took the plunge and grabbed a 1418 Blank from Fishsticks4u. All my surf rods are Spinning,and I decided to mount a Penn Surf Master on this one. Blank is 11' 9" rated 4-7 OZ Will be used for Stripers With Bait.
I could use a hand on the Guide set-up was going to start with a 20 MM or would a 16 be better using Fuji BNLG'S 20-16-16-12-12- and the rest 10's with a 10MM SIC tip. also was thinking of a Acid or bumper wrap, would this change the guide count or Size?

Thanks, Barry

I would us at least a size 20 for the butt guide, possibly a 25, then a 16 followed by 12's on out to the tip.

The Bumper Guide configuration is the same as conventional with just a few changes. It is vital to have the specific reel attached to blank for determining the placement of the first guide. Once you determine the optimum guide placement for the conventional set up just drop all the guides to the bottom of the blank except for the first guide. Then attach a small; low stance double footed guide halfway between guide 1 and guide 2. A #8 or #10 should suffice. This Bumper guide is placed at 90 or 270 degrees; depending upon which side of the blank you want the line to go. ( the benefit of choosing one side or the other has to do with which side your reel handle sits on. It is safer to have the reel handle and the Bumper Guide on the same sode for when the rod is layed flat. Another concern is if you are using a non-level wind reel. It is much easier to push line across the reel face to level it out than it is to pull it. So, depending upon which hand is guiding the line into place you want the line coming from that side. This would force you to have the reel handle and the Bumper Guide on opposite sides. That is not a big problem as it is dangerous to ever lay a Surf Rod down flat. That is just asking for trouble.

One other concern is to check the height and path of the line as it leaves the reel to make sure there is enough clearance over the fore grip to prevent getting your hand caught underneath or even marking the grip. The width of the reel will affect the boundaries for the lateral line path. This must be taken into account by adjusting the placement of the first guide. A wide reel transit wil lneccesitate moving the first guide forward a bit. The goal is to create a path with the least friction possible. The Bumper Guide only needs to be large enough for all your knots to pass cleanly. This is especially important for Surf Rods where a heavy Shock Leader is commonly used. I find my 50# mono knots can easily pass thorugh a #8 guide.

This set up will yield many advantages. You will be free from having to fight gravity (torque) as the reel is pulled towards the bottom. The net result is improved comfort; greater stability, and probably longer and truer casts. I'm planning to build an Allstar Breakaway 1387 in this configuration soon.

At the Charlotte ShowTom K. had two rods set up to demonstrate the benefit of the Bumper or Spiral Wrap. The two rods were under the same amount of stress. The Spiral Rig was far superior in comfort and stability. There is no question about it. It is a No Brainer. Case closed!
Dave