Need some help on spacing of guides for a 30lb trolling rod. Blank is a Calstar RT-30. Distance from the guide side of the grip to the end of the Aftco roller top is 54-1/2". Grip is 10" EVA and below that is an Aftco UB2 Unitbutt. I have a 5 guide Aftco set and a roller top. Any suggestions are most appreciated!!!

Joe,
The first thing to do after gluing on the tip roller guide is to do the deflection and see the curve of the rod. Being RT rods have that slower action, the guide spacing would be different. From my experience, the easiest thing to do would be to start with the deflection. Select a placement of the roller guide nearest to the tip wo that when the rod is bent 90 degrees from its resting angle, the line should run throu the tip roller and the next roller with about 1/8 inch clearance from the blank. Do the same for the next guide as well. Now the last three guides is where the magic has to happen. The distance between the top two guides no inclusive of the tip is your measuring stick! Due to the moderate taper your guide spacing has to reflect the taper fo the blank.

Let's say that the distance between your tip and first roller guides is eight inches. And then let's assume that the distance form the first roller to the second is seven inches. The third roller should be 8.75 inches from the second. the third should be 10.5 inches. Being you have five rollers, every additional distance between guides should additionally include 1/5 the distance between the first two guides. So, that means the fourth guide would be 12.25 inches. The fifth guide would be approximately 13 inches away. To this you must then add your own placement and testing of line travel to see if the line touches the blank anywhere. Every blank is different so this is jsut a starting point. I never stick firmly to any formula and I let the rod blank tell me where to exactly place the guides rather than some chart. I hope this helps and at least gives you a starting point! Cheers!

You will also want to place the stripper guide far enough back on the butt so that when the blank is fully bent the line coming from your reel won't touch the EVA grip. You can actually fit the butt guide second, after you glue on the tip top. After getting the stripper in the right spot it's a simple deflection test to get the remaining guides set.

When doing a deflection test for my offshore rods I try to pull the blank fairly close to the actual line rating. Being you have a 30 class blank I'd try to pull it at least 20-25#. Even though when fishing you'll likely only be running about 10# at strike (full should net around 15-17#) by setting your guides on the extreme side you will have covered all your bases.

Jay

I am a newbie...

with that said, there is alot to be said for spiral wrapping a trolling rod. I have seen and fished one built by Clyde Roberts...

interesting idea..and it does work.

Good luck.

Thanks everyone for your help!!