It makes sense to me to set guides based on the reel we use, if we expect to use the same reel over time or if we only want to use the rod during the life of the reel.

but most of my rods out live my reels or sometimes I switch reels on the same rod for different conditions. The guides will no longer be optimum and could be way off if reel design changes over time, etc.

could we be better off using some average reel diameters to place the guides? Is there anyway to get those averages? Do the big rod factories do this?

thanks for considering this

JayW

You're free to do anything you want. Generally, a specific rod is built for a relatively specific size reel. That's what custom building is all about - dialing things in to specific use, size, user, etc. So unless you switch to a vastly different sized reel (one that is likely all out of proportion to the rod), your guides aren't going to be way off just by switching reels.

If you wanted, you could obtain an average by selecting the size reel you normally use on a specific rod, then visiting your local fishing shop and measuring the spool diameter of all the reels in that general size range.

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

Think of it this way Jay. Every rod has some optimum performance based on the reel, line rating and type, lure wt., person casting the rod, etc., and by definition every other combination of those things is going to be somewhere less than that optimal performance. But in the real fishing world, you can't dwell on just the optimal, you have to consider a range of conditions you want that rod to perform well under. So just design your rod accordingly. Your idea of taking average spool sizes is one way to do that. It would be the rare fisherman who always used the exact same reel, lure, and line on a particular rod, unless you're a pro tournament fisherman and only fish with 30 pre-rigged rods in the boat.

Jay - what you are asking is how I build all the time. My guide sizes/spacing for a rod are based on the average size reel and heaviest line I expect to be used on the rod.

Optimum design is great, but I guess I'm just too practical. When I make 50 casts on my measured test cast field, and difference between the casting distance of an "optimum" layout and "good average" guide layout is generally 5-8 feet, it's not worth sweating.

On a somewhat humorous note...

I built a friend an sc68mxf as a spinning rod for casting jigs to smallmouth bass. To my amazement he strapped on the equivalent of a 4000 size reel with 15 pound line, tied on a 3/8ths jig and let her rip. That jig sailed out there a good long ways and he whistled as it hit the water.

"Man! This rod casts a mile!" he said.

I said if he was impressed with the rod now, he should try it out later with a 2000 to 2500 size reel, some braid or 10 pound line and then see what happens. Hehe...he hasn't seen anything yet.

So, my little moral is: a rod set up with basic principles of good design in place, like 27x, is going to make a very good-casting rod even if it might do better with the 'perfect' reel.