Dose anyone know how heavy a rod recoil spinning guides are intended for in the saltwater? I am planning to building myslef a inshore rod in the 20 lb. line calss and woundered if they would work.

Eddie,

It seems to me that the responses you got from your previous post should serve you here too. I think you are barking up the wrong tree in trying to use Recoil Guides on this type of rod. Saltwater fishing is especially tough on gear. Tiny grains of sand are abrasive; the salt in the air is corrosive; rods get beat up in holders and on the deck as the boat is tossed around; and the list goes on. A rod for 20 lb. line is going to weigh enough to make saving a few ounces meaningless. The strength of a guide made for this purpose is more than worth it's weight. Do yourself a favor and go with Fuji Alconites or any of the SIC ringed guides. Rinse your rod well after every outing and you can focus on catching fish without worrying if your guides are going to give out when you need them most.

Dave

As discussed in the "thoughts on unorthodx spacing" thread sometimes challenging "conventional wisdom" can have good results and change the way a building approach is applicable in future "conventional wisdom. I think the thread "is cork obsolete" is similiar. However, not all thinking out-of-the-box results in a better way - the prevailing conventional wisdom is in fact the best practice given the contraint of current technologies. imo, the introduction of new materials is a key factor in introducing an opportunity to explore new ways of looking at a potential solution to a problem or an improvement on a common design. I've often wondered why with the advances in materials for blanks, seats, arbors, etc we still have the basic materials in guide frames. If your view is the Recoil is a step in moving the standard forward for guides on inshore you should try it using development & testing. My suggestion is to build a prototype and put it through the testing. However, imo, they are not a breakthrough for the reasons given concerning durability. I keep thinking in some R&D lab somewhere there is a dramatic move to another frame material being put through its paces. I would stick with Alconites or equivalent until a truly new material is introduced.

I have seen and read enough problems with these guides to not use them on anything!
I would Folow Dave's advice

Interesting comments from all. Just as interesting is the fact that Key Largo "custom" rods (well, that's how they market them) all use Recoil guides, and in fact make not of that on the label.

Given the fact that those are regarded as "top end custom" rods in this area, it's gonna be interesting, at best, and maybe ugly at worst, to see how they hold up.

Maybe the saltwater is different in the Keys as opposed to here?

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods

Save yourself time, money and aggravation ... use Fuji Alconites or Fuji SiC guides. On a 20# class rod, the weight difference is TOTALLY unnoticeable, but you will notice all the negatives and in short order. Stick with the tried and true.

Steve,
Whereas I am certainly one to appreciate attempts to "think outside the box" it is imperative that any creative advancement be grounded on sound principles. In this instance it makes no sense to risk guide failure just to gain an insignificant weight advantage. There is nothing to be gained and so much risk of losing a good fish and a ruining a nice day on the water. It is a no brainer. This is not a reasonable experiment; it is just plain foolhardy.

I will, however, relate the experience of one radical fisherman I met who enjoyed landing Stripers in the surf on 2 pound test line. Even in his extreme fishing method he would have been ill served using Recoil guides. They simply are not up to the task of providing long term service in harsh conditions with large fish.
Dave

So what line weight whould recoils be best sutted for? Say a medium bass rod?

If I had to pick the one occasion I would actually build myself a rod with them ... trout fishing in freezing weather. Light mono or fluorocarbon line that glides on them pretty well and then the guides would provide less issue with icing.

Other than that ... Fuji Alconite or better.

Use REC recoil guides on many fresh water rods and find them to be great, Have many out in the field and not a problem and alot of very good reviews. The heaviest rods so far for them have been steelhead rods. Many bass rods and trout rods. Some on fly rods too.
For Salt water rods and the vast majority of my freshwater rods I use mostly Forecast Zirconiums and H ring guides. Again not a problem and nothing but good reviews.
It is surely great to have so many choices of great componets from the various manufactures and distributors Far cry from when I began with wire guides and when I could afford them agated ring guides.
Joe Kassuba

David - I'm not sure how using Recoils is risking guide failure for this type of rod and for inshore species. How would they fail?

btw, I do agree that weight savings alone is not a sufficient reason to consider Recoils in the design if the decision criteria is casting performance. However the corrision proof property (not all anglers take the time to clean their rods properly) and the shape memory property ( to deal with at least some of the abuse) seems to me be advantages worth exploring. One of the reasons I take this view is because I have customers and fishing buddies that still insist on double foot guides on all their SW rods. They think I'm being fool hardy when I use SF and especially SF fly guides on inshore rods of any size.

I talked with a client from South Carolina last week that is sending me 4 G- Loomis rods to remove and replace the recoil tips because of wear causing fraying on his fishing line.

I have not seen them yet so I can say if they have grooved or not, but the wear is bad enough to be causing problems with his line.

I noticed St Croix is using Recoils on their legend inshore rods but using Fuji Ti tops. I think this would eliminate the tip grooving issue.

St. Croix is also using recoils on inshore rod up to 20 lb. I have also seen G Loomis useing the same guides on their Greenwater rods.
Maybe there is less a chance of guide failer than perceived?

Nope, I hear from people quite often that want their GLX and SCIV Inshore rods stripped and rebuilt with ceramics. I don't do it because it will nullify their factory warranty. I always suggest that they sell the rod and order the same blank with Fuji SiC guides.

The only way that RECoil guides seem to function in fair regard for inshore is to use them ONLY for the smallest size running guide - meaning 3-4 of them. The balance of the rod is Titanium SiC. At that point, what is the use ... the difference in weight between an 8L RECoil and a #7 Ti SiC is so minute as to be difficult to measure without a microfine scale.

My choice for inshore is to stick with Alconite guides for economy and Ti SiC as a preferred.