Sorry for posting two queries back to back. I've always spaced my posts with some space so that I won't bump others off the bottom of the page too quickly.

However, need to know this pretty quickly.

For SPINNING rods, now that micros have been around for a while, when you guys select the choke guide (1st running guide), do you:

1. Use the micro as the choke guide

2. Have a slightly larger choke guide?

For example, (choke):

20, 12, (3.5), 3.5, 3.5, 3.5, 3.5, 3.5

OR

20, 12, (5.0) , 3.5, 3.5, 3.5, 3.5, 3.5

Thanks in advance for the help.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2011 08:34PM by Mo Yang.

I normally use the micro guide as the choker/first running guide. I have built one with a size 6 for the choker due to the way the rod was laid out. 99 percent of the time I use 4's for runners and the choker guide. The last one I built was a Batson ISP783F 6'6" spinning rod and used a cut down tennessee style split grip (see my pictures). I used the following guides: BYAG 16, 8, then 4's to the tip. The reel spool on that rod has a small diameter and due to the thin tennessee grip I was able to use a 16 for the butt guide. I normally start with a 20 and also normally use 3 guides before my choker, like 20, 12, 8 or 6 then micros.

David Dosser
Coshocton, OH

The choke guide is the first of the running guides. So in both your instances above, your choke guide would be a 3.5, albeit in different locations.

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

Greetings Tom,

Thanks. The two guides I put in the bracket (3.5) and (5.0) are in the choke guide position as I understand it. Meaning they are low, small and is where the line makes the angled change of direction towards the tip. Should it just be 3.5 or have a more gradual reduction of say, something like size 5?

Thanks,
Mo

Try it both ways and see if it makes any difference in performance

Bill - willierods.com

The choke guide and the running guides should be the same size.

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

Think of the definition as ... "the guide that CHOKES the line down to its final height and ring size". Thus the "choke guide" couldn't possible be anything other than the exact size of the running guides AND subsequently the first of that subset on the guide train, as viewed from the butt. The term is simply giving a special title to that particular guide in the running guide array.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/01/2011 08:29AM by Jim Gamble.

Mo,

I just built two 2S66MLF's and I used the second layout you listed above: 20, 12, 6, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4. These rods were built for 1000 size Quantum spinning reels using 4-6lb mono. As the others mentioned above, the choke guide should be the same size as the running guides (3.5 in your case) but I didn't notice any difference in using the larger guide in my case. A little test casting will tell you what you need to know.

jeremy

Mo,

On my smaller builds using a 20 as the beginning guide I will typically go 20,10,5, then 3.0's (or smaller) to the tip. i have been using a lot of the 2.5's over the 3.0's lately and really like it for small spinning stuff.

Tom

Which ever choke guide/third guide lines up with the first two guides when put against a straight edge is what I would go with (the straight edge should intersect the rod in front of the choke). You might have to stretch it out to 4 guides. I would also recommend test casting.

I use the same size for chock guide and running guides down to 3.5 mm size.
But when using 3mm -2.5mm -2mm or 1.5mm guides, I will stay with the larger 3.5 guide choker guide. personally I've seen it make a good bit of distance in casting.

Thanks every one! Much appreciate the comments.

Mo