So whats the deal with the new micro guides now.... I have not fished with a rod which had them... Maybe this is something new I need. LOL Seems there are several rods at bass pro with them now

Hey Casey, Micros have been out for a while and in stores for a decent amount of time but now with the improvements in the reliability of the guides more and more production companies are building with them. There are a ton of posts on here about micro rods, run a search and you'll find plenty to read.

The biggest benefits in my book would be,

-Lighter Rod
-More sensitive
-Less of an effect on rod action compared to heavier guides

and I'm sure others will post up with more, Enjoy.

Tight Lines and Bull's-eyes,

Get Bit Outdoors
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Your best bet is to always use the proper size guides - the smallest guides that will still easily pass your line and any require connections and hold up to the task at hand.

Sometimes this means using what is termed a "micro guide." Other times it will be something larger.

Just sticking micro guides on a rod because you think it's the "in" thing may result in disappointment.

.............

For most of the bass rods I make now, I am using mostly micro guides. On a casting rod, the biggest guide I am using is a 5 or 6. On spinning rods, well you still need to work your way down to the micro guides. One thing I see the first time someone casts a rod that I have reworked into casting guides, they have to adjust how they cast that rod. That is if they used any kind of motion to cast the lure that was not directly overhead. So if they are casting with their right hand and have the rod a some angle, the lure tends to go more to the left of the target. With less weight acting on the rod, the tip is moving quicker and you have to adjust your release point to make the cast go where you want it.

Casey :

Swampland Tackle:

1. Provides a stock of Amtak, Batson, Fuji and Kigan micro guides/tops and a wide assortment of blanks/components.

2. Not only do we sell the micro concept but we builds Signature Lines of Micro Rods for fishing guides, professional anglers and tournament fishermen.

3. Distribute written and oral instructions for technique specific bass and inshore rods using micro guides to customers.

Detailed answers to questions on Internet Forums may not provide all the answers to the question you have.

We have invested the past three years into the development of better fishing tools for anglers.

Micro guides when properly used provide many benefits to casting and spinning rods.

Invest a few minutes of your time by using the Contact Us Link at Swampland Tackle for personal consultation.

It may change the way you build and use fishing rods.

[www.swamplandtackle.com]



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 08/18/2011 12:45PM by Bill Stevens.

Not a huge fan of the micro's just my personal opinion, find the line on a spinning rod seems to get tangled too often.

Well how do that do on a casting application.... At first thought I would assume they would decrease casting distance...

Any truth to that???

Jay,

What blank? what guides? what situation (applicaiton) what reel?

Casey,

decrease??? have you tried them?? give em a shot and you may be shocked!!

Tom

With a casting rod and all #3 micros and using braided line you will have less problems. Using all micros eliminates issues with wind knots, they control the line better off the reel. I have used the same setup with mono and I have no problems. I really didn't test for casting distance, but when I made 2 rods out of the same blank, one with micros and one with more standard guides, there was virtually no difference in casting performance. I feel the one with micro guides though was eaiser to use overall, with less weight holding back the rod during the cast, it takes less effort to make the cast. You use less energy making the cast, meaning you will be able to make more casts in the day. Also I feel you are mor accurate with your casts because you are not having to put as much effort into the cast itself. One thing you will have to learn, at least I did for the crankbait rod I use, is a different release point for the lure. With the rod coming through the cast so much quicker, I was throwing most of my crankbaits to the left of the target. Once I figered the new release point, everything works great.

Jay your observation is correct in many cases -

Wrong guides will result in poor performance as stated in Tom Kirkman's post above.

And the converse is true - the right guides will provide increased performance -

Micro guides can also be used on spinning rods to provide advantages -

If you change line types, reels and lure weights using the same spinning rod consider one of the alternatives.

Take a close look - [www.rodbuilding.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2011 09:29AM by Bill Stevens.

interesting... I may have to give them a try on a build