I have a potential client who wants a custom 6 1/2 to 7 foot rod with bigger than normal size guides so that the "bobber stops" placed approximately 17' from the line end will pass through the guides and give him some casting range. He claims he saw AL Linder of TV fame fishing with such a rod. Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Ray,

If he is slip bobber fishing, it doesn't sound like weight is going to be an issue, since he will probably be putting the rod down. And you could always just up the size of the last few guides, like not putting anything smaller than size 10 or 12, making sure the client understands how these guides may affect the action and weight.

But when I want more casting range, I use a longer rod. Most of my walleye and trout rods are 8'-9' long, and have improved my distance greatly. I have used slip bobbers with these rods, and have not put any larger guides on (smallest usually being size 7-8's).

I have a couple of jigging rods that are 6'-7', and sometimes I cast with them, and realize why I use them for jigging. LOL

Good luck!

Chris

I use fly line backing with nail knots for bobber stops and don't increase the size of my guides to allow for it. Up to around an ounce or two on a 1265 casting rod and as little as 1/8th on a 1263, both with braided line. Not necessary IMHO.

I think I'd have to see that program to understand what Al was trying to achieve using a bobber stop. Seventeen ?FEET? ( 17' ) from the end of the line? Did he mean INCHES?
As I recall from the programs I've seen he uses mostly conventional rods / reels - with level winds. Seems to me the bobber stop going past the level wind mechanism is going to be more of a problem than the guide sizes.

I've used bobber stops up to 12 foot from the hook for crappie. The fish are deep and you need to get the minnow suspended to them, but need to be able to cast as well, hence the slip bobber and the stop. I've had a problem with commerical stops catching in my guides and messing up my casting with the Fuji Concept guides, so I understand the problem perfectly. May just be able to move away from the concept type systems, go with a size or two larger.

Phil

We fish perch here in Madison WI in the 60 foot range with bobber stops and I feel your clients pain. But I dont think larger guides will help. What does he use for bobber stops. I used to use the string kind that comes on the tube but I changed to the dog bone style but they dont really cast much better. they just hold the depth better.If you figure it out I think you can make good money selling them as a specialty rod. like a flippin stick but for pan fisherman

Hello Fella's
We use slip bobbers alot on the Columbia and Snake for fishing Steelheads with shrimp on a rock dancer that weighs 1/8 or 1/4 oz and it casts just fine. We get really good casting distances with 8's and 7's guides on the upper part of the rods with bobber stops tied on the casting line. Even use spiral wraps for casting rods and they cast just fine. The depths fished can be over 25 feet at the dams. This translates to having the bobber stop knot 25 feet from the bait. I would not try to go large guides unless there is something we're missing like Ken says.
Regards Joe Kassuba

His Rod Shop
Joe Kassuba

Thanks guys, this is very good input and confirms some of the "thoughts" I had. Sounds to me I need to make of some sort of mock of a potential rod and actually meet with my customer to test out the possible solutions.

I think he is using the bobber stops instead of a knot so that he can change his depths easily without retieing the knot. Maybe a compromise between a sligtly longer rod and one or two ring sizes larger on the last few guides will do the trick or at least get him the distance he wants.

I've found that #6's are too small of a guide for slip bobber knots. #7's have been fine for me and I'm sure #8's would be too, but may start feeling quite cumbersome on a panfish blank.

If your customer is looking to throw just bobbers with this rod, I would try to steer him towards a longer rod. Even longer than 7'. They'll get more distance on the cast. They also have more line to sweep set with. With that much line below the bobber, you've got a big L to get out of your line and a longer rod is only going to make that easier.



Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

Cabela's sells a bobber stop that's a tiny piece of thin plastic with four holes in it along its length, you weave the line through the holes. It is not perfect, but it works much better than the thread/nail knot approach, those stops tend to loosen and slip easily, especially when they catch on the guides or the tip. I used it this spring for crappie fishing, spinning gear, size 7 guides, few problems.

Tom, that's the type he says he uses but the type he sent me to "set up" a test with are the ones with a fine wire through a small bead like contraption where you cinch the wire down to hold the bead on the selected depth spot on the line. Now some of this is beginning to make sense. Thanks again.

Those rubber ones are nice stops. I don't care for them on really light lines however. And I still find that #6's can still cause trouble.




Better to have and not need than to need and not have.