog legged to the right and left again I could see that there would be somewhat an increased issue of line travelling and forces against its will during a cast.

Take for instance acid wrapped rods, totally unappealing guide configuration to the eye and the line remains in a straight loop around the blank... I've found a negligible difference in casting distance.

[Johnny marks]

Theres 2 off thats a hair to the right then the rest of them

[Slazmo]

Wouldn't affect anything other than aesthetics