If you are like me, any factory rod that you have in your house sort of cries out for customization every time you walk by it. It's irrational and I can't really explain it but it happens, at least to me. Since I've customized or built all my rods, I had to turn my attention to a kid's rod this time.

The rod is a 5'6" 2pc. fiberglass spincast rod matched up with a Zebco 33. It's an old Fenwick so the blank is good quality. I already replaced the metal guides with ceramic guides some time ago just for something to do. Yesterday, I noticed that it only had 1 guide on the butt section and all the others on the tip section. So I spun the tip section so the guides pointed down (toward the water) and added a bumper guide on the side half way between the butt guide and the first downward facing guide.

It's a nice improvement and took about 5 minutes. It's easier to keep the reel from feeling top heavy and rolling over when retrieving a lure and, I asume, will feel better with a fish on. Casting distance seems the same as before.

Just an idea I wanted to pass on to the other restless neurotics out there.

Took me a few minutes Steve, a spiral spincaster???? until I remembered those Zebco's.....Did you keep the original guide size??

An easy 'fix' for many a 2-piece baitcasting rod. Simple, easy, & quick. I've read that idea on here before...thanks for the reminder. Excellent tip.

This is also a good way for potential customers to demo a spiral wrap. If they already have a 2-piece, temporarily wind on a bumper for them...no epoxy. They can test it until they get ready to permanently attach a bumper or place an order for a custom rod.

Jay

Yeah, Jay, I'm not surprised to hear that someone else has already thought of this but it is a good way to demo the benefits of a spiral wrap.

Grant, this rod was built with all #7 ceramic fly type guides and still is, including the bumper. The little hole on top of the Zebco already acts as a "taming" or "gathering" guide so there's really no reason to have any guides bigger than that. It's gonna make a sweet rod for small crankbaits and beetle spins and I can't wait to have a 5lb. catfish swimming on the end of it.

On a side note, holy cow those Zebco 33 platinums are one heckuva nice reel for $23. Unless you need to burn a buzz bait across the water, they seem up for just about anything (slow retrieve ratio though).