I need some help from those of you who build a lot of bass flipping sticks. I'm building a 3C710HF telescopic rod. My inclination is to start with a sz. 12 double foot guide. However, I know that most factory rods start with sz. 16 guides. I can't fathom what good a sz. 16 would do, but I don't know much about flipping. Is there a good reason to go with the 16? For what it's worth, the customer says he might use heavy mono. (up to 30 lb.) or braid.

Also, what's a good average distance from the reel to place my butt guide? Again, if this was a typical bass rod, I would know what to do, but I'm not sure on this flipping stick.

I know that someone will say to just test-cast and see what works best. Point taken, but being someone who does not own a flipping rod, and who does not even know how to "flip," I'm not sure that my test-casting (i.e. test-flipping) is going to help me much.

All the factory rods i've seen or used always had a sz 12 guide, including A;;star, Castaway, Falcon, Berkley and others. Every flipping rod i've ever made I used a sz 12.

The first guide should be just above the butt section when it is telescoped together, size 12.

The key to this setup is to avoid the butt end contacting the guide when the rod is telescoped. Other than that I think most any size guide will work fine 10, 8 or even less. The rod is not "cast" with the underhand flip rather the line is released with the off hand controling the flow. Somewhat like a fly rod but with much less line out (only what you hold in the off hand). Even 30 pound line will travel freely through a size 6 guide! Of course the customer might think it looked strange! Size 12 is plenty big.

I suspected that a sz. 12 would be fine.

But, I'm still confused about the distance from the reel. If I understand what Don is saying correctly, I should collapse the rod fully, then put the butt guide right at the end of the butt section. On this particular rod, that puts the butt guide around 37" from the reel. That doesn't sound right at all. On most all my other bass rods, my butt guide (fly guide sz. 10) is 21" from the reel (and many would think 21" is too far away).

Can someone clarify?

when you flip you pull line from the front of the reel out to one side...it's a set amount of
line every time...like bill said you don't cast...even if you did want to cast the guide being
that far from the reel is ok...the purpose of a telescoping rod is so that you can store the
rod in a rod locker in a boat...the butt guide should not hit the butt section when the rod
is retracted...some newer boats have rod lockers that will store 7' 6" rods...you could
just build a one piece rod 7' 6"...good luck...

All the 4 rods but one and including one that I am building now, I've built are flippin sticks and I too have a hard time figureing where to put the stripper guide. On the two that I finished I couldn't stand to put the stripper guide that far up the rod section and they do contact the butt section when retracted. The third that I am building now I am going to build it so it doesn't contact the butt section which will place it 25 3/4" from the reel. It is only 7' with a retractable butt and I put a 2"+/- piece of lead in the butt as counter balance so it would originaly have been around 27" from reel. I have one factory flippin stick from Bass Pro made to the specifications of Bassmaster that has a short butt section and has stripper guide placed at 23" from reel and still has about 3 1/2" of room to butt section when retracted. I have not found another factory flippin stick or flippin blank with these specs. I wrote to BPS and asked about where they get these blanks and all they would tell me was over seas.

Let's fish,
Chris

"I wrote to @#$%&and asked about where they get these blanks and all they would tell me was over seas."
It edited my abbreviation for Bass Pro?


Let's fish,
Chris

Size 12 is fine.................................I use Single foot Fly guides on my personal flippin stick!!!!