TackleTour

Hi there!
I have a honey coloured Lamiglas glass blank (7' length) and a St Croix glass blank (6'6" length) on the way. I plan on using micro guides for these builds.

I have never built a rod with a spiral guide set up before.

Just wondering what your thoughts are on the rods and guide set ups.
Thanks for your feedback!
Nick

I won't build a personal rod that isn't spiral wrapped. There are no down sides to doing so, only positives. So I see no reason to build a rod with the guides on the top.

I only have one non-spiral wrapped baitcaster and it's just for demonstration, I don't fish it. All my other baitcasters are spiral wrapped, like Matt said, there is no downside. And for those that are skeptical, I'd challenge any of them to a blindfolded casting session where they are handed rods blindly and they just cast them.

There is only one downside to a spiral wrap, if you haven't seen them they look weird. Other than that spirals are the only way to go. To me a rod with guides on top looks generic. I haven't fished a non-spiral in 30 years and hve no plans to start.

Based on my research the set up for a simple spiral would be (from the reel to tip)
Guide 1 at 20-30 degrees
Guide 2 at 90 degrees
Remaining guides at 180 degrees

Does that sound correct?

I always do a slow spiral, and I static test all my guide placements. The stripper guide is set at negative degrees just to make sure the line comes down the centerline of the blank, if it comes off the side like your setup has it, you may get slight line stacking to one side of the spool, nothing critical, but to me it's one of the details I don't like to miss. I use a simple spiral on my ice rods and a slow spiral on my long rods, so it's more like -5 deg. 60 deg., 120 deg., 180 deg. to the tip. Distance between my spiral bumpers is 4" from the stripper and 4" from each guide until I hit my running guides and I may space that one out just a tad more depending on my static testing.

guide #3-4 doesnt have to be all the way to 180, there is really no hard and fast rule. Depends on the diameter of the blank and how the blank bends

i have never had an issue with line stacking... with stripper being rotated, but the beauty of custom building is that you can do it however you want!

Would I have some difference in casting distance/precision depending on what kind of spiral wrap I use (slow or simple)?

Spiral wraps can create an entangled mess in the rod locker vs guides on top configuration, but otherwise is superior in almost all other performance categories.

Luckily, mesh rod covers can resolve the entanglement issues.