I am building my first two crankbait rods on RainShadow E-Glass blanks (GCB710MH & GCB70MH). I was reading the Static Guide Placement in the library. Great read, but I have one question.

In the write up, it says "You should already have some idea where the butt or stripping guide is going to be located". How do i get to that point? What are the steps I need to take to determine the location of the butt or stripping guide?

Tony Wilson
Cincinnati Ohio

Tony,
Measure the distance from the positioned reel seat to the rod tip.
Multiply this measurement by .71. This will be a starting location from the tip to the stripper guide.
May be adjusted as required.

Eugene Moore

The article was from a series done in the magazine where butt guide placement was already discussed.

Percentage formulas using rod length for butt guide placement don't work well as the criteria for proper placement has nothing to do with rod length.

Until you've had time to read more, I'd suggest taking commercially made rods and using the same general butt guide placement found on those on similar rods you're building. Ultimately you'll find that reel width and rod flex will determine the best location for butt guide placement, which can be altered depending on guide size and height.

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Tony,

Try this, and see how it works out. With casting reels, I place all of the guides using static placement. I start at the tip and work back, adding one guide at a time, and placing them so the line will just touch the top of the blank between each pair of guides, when under load. What I find when working with bass rods and low profile reels, is that placing the guides in this manner puts the butt guide somewhere in the neighborhood of 22"-24" from the reel face. This is typically a couple inches more than what you will find on most factory rods, but I'm also using smaller guides (3mm-6mm) than what you will find on normal factory rods. My results have been very favorable with this type of placement.

For spinning rods, I start with the 27x method to place the choker and reduction guides, and then static placement to place the running guides.

The bottom line is that casting rod setups seem pretty forgivable to guide placement. After all, much of the line taming is taken care of by your thumb and the braking mechanisms of the reel. All you really need to do is make sure you have enough guides on the rod spaced in a manner that allows the blank to perform well under load, and you are in good shape. A few small tweaks when test casting may net you a tad more distance.

There are a few other things to consider when working with gear suited for large game fish, but those issues rarely arise with typical modern bass equipment.

Joe

Joe Vanfossen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> With casting
> reels, I place all of the guides using static
> placement. I start at the tip and work back,
> adding one guide at a time, and placing them so
> the line will just touch the top of the blank
> between each pair of guides, when under load.


I thought I was the only one that static tested from the tip back (on spiral wraps). With the front end set and the blank heavily stressed, I find it easier to place and fully load the rest of the guides.

If you have not yet, check out the library page upper right . Several how toooo,s

Bill - willierods.com

On most rods 24-25 inches is usually a good starting place, depending on the stripper guide size. Spinning rods are not as critical as bait casting. Usually a good starting point though.