Guide Setups

When production rods are not enough, it's time to go custom. Come share your experiences building and/or ordering a custom rod and tell us if you'll ever go back to off the shelf.
Post Reply
KyLakeLunker
Angler
Angler
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 2:21 am

Guide Setups

Post by KyLakeLunker » Tue Mar 01, 2011 3:20 pm

1) What setups/guide sizes are best on casting? Spiral wrapped? micros?

2) What setups/guide sizes are best on spinning? micros?

User avatar
Mattman
TT Gear Crew
TT Gear Crew
Posts: 2911
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 5:26 am
Location: Fergus Falls, MN - Otterods - Hand Crafted High Performance Fishing Rods
Contact:

Re: Guide Setups

Post by Mattman » Wed Mar 02, 2011 12:19 am

That's like asking who makes the best truck. You'll get plenty of Ford guys and plenty of Chevy guys telling you their truck is the best.

Its also way too vague. A light powered rod for a Pixy is going to get a totally different setup than a big heavy swimbait stick. So much of the selection of guide sizes and spacing has to do with the intended use of the rod, the action of the blank, the length of the handle, the lines used, the conditions fished in. There just isn't any one answer to those questions.
Matt Davis
Otterods-High performance fishing rods

KyLakeLunker
Angler
Angler
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 2:21 am

Re: Guide Setups

Post by KyLakeLunker » Thu Mar 03, 2011 2:45 pm

Gotcha. What I'm trying to do is get a thread where people that are new to building like myself can refer to for a general idea. So when responding, try to include as much information as possible even if I have not asked it.

General Setups for the following (include guide size that you use, number of guides and rod length)

For example I just built the following with the help of jimmyb and mattman that was listed on the forum that crashed: I believe mattman suggested 25, 16,10, finish with 5s to tip and jimmyb was 25,16,10,7, 4s to tip.

Batson xsb 822.5 Spinning 6'10" - 25,16, 10, 6, 4,4,4,4, +tip I tend to use this as a finesse/shakey/drop shot

Spinning
-Drop Shot
-Finesse
-Any other

Casting (indicate of spiral wrapped)
-Pitching
-Crankbait
-Jig Rod
-Spinnerbait
-Any other

I was recently watching a fishing show and they had a spinning rod, it looked like the guides began with a 16 or 10...in searching the internet, it appears that some use this set up with braid...has anyone started with a butt guide of 16 or 10?

User avatar
Mattman
TT Gear Crew
TT Gear Crew
Posts: 2911
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 5:26 am
Location: Fergus Falls, MN - Otterods - Hand Crafted High Performance Fishing Rods
Contact:

Re: Guide Setups

Post by Mattman » Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:02 am

Part of my "formula" for spin rods is that the butt guide diameter should be half that of the reel spool.

So for really light rods, I've gone with a size 20. But I've never built for a spool with a small enough diameter to put a size 10 on. That's only a 20mm spool diameter.
Matt Davis
Otterods-High performance fishing rods

User avatar
jimmyb
Elite Angler
Elite Angler
Posts: 770
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2005 6:48 am
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Guide Setups

Post by jimmyb » Fri Mar 04, 2011 3:32 am

the 25,16,10,8,6,6,6,6 or 25,16,10 6,4,4,4,4 is what i have been generally building with. The concept with the spacing is to create a funnel for line to go down to the small guides. If you space properly and you look down the middle of the guides, you will see the rings of a target. 25 will be outside, 16,10,8 will all be centered inside each other. I am usually using daiwa or shimano 2500 or 3000 series reels (I am a proponent of using a big dia spool)

I have talked to some other builders that are using the pacbay M series guides and using small stripper guides (like #10). The difference with the M series is that the #10 guide is very tall, so you can do the same funnel concept with out having a weird line angle coming out from a standard spinning reel. I have not tried this yet, but i do think it might work for me, since i find myself using very small braid (#18 toray finesse braid) on my spinning outfits. I dont think the small stripper guide will cause me issues...


http://www.mudhole.com/Shop-Our-Catalog ... ard-Chrome

KyLakeLunker
Angler
Angler
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 2:21 am

Re: Guide Setups

Post by KyLakeLunker » Sun Mar 13, 2011 3:05 pm

Does anyone have any suggestions for a spiral wrapped casting setup w/low profile reel as to what size guides to use?
Thanks

Koldkut
Senior Angler
Senior Angler
Posts: 122
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2011 9:13 am

Re: Guide Setups

Post by Koldkut » Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:19 am

KyLakeLunker wrote:Does anyone have any suggestions for a spiral wrapped casting setup w/low profile reel as to what size guides to use?
Thanks
I like 5, 4, 3.5----to the tip, titanium SiC micros. I have also built with all 3.5 micros.
Hydra pro-staff builder hydrafishing.com

adyy
Senior Angler
Senior Angler
Posts: 87
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 11:08 pm
Location: Romania (Europe)
Contact:

Re: Guide Setups

Post by adyy » Tue Mar 22, 2011 1:20 am

I think a setup like this (25,16,10,8,6,6,6,6) you are using for a ML powered rod and a 2000-2500 reel.

what would you use for a 6'6" UL rod and a 1000 sized reel?
I tought at something like: 20, 12, 8, 6, 4, 4, 4, 4. would it be ok?
http://ultralightworks.weebly.com/

Post Reply