Is a 10-10 to small for a 11'9" All Star Breakaway for surf fishing. Im wanting to use Amtack Blue BCCB's but a 10-10 is the only top they have that will fit the rod and i want at least a 10tip-12ring. I was also thinking about using a regular Black on Black tip but i wasnt sure how it would look. Thanks for any help.

Jeff

I asked a similar question a few days ago for a 10'. You are right -- there appears not to be a 12 in that size for some of the guides such as SVSG etc. For other guide series they do exist. Most recommended staying with a 16. e. 25, 20, 16, 16, 16, 16 (tip) or go to a 16 after the stripper guide skipping the 25 and go 20,16,16,16,16,16 tip. Ref the post this was discussed in;

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Also another Surf Rod Builder I know well recommended a 12 or 10 tip. 10 seems small. After you read the above post you may agree. I asked him why he might recommend a 10 tip -- I can update you when I get the info. Suprises me there are not more 12/9 - 12/10's available in the top selection for more common types of guides such as the PST etc.

Good luck
Mark

As I remember from Tom Kirkman's article in Rodmaker, the size 16 tip was to allow the knots in a shock leader to go through. I am planning on using braid with a high enough breaking strength that I don't need a shock leader. A mono leader will be tied past the tip. In this case, I don't believe that a 16 is required, and I was going to use a 10 tip on a couple of surf rods I am building. If this reasoning is wrong, someone please tell me quickly!

Here's my solution (ouside of / beyond pestering Joe Meehan). I take a size 12mm (or 16mm0 casting tip; prep the guide feet and wrap the single foot below the "normal" guide openings. Once that's secure I carefully, slowly bend over the frame of the guide foot until the u-shaped "double" frame is against the rod blank (or as close to flat as I can get it) and overwrap the top of the guide foot working from the base (heel) of the guide frame back towards the butt section of the rod. If you are careful you can do this with a single continuous wrap of thread. As the thread works it's way toward the toe of the guide the thread will pull the guide foot onto the blank (go slow as you will likely have to retighten the thread over wrap). Simply I "make" a tip top to match the guide frame / ring. So far (knock wood) it's worked out every time. Although it did take me a few attempts as well as trial and error before I figured out that I was better off wrapping from the guide ring back toward the butt of the rod.

Jeff,
Your thinking is right on. If you don't have to pass the knot from a 50lb test mono casting leader a 10 will be fine. Knot passage is the only reason to have to use a larger tip-top ring. As long as your leader knot is beyond the tip, you could use a 6.

Sorry --- should have read and edited.... When necessary I use a 12mm or 16mm casting GUIDE (not tip) If there were a tip-topin the correct, complementary finish - the remainder would not be germane !

Jeff; Above all if using Braid I use silicon Carbide or Equivelant for the tip no matter which guides I use on surf rods due to Stress when Casting

Sorry!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2005 07:18PM by Barry D Thomas Sr.

JEFF,
I like to use a 12 ring on my surf tip, in the black frame ,blue ring try the forecast bsuut 12R10.0 the tube size runs from 10-20. capt ray fishsticks4u.com

Alot of folks, me included, do not like to use straight braid on a heaver, due to the lack of "Shock absorber", especially if you have a big biter, or that hawg drum in the wash.

The mono serves as a shock absorber to protect the rod ...

My heavers have 16's fer tip's...

JMHO...

Tommy (Custer)

Hi Jeff,
My Breakaway 11 9 has a 12mm tip top. For bait casting it is my go-to rod. It is setup for bait casting with a Penn 525 mag reel. The rod seems to perform best when loaded with 4 to 5 ounces. I have a 70# mono shock leader that wraps around the reel 5 or 6 times when all of the line is extendeed to cast. I use the pendulum technique and regularly toss bait about 100 yards into the wind on the Texas gulf coast. Many of the bait casters down here put 200 yards of 20 to 25# line after the leader (topshot) and fill the rest of the reel with 50# braid. This way, you working line is mono and can withstand the abrasions encountered in heavy current in the seabed much better than braid, particularly when you have bait sitting out in the waves. Braid is compact, takes up less room on the reel and usually only comes into play when you are wrangling a very large fish.

Back to the tip top. Another reason to consider a larger tip top. When you toss your bait out long distances, you retrieve alot of line and usually have to contend with seaweed on that line. Seaweed and other debris will accumulate in a small tip top ring and strangle your line. It is easier to pick it off the line down by the reel than up on the tip top.

Just my 2 cents.
Hope that you enjoy the rod.

Nils

Ken, I have read about the use of a "regular" guide as a surf top by bending into shape. I am curious to see a completed one. Could you possibly post a photo ?
Thanks

Sure. Will try to post a "step by step" for you as well.... I've been meaning to add this to my site anyway... Good opportunity to
do two things (almost) at once.

FUJI SILICON CARBIDE (SIC) TIP-TOPS:
PST-style: SIC-ceramic rings. Gunsmoke-stainless steel frames (flat finish).
Ring sizes up to 16mm; Tube sizes up to 14/64ths (~ $12)
Available at Summer Moon Rod Works, MudHole, et al. [Cliff Hall]

FUJI SILICON CARBIDE (SIC) TIP-TOPS:
PST-style: SIC-ceramic rings. Gunsmoke-SS frames (flat finish).
RING sizes up to 16MM; TUBE sizes up to 14/64ths inches (~ $8-12)
Available at Summer Moon Rod Works, MudHole, et al. [Cliff Hall]