I'm new at this so if this is dumb, sorry.... I'm building a 6 ft. medium heavy to heavy action casting rod for mainly plastic worm and spinner bait fishing. My question is, can these two methods be combined? I'm leaning toward the spiral wrap. I've never had a rod wrapped this way and want to try it. So again, can I combine the spiral wrap along with the new concept guide system or is this a no-no?

Ted,
The New Concept system is used to set up the guides on a spinning rod so the guides will already be on the bottom of the rod. A spiral wrap is a technique for rotating the guides from on top to the bottom of a conventional, non-spinning rod. So with a spinning rod a spiral wrap is not necessary, the guides are already on the bottom.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/2005 06:22PM by Emory Harry.

At least part of the new guide concept is the idea that you use smaller and lighter guides so I guess you could combine them in that respect. Personally I'd just use the spiral and always use the smallest guides needed anyway. There was a great article on a good spiral wrap version in the last issue of Rodmaker.

Ken,
You are absolutely right. I stand corrected.

If you stay with a blank rated somewhere around 3/8 to 1 oz in lure weight you will probably be ok for both, any heavier than that and I don't think it will be much of a spinnerbait rod. Personally I use different rods for both and at least a 6 ft 6 in blank, now days there is a much better selection of blanks 6 1/2 - 7 ft blanks for little or no difference in price. I liked the shorter rods you mentioned when I was fishing from my canoe.
I've heard of many starting to use the 5 - 6 ft rods again for accurate presentations to pressured fish, but the rods are much lighter tipped than you're mentioning. Whatever you do I wouldn't put a pistol grip handle on it if you fish it a lot, your wrist will last longer.
I spiral wrap just about everything for bass anymore, and start with nothing larger than a #12 stripping guide and use single foot fly guides for the rest.
Good luck on the rod and the fishing. Caught lots of bass off the Tamiami and other places when I was in the Coast Guard down there.

I agree 100% with what Spencer said. I prefer a medium powered blank for spinners. I have a hard time getting any accuracy with a rod that is rated for lures over 1 oz. I have also gone to using blanks that are 6' to 6'8" with shorter butt grips. I fish out of a kayak or wade and we do throw spinnerbaits in the salt.