Sorry to keep asking but I haven't used these before. Do most of you use the Forhan Lock Wrap on them or due to their lower height is there less chance of snagging them and ripping them out of the wraps?

I recommend using the Forhan locking wrap because with the feet being shorter, there is less wrap holding them to the blank. But I have cut back to using 2 follow up wraps just because I think it looks better.

Also on 2.5mm guides and smaller you can only use 2 locking wraps. Past that it tends to put the wrap right at the eye allowing epoxy to creep up onto the ring.

It all depends - if the rod is for yourself and you don't normally have a problem with guides pulling out of single wraps, then no, you may not need them at all.

However, if you're building for someone else - someone whose fishing and rod handling habits you're not totally familiar with, why not go ahead and build in all the durability you can. I would think that nothing could ruin a rod builder's reputation much more quickly than having a customer or customers telling others that your custom rods don't hold up; that they lose their guides easily. This may not be the case and usually it's rough handling that causes such a thing, but most fishermen are never going to chalk that up as the reason they lost a guide or two. I'd go ahead and use it the Forhan Wrap that reason - you don't know how that rod's going to be handled.

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Ken,

I used a locking wrap and left off the blocking wraps behind the guide. After seeing how much better the guide was held in place (before finishing) with a few locking wraps without blocking wraps, I can't see an issue with pulling the guide out, unless you have a rod locker and make some effort to do so. If, like Steve, I were building for others than myself in the bass crowd, blocking wraps would be a safe bet.

If I ever run into a problem, I'll be sure to let you guys know.

I know that Tom mentions in his book about using blocking wraps. He doesn't mention using the Forhan locking wraps. It seems to me that the idea of the blocking wrap is to put some material behind the guide to keep it from pulling out as "easily". Now, in my mind, using a few locking wraps around the guide foot should accomplish a similar task, and hold the guide down a little better than the blocking wraps alone. My question is, if using the locking wrap, is there really a lot to gain by adding a few blocking wraps? Keep in mind, I'm talking about light freshwater and bass rods here. Has anyone with a number of rods in the "wild" compared the number of guide pull outs with locking wraps with blocking wraps, vs. locking wraps with no blocking wraps? Just trying to learn the finer points of when and why we do the things we do.

Never had a guide pull out with a locking wrap and no blocking wraps. Even on a rod locker. Bent yes, pulled out, no. Regardless of entering or exiting the rod locker.

On a side note, I find the spiral wraps easier to get in and out of the rod locker. I put my rods in reel up. Having the top guides on bottom lets it slide right in.

Blocking, or security wraps, by themselves do offer some additional measure of protection against guide pull-out, but not anywhere near what the Forhan wrap does - it almost makes the guide impossible to tear off the rod. Night and day difference.


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Thanks guys!

I use one under, two locks and two blocks. These wild East Texas boys down here have yet to pull one out on 50 plus rods.

Bobby Feazel

[www.shockwaverods.com]

Conventional wisdom will not open the box.

Does PG, which I use on rods light enough for micro guides, serve to "glue" the guide in when it soaks through the thread?

Marty - what do you mean on "rods light enough for micro guides"?

Bobby Feazel Wrote:
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> I use one under, two locks and two blocks. These
> wild East Texas boys down here have yet to pull
> one out on 50 plus rods.

I do the same. No problems yet!

Chuck

I did manage to rip a guide off with a Forhan locking wrap, but it took a very special set of circumstances.
1. Lay down rod to net a fish for partner.
2. Pick up rod only to discover 1oz tungsten weight solidly wedged in rocks, and 50lb
braid wrapped around guide.
3. At same instant partner kicks trolling motor to high bypass.
When it let go it sounded like a .22 going off. I guess it goes to show that Bass fishermen, even ones who should know better can break anything.