I need some advice regarding a Calstar Graphiter Blank (GF700/H) that I just received. I plan to build a spinning rod for Bluefin Tuna. My reel of choice is the Penn 950SM. I can't decide what guides to use, especially the butt guide. The reel is big (28oz.) and the center of the spool sticks out 4.5 inches from the blank. I had planned to use Fuji Sic guides and use a size 40 High Frame for the butt guide. Sic guides do not come any bigger. I could use a Fuji Hardloy size 50 for my butt guide and do the rest with Sic guides. I will be using this rod to cast into school bluefin in the 40+lb. range. Advice that any of you might have would be greatly appreciated.

MNSG is what I have been using for this application. I start with the size 40.

Mel, I plan to use 80lb. Power Pro line. Will that line leave the reel and go thru that size 40 guide without too much resistance?

Use the new concept guide system and you won't have a problem. I built two tuna popping rods using the Smith wrc80p/35 blank which is 8 ft long matched to a Stella 20000 spinning reel and it casts just fine. I use 60 # Jerry Brown Spectra with a very short topshot. I have used the same guide with the NCG placement in the library on a shorter 7 ft phenix blank but the choke guide went past the tip of the blank and needed to modify the location of the choke guide as recommended by Tom Kirkman. The discussion is somewhere in the archives here on this site. I did some test casting before wrapping the guides on and was able to get distances of 70-75 yards using 4-5 oz poppers.