I would like to ask Tom a question on spiral/acid wrap.

I am planning to wrap a Calstar 700XLH in the spiral/acid wrap pattern. This is a 7 foot rod with a 15 to 30lbs action

Could you kindly let me have the diagramme for the placement for the various rod guides. What are the various exact positions/placements for these guides.

Also, what are the best sizes of guides and brand to be used. I generally use the Fuji SIC guides for my normal wrap baitcasters. Can these same guides be used? If no, please recommend.

Thank you very much

Ding

Howzit Ding! If may hijack the thread from Tom(I think he's asleep!) The simplest Acid Wrap transition, if you could call it that is to use a bumper guide. Set up the guides as you would on a conventional rod. Find a midpoint between the stripper guide and the second guide. Wrap all the guides except the stripper guide( leaving it on th "0" position) on the 180 degree position. Now, on that midpoint between the Stripper and the 2nd guide position a guide at 90 degrees, this is your bumper guide. The function of the bumper guide is to keep the line from rubbing the blank while moving from the top to the bottom.
I'm sure elaboration on the simple spiral will follow. . .

Ding,
As long as you treat the rod right the standard guides you would put on a bass baitcasting rod will work fine. I built a 7 ft 30 lb class rod 20 years ago with the same high frame guides I put on my bass and salmon/steelhead rods. I've had zero problems with that rod even though it was used around 20 days a month in Florida and now used on 50 to 300 lb white sturgeon in the Columbia River.

Jim

Thank you for your help.

I have seen some rods that have 2 bumper guides instead of the usual one. Is this effective - using two bumper guides versus one?

Most of us are right-handed when we crank on a baitcaster. This means that the bumper guide is on the left side of the rod as you look down the rod towards the rod tip. If the person is left-handed, i.e. uses the left hand to crank the baitcasting reel, does this mean that the bumper guide would be on the right side of the rod?

Thank you


Spencer

Thank you also for your reply. I am still using Abu's Pacific 30M that I bought in the early 1970s. This is a heavy and solid rod that has pulled many fishes from depths using an Ambassadeur 9000. Great combination. Reason why I am looking at an Acid Wrap is that I noticed that my rod twists towards the right when fighting a fish. At the end of the day, the top piece guides are out of alignment with the stripper guide on the bottom piece of the rod.

With the bumper guide placed 90 degress to the left of the stripper guide, does this mean that the rod twist is eliminated?

Thank you

Ding

Don't confuse bumper guides with transition guides. I'm pretty sure what you saw were two transition guides that guided the line around the blank. A bumper guide does not guide the line anywhere; it does not direct or redirect the line anywhere, it only keeps the line off the blank. The line travels a straight path from the 0 to the 180 degree guide, bumper guide or not.

If you use the Simple Spiral system with bumper guide, remember that the bumper is an addition to, not part of, the rest of the guide system. Do not factor it into the overall guide spacing or sizing.

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Tom,

Thanks for your reply.

Could you please let me have the guides measurements/positioning on the 7-foot rod that I am planning to use. Also, could you please indicate the position of the transition guide.

Thank you.

Ding

I would not have the spacing for your rod - you would have to determine that by a static stress distribution test (check the online library). The bumper guide always goes exactly halfway between the first and second guides.

Set everything up just as if you were doing a standard guides on top rod. Use the stress distribution test per the library article. Once you have them all set, flip them all to the bottom of the rod with the exception of the butt guide. Wrap them all in place. Now go back and install the bumper guide exactly halfway between the first two and at 90 degrees. If you rod is intended for very large fish and is more of a medium action, put the bumper guide at 100 degrees.

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Tom

Thank you

Ding

Tom,
I am new to rod building and have a question about the simple spiral guide spacing. I have read the article and here you state again to set up the rod just like a conventional guides on top rod using the stress distribution method. I thought one of the advantages of the spiral wrap was that with guides on the bottom fewer guides would be needed. Fewer guides, less weight, better performance. Am I missing something?? I am thinking it would be better to use stress distribution and space the guides along the bottom then roll the last guide to the 0 position and install the bumper between it and the next guide.
Thanks
George

Not all spiral wraps are done the same way. The method outlined in the last issue is for a very simple, yet highly effective spiral wrap that is not only easy to explain, but easy to set up. Most baitcasting rod builders already know how to set up a rod with the guides on top. So, starting with that knowlege, we gave them a spiral system that really didn't require any new knowlege. It was the same as what they were already doing, and just flipping all the guides, save one, over to the bottom.

If you wanted to set the guides on the bottom of the rod, and then flip the butt guide up (I don't know how you can set the butt guide unless you do it on top to begin with, however) that's up to you.

As always, you hope that when such methods are published others will take things and adapt to fit their own needs or ways of doing things.

...................

This morning I went to see my rod builder to ask him to build an acid wrap rod for me.

He flatly said no with the argument that there were no real advantages for such a construction. He argued that the rod does not cast better and the torgue observed when the rod is under stress is the same as that endured by large game rods without this construction. So there are no real advantages. I am at a lost as I do not know how to wrap a rod.

Moving on, I would like to ask another question. When using baitcasting rods, do users suffer wrist pains? I do and put this down to the unusual angle the arm has with the rod when holding it especially when fighting a large fish. The pain is even worst when holding a spinning rod. How do you overcome this discomfort? Suggestions welcomed.

Your rod builder is out of touch. There is no doubt that the spiral wrap, and that includes ALL methods of getting the line around, works and works well. It casts as well and fights fish better than conventional guides on top. I'd urge you to check out TackleWorks ( link at top of page) and find a builder that will work with you. Or do yourself a real favor and build one yourself, you'll find plenty of help here. On your 2nd question, yep..... my wrist hurts, but usually only after tugging back 200 yds of line attached to some creature that doesn't want to be eaten.