Some custom rodbuilders question the performance principles of "micro rods".
Tommy Martin, a winner of the Bassmasters Classic and professional angler, who now markets a personal Signature Series of Micro Bass Rods, made the following statement.
There is one reason alone that makes the use of a micro rod "a no brainer" for tournament fisherman!
Why do you think he made that statement?
The same answer applies to the use of the Microwave guide system for spinning rods.
Sales of the Castaway Microwave guide system have been brisk and comments from initial users are complimentary.
I asked Doug Hannon the inventor of the guide to make an official statement which describes design features and set up measurements that will aid custom builders in the use of the guide system.
Here is the total content of Doug Hannon's email.
To: Bill Stevens - Swampland
...
My savvy on the new age social networking aspects is not good, probably because of both my equipment and me, so I will answer you, and ask you to post in my name and let me know how the response is.
Here is what I have to say:
First know that I started working with the MicroWave concept back in the1980's, and the process of invention goes slowly for me, because I rely on a lot of tedious prototyping and encumbered further by being a "Dreamer". I worked all the way from sets of 5 inter-related rings down to the present two. I found the distance between the primary stripper and the exit guide ring, not the actual number of rings involved in getting in-and-out, to be critical to casting distance. Once through the eye of the needle, nothing else seemed to matter, except to aesthetically align the transition guides for a relatively gentle transit of the line to the rod blank. I settled on a high frame 30 mm stripper with the secondary ring a distance of 8 mm in front of the primary and a secondary-exit ring size of 8 mm. Any more primary-to-secondary separation started to compromise the casting distance, by creating ballooning (instead of draw tight straight as seen in the high speed photos) of the line between the primary and secondary rings. I even made a snap-in silver insert to the 8 mm secondary and tried hole sizes down to a tiny and scary 1.5 mm, with no loss in distance. This is because the line is pulled (not pushed) through the secondary, and any hole large enough to feed the line works. Solution: 8 mm, which is small enough so that centrifugal component can't reform a helix and fight the pull of the lure, yet small enough not to scare @#$%& out of the whacko-fanatics that we all know exist among us anglers.
It is important to know that, while conventional guides produced numerous reformations of the helix wave, it is only those down-rod of the first stripper guide that make any difference. This is why you will feel virtually none of the distance-robbing line slap, when casting a MicroWave. A helix is basically a centrifugal animal, much like the difference between a tornado and a straight line wind. The helix will try to expand and can only be held in by the linear or axial (no centrifugal here) force of the cast. Without this, it would exceed "escape velocity" and expand infinitely. To expand, it must get more line, but to get it between the MicroWave stripper and the spool face is easy, as it can take it from the zero resistance open spool and doesn't need to pull back on your cast. Obviously we then need to bring the MicroWave a little closer to the spool face than normal and use a high frame to preclude this unchecked expansions from causing rod slap. This principle of MicroWave is what makes it really cool, in that the first helix coming off the spool face has no effect on your cast. Like the tornado, when it touches down is when it cranks in and starts to cause real damage. It is only after the helix grounds itself and grabs traction with the first guide that it completes contact with the guide system and can then pull back on your cast, but MicroWave is open ended and allows the line to be pulled through, not crammed into the guides, virtually eliminating friction. This is very easy to see on the Castaway Rods web site, with the high speed camera comparison I provided of MicroWave to Fuji Concept on the same blank, line, and reel, with both lines tied at the same time to the same projectile for a true side-by-side comparison. It literally represents two casts happening at the same time under identical circumstances with controll of all variables.
This is what I have found to be and know, and is why the MicroWave is so versatile and not saddled by the technical specificities and limitations of other micro guide systems involving spinning. The first 30 mm/8 mm model we came out with is usually intended for use on a 2000-4000 size reel. I find that the guide is really well behaved at a distance of approximately 10 times the diameter of the front spool face with the spool oscillated fully forward. This was an observation given me by Larry Dahlberg, who brings his own brand of insight to our sport. That would be about 20 inches, and it is important that the frame of the guide be bent backward such that the ring is as close to parallel to the front of the spool face as possible, so that the secondary ring remains centered relative to the line represented by the axis of the spool shaft. This bias has been place into the manufacture of the guide, and they are not, as are many modern guides designed to present a forward-leaning, elliptical profile to the spool face. I place the 7 mm transition guide approximately 50% further out, or about at 30 inches. Since everything is being pulled at this point, it really doesn't matter, but is seems to make a relatively smooth and pleasing transitional flow of the line.
For smaller tackle, there is coming a 24 mm/6 mm model, as wall as double foot 40 mm/10 mm and a killer surf model in 50 mm/12 mm that makes casts way out past 150 meters possible. A European carp rod model is being designed on the 50 mm model, construed to handle all the in-line tackle components involved in that fishing style.
As to distance, promises would be futile. It would like promising a man that you could put a Jarrett rifle (will put 5 five rounds on a nickel at 100 yards) in his hands and represent that he will be able to hit a nickel with any consistency at that distance. Distance is in the caster as well as the equipment. I know that, for the caster I am, I have a 7 foot medium Castaway MicroWave, a 3000 WaveSpin reel, spooled with Berkeley Fireline Crystal measured at 28 pound break, and I can consistently cast a 1/2 ounce bell sinker between 68 and 72 yards...too far for me to work my 5/8 ounce top water lures.
Doug Hannon
Now the answer Tommy Martin's statement.
Lighter tipped fishing rods - more sensitive!
Reduction of "wind knots" and line tangle.
More productive lure time in water!
More fish in boat
Bigger pay check
Same for Microwave guide on spinning rod.
Available now: [
www.swamplandtackle.com]
If you would like to arrange for a personal consultation with Doug Hannon please use the Contact Us Link on The Swampland site. Maximum benefits are derived with incorporation of the Wave Spin Reel.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/10/2011 01:48PM by Bill Stevens.
