I am not an expert at anything, but everything i take an interest in I try to learn as much and be as good at it as I can. Thats why I am in this fourm. IF I wear my welcome out say so.
this rod is 7' ML, rated for 1/2 to 3/4 oz lures, 17# test line, my guides are fuji new concept, 12,10,8,7,7,and 6,6,6,6 plus 6 tip
from what i can figure there are three types of sprials people refer to.
my first 8 and 7 guides were off set to put me on the bottom for the second 7 and on,
don't ask who made the rod, i wrote the info down before putting the handle on but not the model of mfg. (real smart) plus i bought it last year at the expo and my memory don't go back that far.

my first cast test was with a storm thunder stick, (trying to use lures that i will use fishing)
average cast was around 100' give or take a few ft. over several cast.
my second cast test was a 3/4oz jig head, with nothing on it. I hit the brush pile at the end of my yard, 120' and probably got another 10 or 15 ft. if brush pile were not there.

I have no clue what or if there is an average or standard that is looked for. But almost everyone I fish with can out cast me by 20 to 30' our equipment is close to the same and most of the time we are using the same type of lure. so i figure its me. So this rod for someone else will probably do better.

righ now the one thing i will change is the handle, I used a trigger reel seat and a 8" cork grip, using both hands the bottom hand is out of room, so next one will get a longer handle.

your opinions on what i have done are welcome, good or bad, plus someone explain the different types of spirals. Please.

The reel is a MAJOR factor in distance. Take your reel off, get you buddy to take his off and try your rod with his reel and see what the casting distance is. From your numbers, I'd say you are a little short. During a distance discussion a couple years ago while snowed in from fishing several of us took our outfits out into the cold and compared how far we could all cast with a 3/8oz lead head jig with no skirt. I believe the averages were about 130ft with 7' rods.

The Thunderstick is a 5/8oz lure and you should be getting better than 100ft.

It may not be your rod and probably isn't. (I was not at the expo)

DR

duane, my good reels are at the lake, the only thing i had here is an acadia casting reel, and a flueger not worth a crap. If i get the chance and its dry enough (finish) i am gonna give it a lake test sat. morning.

Jim;
Apart from reducing the size of the guides. The one thing I see by your numbers is that you've started too late to make the transition. I start by offsetting my first guide, others prefer to have the first guide top dead center then start with the next guide. I haven't seen a rod were the builder waited until the third guide to start offsetting them. This could be your problem.

steve, my biggest problem is impatience. this rod was started as a regular casting rod. I had already put finish on the first two guides when it occured to me to test my guide spacing,
(cart before horse) since i had never used guides this low. I did not like what i saw and decided what the hey, I will try something different. I was aware that i waited too long to start transition, with the results i got, if i do it the way you suggest i should really see some improvement. I will probably fish with this one, give it to a friend that won't know the difference, or hang it on the wall as a reminder. Of course i could tear it down and do over, its a shame cause from a cosmetic stand point its very nice to look at. but thats only part of the equation.

Jim,

Come by here again one day and I'll take a look at your rod and let you try some of my spirals. I have a couple different types and you can get a feel for what you prefer.

.................

why not turn this into a broader learning expierence. since its obvious my first two quides are not in the right place i took them off. amazing how the cp keeps the epoxy from getting to the blank,
i will put them back where they should have been in the first place.
Since i know the distance with them wrong, this will give me a good grasp of how much improvement the right way makes.
thanks for the advice,
I am still interested in if there is some kind of general rule of thumb for distances on different blanks, i know the reel will make a big difference but records have been kept i am sure on the results some of you have obtained. I understand if this is trade secret stuff, just curious.

Tom, i will try and get by first week of jan. 5th thru 9th. and if this rod is complete i will try and be brave enough to let you see it.

Thanks to all of you for your help.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/25/2008 04:34PM by Jim Creed.

Jim,
I don't know if maximum or even average distance is a very good predictor of rod performance. Consider this: at what distance can you effectively set the hook? Well, that depends on the type of line (mono or braid) and the type of terrain (open water or matted grass). My experience is that most all rods will cast well beyond the distance it takes to set the hook. Now, yes we need to be able to cast somewhat beyond our target and work a lure back to where the fish is but, nonetheless, I can't set a hook on a bass at more than 50 feet when fishing a worm or jig on mono. Crankbaits may need to throw a little further as they can set themselves. I don't think I could set a hook on a topwater bait at 100 feet even if I was using braid. The point I'm trying to make is that distance is relative to what we're doing. I try to focus more on accuracy and stability. Test casting, to make sure the line moves smoothly through the guides without slap or pile up and stress distribution to make sure I'm keeping things evened out to protect the rod and stabilize the fight. Then I look at distance. Can I effectively fish it at the distance I'm casting? If the answer is yes then I go fishing, if not, I'll double check my setup and if it's okay I'll usually take a look at the reel as Duane mentioned. Most reels can be fine tuned to get you an extra 10 to 20 feet or so.
Don't get me wrong, get the distance you can but don't dwell on a maximum unless you're going into a casting competion or something.
BTW, I've built rods that I could only cast so far and allowed friends to use them and seen them cast them much, much farther. So, it does have something to do with the angler too but don't get discouraged, there's alot more to high performance than just distance.