I have a 50-100class rod, 5'6". If I set the drag a few click before I lose freespool and put a good bend on it, the blank begins to bend so much that where the grip is, the blank flexs and the line touches the grip. I would move the fist guide back but then it would touch the blank up there. My guess is that there is only so much drag this blank can take? It says 50-100lbs line so you would put up to 30lbs on it. I am putting about 24lbs and the line is touch. Is it just the blank or me?

Any help I would be thankful

You may need to move the butt guide back and add another guide to distribute the load a little better.

Regards......Doug@
TCRds

Or, move to a higher butt guide. On a rod of that length, and where you expect or it you expect to run that much drag, I would think you'd need at least 6 guide plus a tip-top. Even 7 plus a top wouldn't be out of line depending on the blank's action.

Are you using ceramic or roller guides?


...........

What I forgot to take into account when testing it out was that a harness will always be used with the rod. So the rod will stay at about a 45 degree angle and the angler will not pull the rod up high and bend it more like I was doing. At this and when leaning back slightly with the harness on the rod bends and the line is clear of the grip but may hit someones hand if its there, its a 14" grip. Is it common with stand up rods to have very little clerence at the top of the grip? When fighting the fish you use your left hand to guied the line into the reel and you dont hold the rod on the grip. There is also some bend in the grip too. I could have put the first guide back another inch but didnt think the area where the grip was would flex, I couldnt put a fighting load on the rod when doing guide placement, nothing I could find was strong enough to hold the guides in place.

You're into a very common scenario with such a stand up rod. Yes, the area under such a long grip may flex - that's the meat of the rod and where most of the power comes from. If the line doesn't cut the grip or interfere with the rod hand, then you're okay. And remember, you can always move to a larger/higher guide for that first one if you find you can't move it back any farther.

.........

Doug Moore Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You may need to move the butt guide back and add
> another guide to distribute the load a little
> better.
>
> Regards..........................
> TCRds


Aftco rollers, one 51, two 41 , two 31and a over sized tip top. I was thinking I may need one more guide but all the custom shops around here put 5 guides on and say 5 for all stand up. There is about 1" of clearence just before it starts to take line. Im pull about as hard as I can to get it to take some line, with this amount of pressure theres no way you would be holding the rod up there or even be able to. Ill see if I can put a link to some pictures later today.

Mike,
You mentioned ...

"I couldn't put a fighting load on the rod when doing guide placement, nothing I could find was strong enough to hold the guides in place"

What I do to keep the guides in place when doing a load test is that I tightly wrap the guides on the rod (guide foot protected with masking tape) with a few turns of size D tread. This way the guides/rod can get all the required stress for this task. I don't mess anymore with masking tape or other means, when building these type of rods.

Ricardo Font Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mike,
> You mentioned ...
>
> "I couldn't put a fighting load on the rod when
> doing guide placement, nothing I could find was
> strong enough to hold the guides in place"
>
> What I do to keep the guides in place when doing a
> load test is that I tightly wrap the guides on the
> rod (guide foot protected with masking tape) with
> a few turns of size D tread. This way the
> guides/rod can get all the required stress for
> this task. I don't mess anymore with masking tape
> or other means, when building these type of rods.


Thats a very good idea thanks. I was using tape and having someone hold the guides. What a mess it was.

On your stand up rods how closes does the line come to touching the end of the grip when max pressure is put on the rod?

I use cable ties or some call them tywraps, for this exact thing. I actually use them instead of tape , you can get them for about $5.00 for 500 at Lowes or Home Depot

Mike,
I try to place the stripper roller guide in a position that gives me the maximum clearance so that thumb finger can fit between the line and the highest point in the foregrip (towards the tip) when holding the rod in a fighting position with the maximum load applied.
RF