Hey fellas got 2 questions:

On heavy freshwater and light inshore baitcasting rods, do you prefer to use a 16 or 20 stripper guide on a 400 or 6500 size reel?

As for line index, how do you want the line to flow through the guides? That is to say, what is the position of the line in reference to the ring from stripper to tip?

Example, do you want the line to contact the stripper ring at top dead center or no contact at all etc?

Thanks!

I assume you mean the butt guide, not stripping guide. Baitcasting reel, correct?

On a very wide spool I might use the 20 ring, while on the standard or narrow spool I'd almost always use a 16 or 12.


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I prefer using teh smallest guide which will keep the line off the blank. If a conventional levelwind reel can have a size 6 opening, the stripper guide can be a heck of a lot smaller than the "standard". I've used size 12's on rods which I use Shimano Trinidad 14 reels. As long as the guide is highenough to prevent the line form hitting the grip/blanks, tehre's no problem casting. I only use braid, and I do have knots pass through the guides - 65# braid and 50# Mono with the leader being 15-20'.

Thanks Tom and Billy for the replies.

Tom, can you give me a reference point what you mean by wide, standard/narrow spools in terms of reel size(s)?

Billy, so what you are saying is to use the smallest butt guide that will keep the line off the blank/grip while the rod is under load, right? Some of the rods I plan on building will also use braid/mono combos but much shorter lengths, less than 10 feet.

So let me ask then, if the line off the reel is "trapped" in the butt guide, that is the line is at top dead center but is bent slightly while it travels to the next guide, do either of you think that can contributed to any **noticeable** affect to casting performance? Or is that what you mean Billy?

For isntance, I mounted a Calcutta TE300 on a GLoomis ProBlue and noticed if I didn't pass the line thru the butt guide but thru the remaining running guides, the line would sit about 3mm above the butt guide. How it affects the performance I have no clue, but I am a little curious about the line bending going thru the butt guide and then the running guides.

OR to put it bluntly, am I overthinking this A LOT?! LOL!

You can do one of two things. Move the guide forward until the line is inside the guide (as long as it's not too far out) or use a high frame guide.

A higher frame guide will help but most of the time on any casting rod the line touches the TOP of the butt guide ring. Reference the top roller on the butt roller of those type HD rods. And if it is OK on those, it will be AOK on all the other casting or conventional type rods. You would be hard pressed to ever get the line to sit at the bottom of the butt guide ring until you really put a good bend in the rod.

Will, I know what you're saying. I don't know the MAnu of teh rods you are wrapping, but the ones I build on they usually bend pretty far down teh blank, so teh line touching the striper guidfe isnt a problem. I also spiral wrap almost everything, which never has this problem, but on straight guide set ups often what you say happens. As long as the line touches when teh rod is flexed, you're good.

Fair enough fellas, all the reason and suggestions make sense.

Just wondering if how much more performance I can actually squeeze outta the rod by tweeking the little stuff.

Thanks!