I just bought a Rainshadow IFT905G 7'6" flipping stick blank with the hopes of making it into a spinning rod for bass and redfish/snook fishing. I am planing on using Fuji Concept Alconlite guides. After looking into it, the smallest ring for the tip that will fit the blank is an 8 (8 ring/7 tube).
After the choke guide, i was hoping to go down to a size 6 ring. My thought being that if i am using 20 or 30 lb. braid, it would flow better through the small guides. Is my thought process off? I have seen very small ring guides in the past that have worked really well.

I was planning on using this setup. 30-16-10-8-7-7-6-6-6 tip. But since i cant find the matching 6 ring tip, i am going to have to use 8 ring guides from the choke guide out.

Does anyone have any input or helpful tips?

Thanks for all the help.

-Matt S.

Nothing say's you have to use 8 size guides if you use 8 size tip. It may look a little more uniform if you do, but that’s all. Just finished a flipping stick. I use 3-6’s and an 8 tip, because I would rather have the rod a little lighter and performing to what I want, instead of being locked into some cosmetic standard

I'm with Steve,

I too go down to 6's and use an 8 ring if I have too on larger sticks. I never have iunderstood why the makers don't go down to AT LEAST 6's on everything tip top wise :(

DR

Forecast makes a BPLT06R07.0 (6mm ring - 7/64 tube) and a BPLT07R07.0 (7mm ring - 7/64 tube) but they are both black chrome. The smallest tube in the same style tops but in regular chrome is 6.5/64 (I assume it won't fit your tip). If you were to use black frames, I think you'd be hard press to tell the difference between the Fuji Alconite guides and a Forecast tip top.

I didnt realize that Forecast made tip in that size.

Since I did buy the blank from FishSticks4U.com, and I was very pleased with the overall experience (and price!) of doing business with them, the least I could do is buy the guides from them too. ;)

I will probably be using this rod in saltwater from time to time. I hope corrosion isnt a problem.

It will work fine. Also, please read the set-up instructions for the New Guide Coincept on the online library page here.

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