I am just getting in to spiral's on bass rods, and wondering wich method you guys prefer?

Thanks!

Marc

What is a "slow spiral?"


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Do you have the Rod Builder mags that have the articles. If not get them. [www.rodmakermagazine.com]

Bill - willierods.com

Marc,
I personally prefer - what you refer to as a slow spiral - i.e. more than one guide to get the line from the top to the bottom of the rod.
It seems to me that I simply get better overall rod and line action by the use of more than one guide to get the line from the top to the bottom of the rod.

However, a simple spiral will work just fine. It is mostly personal preference.

Good luck
Roger

Tom Kirkman Wrote:
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> What is a "slow spiral?"
45 & 135 degree transitions spaced similar (if not longer) than normal guide spacing, putting the first 180 just behind the blank's shut-off. We had a local shop that used to do this on long Steelhead blanks used for surf perch. I've seen it on longer Jig (Iron) sticks too.

I like Rich Forhan's 60/120 "Revolver" on my faster casting rods.

Mark Griffin
[]
C&M Custom Tackle
San Dimas, California



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/2009 12:17PM by Mark Griffin.

The Simple Spiral doesn't use any guides to get the line to the bottom of the rod - it simply allows the line to go where it wants to go if you'll simply let it. There are no transition guides on a Simple Spiral. You may, however, use a "Bumper" guide in-between the first 2 guides (0 and 180) to keep the line from rubbing the blank as it makes its way to the bottom.

The Revolver/Roberts type spiral wrap (which is excellent and time proven) utilizes transition guides to guide the line as it moves to the bottom of the rod. The space of the transition can take place in just a few inches or foot or more. Most of the ones I've done this way take place within about a foot or so.

The O'Quinn Spiral, which many surf casters prefer and what I suppose some would refer to as a "slow spiral" uses a very long distance from the 0 axis guide to a guide that finally all the way under the rod on the 180 degree axis. The others are placed in-between in such a way that the line travels a very straight path. The transition can take 2 to 3 feet, or more.


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I used static guide placement on my spiral wraps to see how the line transitions and in doing this and moving the guides around, it always comes closer to a slow spiral(45&135) rather than a forhan spiral(60%120). I'm sure it changes for every rod and where you place the stripper guide. The folks I've built them for like two trainsitionguideson their spiral over the simple spiral with one bumper guide, I'm sure it's purely for looks though.

I have been doing spiral guides since 1998 or 1999 (CRS!). After using all three main methods I prefer the "bumper" or simple by far. They all work but the bumper is a lot easier for me to setup. It is working fine with micro guides too (well down to 3.5 size Fuji's) The material from Rod Maker is excellent at explaining each method so you can read up on all of them. By the way the rods I did several years ago (Forhan and "slow") work well so I see no need to redo them but I have converted a couple of the rods to micro guides and used the bumper method. I see little if any difference in performance with either method.

So mine must be a "fast spiral". I static test the upper section, the last guide becomes my 1st 180, flex the heck out of the blank and integrete two low profile boat guides spaced where ever the line touches the bottom of the ring coming off the reel to the 1st 180 - the 0 guide is offset about 10-15 degrees, the whatever guide is 100-120 degrees or so, and the line is straight as a string to the bottom.

I just did a 9ft bunker spoon troller for bass and used 0-60-120-180 It will run wire and I like the way it flows thru Fuji HBNNG's for the first three and then BH's the rest of the way.
I did my way. I didn't want any issues with the wire hitting the blank on the turn. I think I built something in between . I'm experimenting and having fun doing it.