Iam going to build a Rainshadow 1502.I was looking for reccomendations as to trim the tip 2-4in. like most do on the Lami 1502.The tip now is a 10,trimming 4in would make it a 12.I am building it conventional and would like it to be good for 8-10oz plus bait.Could you also share guide sizes and placement.

I am building this pole for myself and two friends, I put guides on it the other day and test casted it. With nothing cut from the tip, I was throwing twelve onces and a 5" storm swim shad(1oz and some aero) right at or over 100 yards every time. I can lean into a cast and it didn't feel spongy at all, very impressed. WIth six ounces I was out-casting the field I was in. It is real light weight and this will be my first off the truck at hatteras. And on those light wind days, or on the south beaches in hatteras I do not want to lose any distance with 6 ounces. So I am not going to trim anything. This rod seems to taper real quick and the bottom 8 feet of the rod has very little if any bend. Plus in a couple of years I will most likely build a 1509. I was currently Throwing a 12' tica and the 1502 seemed to handle 12oz better than the tica handles 8 with big bunker head. I would definatly test cast the rod with taped on guides, and see how it feels before you trim anything. I have my reel about 27" from the bottom, no guides on the bottom half, stripping guide is an alconite bmnag 30 then a 20 then 1 blnag 16 and 4 blnag 12. And a 12 sic tip. Seven plus a tip. I was test casting with 6 plus tip, and no real problems, but the bottom three guides were real far apart. I really like the guide set up. The line goes strait down all the guides You don't need a 25. I will probably build my friends with a 30 - 20 -16's to the tip, no 12's as that is more conventional for heavers. Sorry I do not have the rest of the guide spacing. I just located the first guide about a hand grip above the ferrule to give me somthing to hold on to when I separate the rod. And went from there.

Just curious, why would you want to trim the tip at all? It's rated for 4-10 oz.

Wow! And me being a lite line fanatic! Just thinking about throwing almost a pound of weight makes me want to sleep in! But the Rainshadow 1509 is rated to 12oz. without cutting anything.

Jeff, please dont go by what others do to other name brand blanks. You have one of the best blanks on the market ,and a lot of the people I talk to feel that the 1502 blank is underrated . Follow Matthews advice and tape the guides on and do some test casting , you can always cut later if you thank you need to. Robert
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