Twisting up a Seeker 6470XH acid rod and I am looking for recommendations on a 70lb Titanium frame guide. I really like the Fugi Surf Master but it's only rated at 35# and this rod will be used to fish 50-60#. Any ideas, other than the turbos (which are my last resort due to their overly high frames).

I don't understand - you're saying teh Amtak Titan Turbo's re too high for your tastes, but what I assume is the Fuji Low Riders, which are a high frame Spinning guide are what you are looking for?

FWIW - you can fish 50-60# with Fuji BMNAG or MNSg's, without a problem at all. I'm not saying those are teh right guides for that blank, but the guides that have ratings such as "35#" is pretty riduclous.

I use BMNAG, MNSG and ICMNSG guides on rods that never see anything but 50-65# line - no issues at all, season after season.

On that blank ... no idea what would be appropriate. I am sure some of the heavy saltwater guys will chime in and make some suggestions.

Hi Larry,

Take a look at our new Virtus Ringlock guides. They are totally new and ideal for a spiral wrap rod. If you are concerned about strength our heavy frame titanium guides are absolutely bullet proof.

- Frames comprised of solid titanium alloy (or SS316 material)
- Titanium frames are 100% corrosion proof
- Titanium frames are up to 60% lighter then stainless
- Titanium frames offer frames with increased flexibility
- Split front leg design adds lateral stability
- Recessed ring design protecting ceramic from impact
- Ringlock press-fit ring system with larger glue reservoir preventing ring loss
- Shorter foot print with increased flexibility (as opposed to an elongated frame design)
- Thicker gauge material adds strength and prevents crushing and deformation
- Two series covering inshore to 20-60# & offshore to 40-80# line ratings
- Available in our hard Nanolite ring, the equivalent to SiC (far superior to Alconite)

I am believe they are the best guides made and will hold up to your requirements, hope you consider them as an option.

Best Regards,

Darrin Heim
American Tackle Company

Billy the Fugi Low Riders look as though they sit nice and low and either the Fugi or Amtak turbos are both high. As it's an acid rod most of the strain will be on the top half of the guide similar to a spinning rod, but I need the strength to fish 50#. The Tital ring lock is another good looking guide, but I have wrapped with these and would never fish 50# with them, they are simply too light. All said and done, I will probably be stuck with the Tital boat guide.

Why can't you fish 50# with them? What can happen to teh guide? What's teh differencve between 20# & 50#, or 80#?

Larry -

The Fuji guides (BMNAG, MNSG and ICMNSG) can most definitely handle the strain. I build tarpon rods with them and watch extremely strong guys at 250#, and up, pull back on 150-175# fish with ALL their power. This is with top-of-the-line $700-800 saltwater spinning reels with the drags completely locked down. These reels can express 55-99#, of max drag using 50-65# braided line with 80# leader ... NO PROBLEMS AT ALL.

Guide durability, with the choices listed, is not going to be the Achilles Heel of the build you have described.

Jim -

For the sake of argument and to prove a point, take a set of BNLGs for example or better yet TLNSGs (light framed), tape them on and see if you can ever even come close to distorting the frames. I personally built 3 rod with the simplest, lightest casting frames there were from three differing brands. NONE of the 3 after being beat up on a party boat for a season being fished with 80# braid on a locked down drag (pushing 30-35# of drag) had any frame distortion whatsoever. I had one or two rings lost, but the frames were physically well intact. These were with stainless frames, and you are talking about titanium frames.

Titanium is also much much stronger as well as lighter than stainless steel.

Even NICs (American Tackle) would work exceptionally well for your application. You simply are not going to distort the frames. The frames I just mentioned a second ago may be a little small looking on that blank, but they will work just fine.

ICMNSGs would be a better fit I believe in terms of aesthetics.

Fuji LN's are not very hard to bend and distort. I'ev stopped using them on any Party BOat rods, because they do not last very long at all - and these are on my own rods where I try to not beat them up too badly. THe guide feet are so short that if the guide is hit hard enough, the foot can (and has, on several occasions) slipped out from under the guide wraps. FOr me, that LN is the second worse frame FUji made, the first by a landslide are the UN's.

Good to know, as I havent used the LN frames, but I have used standard casting frames, none of which have had any sort of problems.

After reading this again and without knowing the exact application of the rod, I would say the Virtus Lites would be perfect for this build. I have used the standard style of stainless casting guides with heavier lines with success and many of the guides mentioned would work as well (I wouldn't recommend the NIC's though). However, the Virtus lites will provide a lighter weight heavy duty guide that will flex with the blank and will not be limited in line size at all.

Best Regards,

Darrin Heim
American Tackle Company

I just got a set of Virtus Ringlock heavy guides for a standup 50-80# nice looking guides they should easily hold 80# or more. I think many people drastically over estimate the amount of drag they are pulling not many people are going to standup for long periods with 50# and over short periods yes but not long term, not long enough to damage guide frames.