im going to be making a 7'10 swimbait rod throwing large swimbaits... will there be any issues with the rod if i put micros on due to the heavier lures i will be tossing? or does that even matter?

'Large swimbaits' can be a relative term, noting that some swimbaits weigh in excess of 10 ounces. I am also assuming we are talking bass fishing.

All of my swimbait builds have either 3.5 or 4.0 Fuji micros and the heaviest action Swimbait rod to date is rated from 2-10 ounces. To date there have been no issues with the micros so my conclusion is that is doesn't matter. I would recommend a regular tip verses a smaller 'split tip" which would be problematic.

Bobby Feazel

[www.shockwaverods.com]

Conventional wisdom will not open the box.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/2009 11:13PM by Bobby Feazel.

i plan on using it for more muskie fishing than bass fishing, throwing swimbaits 4 to about 9 ounces. i would also like to use it for big cowgirls...

Ryan,

I have several musky rods with 6mm flys as running guides and they perform well, but I have noticed the fragility of them, I dont think I'd go micro with a musky rod even if it were my own. The 6mm seems to be about the smallest that I'd personally go.

DR

As far as durability goes...the small profile of the micros seems to keep them out of harm's way......."hiding" behind the blank. After using the micros those big ol' 6s and 8s (heaven forbid) just seem to get hung on everything.

Good topic and the correct answers may prove beneficial to all who think the the "little small micros" - guides smaller than a five mm ring" - are fragile and will be harmed by use on fishing rods.

The bulders using or thinking about using these guides build conventional all on top or spiral rods for many uses. Lets think about the issues related to the single foot fly guide. If we ignore the size of the ring, knot passage, and look only at those things that bend, break, distort, pull out, ring pop or cause mechanical damage of the guide sizes normally chosen we should be able to come up with a list of those things that cause the failure. Does anyone have a specific reason for damages to a six or larger ring guide that contributes to failure? Think about it - if you can think of things that gives the larger guide a distinct advantage over the smaller guide related to durability or strength please share them it with all.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/06/2009 08:48AM by Bill Stevens.

Bill,

The fragility of them that I mentioned above is NOT the guides fault, it's the user's. Musky rods get banged down onto aluminum gunnels and such, and just knocked about-spiral wrapped can mean guide and gunnel meet. The shorter foot of the micro's doesn't leave a lot of thread to hold them in place, even with locking wraps. The longer length foot (not height) of the 6mm makes for a guide that's harder to knock around, just my take on it.

DR

Duane-It sounds like you suspect that the small guides will be a problem-not that you have actually found them to be.

i really wish there was a more certain answer here.... :(

Ryan-Bobby answered your question about lure weight...it won't matter. You did not mention line choice-if you are using mono or braid straight to the lure and have no knots to pass then anything under a 5 ring should work. He recommended a non-modified tip-good idea I think for powerful fish like muskies. That's about the best we can do knowing what you have told us.

Ryan,
To echo what Chris is saying the guides will be fine for the actual FISHING use. It sounds to me that Duane is more concerned with the abuse the rod and guides will take than any effects during fishing. If that is the case it is a personal decision based on how you or your customer is likely to treat the equipment. I am personally very hard on my rods....between my guide eating rod tubes on my ranger and my bad habit of clutering the deck up with to many rods I had a history of needing to replace at least one guide almost every tournament when I was using size 6's. Now that I am using size 3 Batson's I have still had to replace a few this season from bending, stepping, etc. but it has been nowhere near as commong. I have NOT had a single failure that is actually related to fishing though....only me abusing my gear.

I have not however had ANY customer issues that I am aware of this seaon...they must be nicer on their gear since they had to drop the coin :-).

Scott Sheets
www.smsrods.com

Dr. - Please consider the actual force applied to knock a guide loose -lateral forces are transferred and multiplied by a longer moment arm for the larger guides - the shorter the moment arm on the frame of a smaller guide reduces the actual forces at the point of attachment - take a close look at some of the new designs now available - longer feet, frame scoring, spade foot, tunnel shape.

I don't know Jack about muskie fishing - what # test line & do they use braid? - do they get hung up - do they jerk and pull to get lures loose? Do they step on rods laying in the bottom of the boat? Are wind knots a problem? A smaller guide frame on inshore charters and in the hands of a bass fisherman is proving to be more durable than a larger guide in the same service.

They may even be more resistant to knock around damage than larger guides. Time will certainly tell.

thank you guys so much!

if its not too much to ask, what sizes and how many guides should i use for a build of this type from reel to rod tip?

price wise im looking to spend for mid to mid-upper level components. so what micros do you recommend?

(i am not too concerned about the rod getting beat up a lot, dont do a whole lot of muskie fishing thru out the year. also plan on using 50# braid. non wrap around/spiral build.)

i appreciate the help guys!

Jon please use the Control Center at the top of the page and unhide your email address.

I build the rod you are describing for use with 50 # braid

At present there are more than one viable choice of gudes

Or use the Contact Us Button at:

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And arrange a telephone call.

Bill,

I understand what you're saying, I really do. But I know what I have seen. The 5-10oz lures that are thrown all day long, the rough treatment, the 80lb braided line, all work on working these guides loose-er than they should be. They can just eventually break free. Simple as that.

DR