Building a St. Croix GS1000M2, Hybrid. Mainly for 4-5000 class spinner with braid, but want versatility when I need to put a 5500 on it to get the power to get across the bar with 2oz.

Using alconite BMNAG guides. 20-16-12-12-12-10-10- 10Tip

Spacing: (From tip) 6, 13, 21.5, 29.5, 39, 50, 62.5 and reel (Center of spool) 93.5 (All in inches)

At present using a shimano stradic 5000 with BBG 12lb mono

Casts are short (comparitaive to other rods I own) and line slap on the cast is horrendous.

questions:

1. Do I need to go to a taller stripping guide?
2. Do I need to go to a taller version of guide throughout?
3. Should I shorten distance between reel and stripping guide?

Any other ideas are appreciated.

Great show BTW....

Tommy

Rod is for 1-3oz surf fishing with metal (Stingsilvers) and striper plugs.

Thanks

Well one thing, I am not sure of the spool size for those reels, but it sounds like the 20 guide would be too small in diameter to be your first guide. Usually you start with a guide that is around 1/2 the diameter of the spool.

Tommy,

I'm thinking a 30 stripper and mayber a little closer, or maybe a 30 in front of the 20, then get the spacing right with the edge of the table method.

The BMNAGs are fine for spinning or casting, I think you'll just need to play with the arrangement to get it the way you want.

Walt Davenport
"Roadhouse Rods"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/2008 06:11PM by Walt Davenport.

The 4000/5000 stradic is about 2" D, I did not have a 25 on hand, but i though a 20 was only 5mm short of 1/2...

Looks like it's time to buy more guides..

Thanks folks !!

I tend to go bigger with the guides before I go smaller.

Tommy,
The most likely reason that you are getting that line slap is because there is a standing wave in the line between the reel and the first guide. When you cast the rod if you will watch the line between the reel and the first guide you will see this standing wave in the line. It is caused mainly by friction between the line and the first guide. Because of the friction some of the energy in the line is being reflected back toward the reel. The larger this standing wave the more energy is being reflected back toward the reel. If the standing wave is large you are probably having problems with back lash as well.
There are several things that you will want to do to minumize this reflected energy. First you want to use guides, size and position, that give you as straight a line path from the reel to the tip of the rod as possible. I suspect that your first guide may be too small.
Because of the height and width of the reel, the amount of line on the reel, guide sizes etc. it is usually not possible to get a line path that does not contact the guides and result in some friction. So the next thing to do is adjust the distance between the first guide and the reel while test casting and watching the standing wave and adjusting the distance for the smallest standing wave. Often a big standing wave is the result of the first guide not only being too small but also being too close to the reel.
If these two steps do not cure your problem send me an e-mail there are several other things that we can work on that require a little more explanation.

Hey Tommy,

One other thing, is the reel full of line ? Or is it only partial ? Make sure it is full... I did the same thing when I was doing some test casting, I loaded a spinning reel about a quarter full and got HORRIBLE line slap due to the fact that the line had to make the transition from the back of the face of the spool before it could go through the guides. Once I filled the reel the line slap went away.

Jeff

Tommy,
With 12 lb test line, I think that the stripper guide is too small.
I would go with a size 30 stripper at 20-22 inches from the reel seat.
Most of the rods of this size, I use the following:

30, 16, 10, -- alconite standard spinning
8 low, spinning,
7 bridge,
7 fly guide
and then as many 6 fly guides as necessary to finish the guides.

If, using 12 lb line, you might want to stay with 7's and a 7 tip. I really see no reason to use any tip guides larger than a 7. By the time that the line is 1/2 way down the rod; the line is going straight and really isn't hitting any of the guides. It should be simply sliding through the center hole of the guides.

Summary,
Go with a larger stripper guide that is closer to the reel and I expect that you will be fine.

Take care
Roger

Tommy,
P.s.
Another thing that I learned a long time ago, is to mount the intended reel on the rod.
Thread the line through the guides and strip off 20 or 30 feet.
Whiile keeping just enough tension on the line to keep the slack out of the line, but not so much as to put any flex in the rod - slowly reel in the line.

I have found that to effect the most effective cast with minimal slap and effort is to adjust the size and spacing of the first and 2nd guides up from the reel so that as the line is reeled in - the line completely follows the circumfurunce of the stripper guide.

If, you find that the line is essentially laying on the bottom of the guide or on the bottom half of the stripper guide, the first and 2nd guides are in the wrong location or are the wrong size.

Essentially, you want to be adjusting the size of the stripper and first running guide so that as the reel is turned - and the line is at the maximum distance from the rod - you should find that the line is running through the stripper and is just touching the very top of the stripper guide. If this isn't happenning, the guide size and location need to be adjusted.

If you are using a size 20 stripper guide, it is virtually impossible to get the line to follow the inside diameter of the stripper guide. You will find that by using the size 20 guide, most of the time the line is simply being dragged along the bottom of the guide. The guide is simply too small to allow the line to follow the normal flow of the line as it comes from the reel.

Go larger on the stripper guides, smaller on the tip guides and I expect that you will have a winning combination.

Take care
Roger