I'm using a steelhead (SH1084) to build a light saltwater spinning rod - throwing 1/4 to 1/2 oz in on the flats and in the suds. I'm using a short rear grip and my reel upsweep seems to put the choke guide on the ferrule, which is fine with me. My question is whether or not 10 or 11 guides total seems like too much. I have about 50" to cover with my size 7 running guides and I don't want them spaced too far apart. Any thoughts on how many running guides, their spacings and compromises I may not be thinking about?

The static test will tell you if it is too many. You can start with a stock set up say from St Croix's site. Then adjust. I usually start the first guide from the tip at 4" then add 1/4" fro the first half of the guides. Then add 1/2" to get me started. Butt guide sounds like a 25 may be good depending on the reel face. The Fuji Concept guides are higher with there rings then others so it also depends on the company or guides you use. I also try to put the line path into the ring

Check the Libarary page for the articals on guide placement.

On a 9 footer I don't think 10 guides total is too many. I build a lot of those type rods and with that system I often end up with at least that many guides. Most of them are running guides though. I usually get down to the intersect guide within just 3 or 4 guides. The rest are small running guides.

To give a little more detail, I already have my first guides figured - BYAG 25, 16 and 8. My running guides will be BLAG7s and will start on the ferrule and run out to the tip.

GUIDE LAYOUT: SURF ROD 9-FOOT MEDIUM-LITE DUTY
TRIFECTA ZONAL Method

INT: 0, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11”

LOC: 0, 4, 8, 13, 18, 24, 31, 39, 48, 58, 69”

SIZE: TT 7F, 7F, 7F, 7F, 7F, 7Y, 8Y, 10Y, 16Y, 25Y-MM

Where:
INT = Interval in inches BETWEEN adjacent Guides.
LOC = Location in inches from ROD TIP to the GUIDE
SIZE = Nominal RING Size of the Guide in millimeters (MM)
TT = Tip-Top
“-F” = Low FLY-frame Guide. Fuji BLAG (or Batson VS3)
“-Y” = High Y-frame Guide. Fuji BYAG (or Batson -FL-)

LENGTH OVERALL (LOA) = 108”

REAR HANDLE (estimated) = 10”

REEL SEAT + SPOOL (est.) = 6”

REEL SPOOL to ROD TIP = 108” – (10” + 6”) = 92”

REEL SPOOL to BUTT GUIDE = 23” (OPEN Free-Flow Zone)

BUTT GUIDE to ROD TIP = 92” – 23” = 69” for Layout

FUNNEL-CHOKING ZONE: = 69” – 48” = 21”

RUNNING ZONE: = 48” – 0” = 48”

This Guide Layout Scheme incorporates several criteria for good INITIAL Guide Placement, as implied by distances cited. Tweak as needed.
As you can see, this Interval Pattern is easy to follow, and easy to set-up quickly on your bench-top. The math in this Progressive Spacing is as simple as it gets.
Test Cast and Load Test to check performance on your rod blank. ...

Happy Rod-Building, ... -Cliff Hall+++, Gainesville, FL-USA

Marty, I would go with no more than 3 BYAG guides with all the rest your 7 BLAG fly guides. IMO, there just isn't any benefit to gradually reduce guide sizes. Get it down as small as needed as fast as you can to maintainh the highest efficiency

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

I would do the same as Mike suggests. Set it up according to the New Guide Concept layout on the online library page here so you'll have a nice, straight line path. Shouldn't take more than 2 or 3 minutes to do it.

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

Actually, I should say that I am using the new Forecast VS3 and FL guides, not the Fuji on this rod (I just tend to think in terms of "Y" and "N" and "L" designations. Ray, Robert and Kevin at Fishsticks hooked me up with all Forecast components and I love them; got my order about 2 days after placing it. The Forecast FL guides look a bit higher than the Fuji equivalent, which I think I will like given the purpose of this rod. It sounds like it's a good thing I ordered a bunch of running guides.

The VS3 aare really nice and so are the FL. I would still go with the same set up

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!