Fellow Rod Builders:
I am planning on building a 12' heavy spinning rod for Chinook fishing from both river banks and piers. I want to purchase the Rainshadow ISA1446F. I am requesting information as to how many guides, guide size and approximate placement on the blank for this blank. In addition, is there other blanks i should be considering? Would any of you use larger thread such as size D instead of size A?

Thank you for all your assistance. This site and its members greatly assisted me on my first three rods.

Tolan S. Furusho

Tolan,
I went to the Batson website because they have a very comprehensive guide spacing chart for all of their blanks. They list your blank for casting applications, but they don't suggest guides for that blank for a spinning application. Just a big N/A or not applicable. I would call them if you really want to use this blank but it sounds to me like they are saying that the blank isn't really a good choice for spinning applications. A call to them might also give you a better idea on what blank could work for you as they are located in the Pacific Northwest where Salmon fishing is a way of life.
If you really want to use the blank, I would follow the article on static guide placement in the library and/or get one or more of the issues of Rod Maker that deal with guide placement. You should have the reel that you are going to use before you start because it will determine the height, size and placement of several of your guides.
Hope this helps you
Lynn

Thanks Lynn. That observation that the lack of information may indicate their lack of confidence in their blank has me a bit concerned. I did receive an e-mail this morning from Karry at Batson and the suggestion was to use the ISA 1446F Spin Surf VS3 Guide system.

I would like to try the static system as suggested by many on this site, and I have utilized it in the past when given the appropriate number and size of guides from a local dealer. This project however will be a total new build where I purchase the components separately and therefore do not have the assistance of someone behind the counter picking out the guide sizes and the quantity.

Thank you very much to everyone who's given me great advice. I appreciate all the Aloha.

T

I'm sure Karry gave you a good recommendation and the blank will work fine for spinning. The fact that they don't list spinning guides in their placement chart is probably because most people set it up casting; but it will work great for spinning with the VS3 guides stepping down to F guides toward the end. Look up the article on New Concept spacing and have at it.

Tolan,
We can't help much if we don't know the particulars and at best could only guess at the guides and spacing, these things really have to be done by you to be done right.
Without model and brand info and the diameter of the reel's lip we can't even begin to help.
It may be that Batson has never built that blank in the spinning configuration and therefore can't recommend something.

Tolan - the fact that they don't list specifications for a particular model of rod in a spinning application has nothing to do with their confidence in their blanks. In fact, they guarantee everything they make and are one of the best about making god on a failed rod.

Your "concern" is totally unwarranted.

Part of the craft of rodbuilding involves trying things that haven't been done before or are not commonlyp done. That means you actually have to try it yourself. All we are saying is that a call to Batson might be your best bet for recommendations about their own rods, what might work best for you, or, if you want to press the point with that particular blank, how to best set it up for what you want to do. They do, after all, carry a complete line of components to make a rod.

There might not be a quick "formula" for this rod, in which case follow what Batson says and, as they say, "just build it".

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods

When I wrap rods this length, running guide sizes depend on line used. For extra heavy duty rods I use size 12-16 running guides when using 65-150lb braid. For the particular blank you will be using, I would use size 7-8 single foot fly guides for the running guides and then use the formula for the new guide concept set-up to determine the other guides from the reel spool to the intersecting point. More info from you would probably be needed. I have this same blank to be my next build for light surf fishing the sandy shores of Oahu, Hawaii. I will be wrapping with eight or nine sized 7 TLSG and have not yet mated the 4000FD Stella to the rod to determine the other guide placements. Line will be 14-30lb powerpro.

Toland,
While the static method is the best way to set up your guides, I don't think that the manufacturers use that method. They wouldn't have any way to know what reel was going to be used ( One of the reasons we custom builders can do a better job than the big rod makers). They would have to try and set it up using a "middle of the road" approach. Something that would work with many reels for the type of rod being built. With that being said, the static method uses the reel to decide the size of the stripper guide and the placement of the choker guide. So the number of running guides is based on the length of the blank alone as the choker would be in exactly the same place on a 9' blank or a 12' blank. So what I am saying is that the guide size for a 9-foot blank would be the same as for a 12-foot blank. So find another blank that is comparable in line-weight and power and use that recommended guide size while just adding more running guides. Using the foumula of the length of the blank plus one and you should need 13 guides. This is not intended in any way to replace or add to what the static method recommends. It is the right way and this is only meant to try and give you a starting point on size and number of guides using some of my twisted, brought up in the sixties, logic.
Check out the guide size on this 10'6" Rainshadow blank:

ISA1266F Oly. Grn./M. Clr. 10'6" 2 12-25 lb. 5" 11" 18" 26" 36" 47" 59" 72" 85"
spinning 07(vd) 07(vd) 08(vd) 08(vd) 10(vd) 12(vd) 16(vd) 20(vd) 30(vd)

This blank is the same power and line rating as the blank you wanted to use, just shorter. The distances aren't going to be right but you could just adjust the distances based on adding another 18" and then do your deflection tests. Not perfect but it would put you in the ballpark.
Don't give up on this project! You can still get good results without having a specific chart to go by. Just improvise. If it looks good it probably is.
Good Luck
Lynn