i am building a Casting Worm Rod on a RX8 rod blank for a gentleman and i was wondering which of the 2 would be the best choice for using braided line and fishing a Texas Rig......
thanks again
Richard

Either would I think. I use Alconites without any problems for braid.

i also use Alconites on almost all my personal rod's. this gentlemen was wanting a sensitive rod and was asking about what type of guides would be good for added sensitivity......do you think the Alconites would be a good choice rather than the expensive other 2 i mentioned...he says money isn't a problem i just want to make him a good rod...and oh by the way...do you think $50 labor to much to charge people for building a rod? i had been adding ($25 for the labor )to the price after i get their components gathered up..but i thought it wouldn't hurt to raise it to $50.00...don't get me wrong i am not trying to make a living at it...i might build 20 rods a year..lol

You know what you are getting with fuji....including the price. I used amtak's virtus lights on the last two rods and thought they were nice. It is nice to have choices and all of the big brands have something wothwhile.

So I'd say the bigger thing is size and style of guide. I'm considering fly rod guides where I would have used a double foot guides in the past.

i have been reading a lot hee lately about the Micro Guides being used on casting rods...i have never tried them but i am like you concening the fly od guides in place of the double foot guides...

You won't have an issue with either. As to sensitivity ... titanium fly guides. Less weight = higher sensitivity.

I wouldn't worry a bit about single footed fly guides - I put them on a personal tarpon build just for giggles. Guess what?? No problems at all. You would be amazed at what modern guides and blanks can do in the hands of an experienced angler.

As to $50.00 labor being "too much" ... that is a personal decision. What is your time and skill worth? Once you decide, price your work accordingly.

Jim -

1. $50 is bargain basement. What does that work out to per hour? (You have to factor in the time talking to your client, ordering parts, planning stuff out, talking to him when you are delivering the rod - in addition to your actual build time.)
2. If money is truly no object, Fuji titanium would be the lightest. Sometimes by 25-35% compared to other titanium of like design. However, there are no bad guides in today's market. Every company makes great guides.

Mo



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/2010 01:09AM by Mo Yang.

Hi Richard,

I’ll bet you can guess what guides I would use…….

Well if you are still wondering, I would go with the Titan Ring Locks. I am sure the others are fine but the Ring Locks offer solid titanium frames with outstanding Nanolite inserts which reduce mass/weight, add impact resistance, and are braid proof as well. They cost more then the stainless frames mentioned but they are certainly less expensive then the other titanium frames considered. You get the total package for less money without sacrificing anything. Since these guides are featured on some of the most expensive rods in the world and are clearly considered "high-end" enough for some of the most prominent rod brands in the industry, I would take the money saved by using the Titan Ring Locks and charge $100 for labor. I realize that you are not trying to make a living at this but your time and effort should be worth something, especially for making great guide choices.

I hope you consider using them and good luck on your build.

Respectfully,

Darrin Heim
American Tackle Company

Everything that Darrin said.

Mike Thompson
Thompson's Custom Rods

It is impossible to make anything foolproof, because fools are so ingenious!

100% with Darrin on this one. I actually love the ring lock design in every guide they have it in. I have personally tried (unsuccesfully) to pop a ring out in every way shape or form. What it ended up taking to do so was a whack with a hammer to a block of wood with the guide between. If you are simply fishing, it is literally impossible to pop these rings out, something a few of my previous clients had issues with although I'm still not sure what they were banging the rods on to do this. They simply don't just pop out on their own.