Just started pieceing together my first surf rod.

Heres what I've got so far - Batson SU1418F blank

Any recommendations on guide spacing and sizes? This is my first surf rod and I need all the help I can get.

I'm leaning toward the Batson BUDUG guides since I've got a 30, 25, 16(x2), and 12(x2) along with a BSUUT 12F10 top.

thoughts, recommendations, spacing etc. would be a great help.

Thanks in advance

I've built 3- 1418 with Fuji NSG guides and went with 20(x2) and 16(x4) with a BMNAT 16-12 tip. I use them mostly as chunking rods using heavy leaders thus the larger tip size.

You only need about 3 guide sizes. No need to go through every size offered. Figure out what is the smallest size running guide you can use (remember you have to be able to clear any connections that you use, such as shock leader knots) and get right on down to that size very quickly. The butt guide, one intermediate size and then down to the running guides.

RodMaker Volume 7 #1 has a complete and rather in-depth article on all facets of building surf rods.


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As Clyde wrote if you are going to use a heavy shock leader you need a larger top and guides i would stay with the 16's

What reel will you use?

Jesster, post more info about how you'll be using it (reel, how and where you'll be fishing it, target species, etc.) and I'll try to help. I'll leave suggestions on guides to those here who are more experienced than me, but two things that I wish I had known about when I built my first surf rod are:

A) use a plate-style reel seat. Or at least consider one. I will probably never build another surf rod with anything else. They're easy to install, they work great, and (what I think is their absolute best feature) they are easy to remove in case you need to replace it or just want to move it up or down the blank. I use my surf gear hard, and I always wanted to come up with a configuration in which everything is replaceable -- if anything breaks (except perhaps the blank), you can fix it easily. Plate-style reel seats fit this bill. Tube seats work well, and it is possible to replace them, but it's much, much easier to replace a plate seat. And I prefer using plate seats as well -- they expose one side of the blank, which gives me greater feel.

B) use cord for your grips. I've tried just about everything else that's out there -- cork, cork tape, and the spongy tube grips (EVA and hypalon) -- and on surf rods cord is far superior to them all. Plus, it's more versatile -- you can do different colors and patterns (look up a knot called the "Turks Head" if you want to see a really cool pattern that will take you five years to tie) to suit your fancy. And cord is inexpensive as well.

Also, order the back issue of Rodmaker referenced above. It's got a lot of great info on building surf rods. I still go back to it from time to time.

Post more info and I'll try to help any way I can. Good luck.