I often encounter customers who are looking to have me build for a bait casting rod for them. These are typically bass rods. I build all my personal rods as functionally sound as possible and want to do the same for my customers. I explain to them the advantage of doing a spiral wrap vs. a conventional layout,but some say they don't like the look or it's personal preference to go with the conventional layout. Other reasons often are given too.

The other day I had a customer ask if spiral wraps really worked then why don't manufacturers build them? I've been doing a little research and found that some have. But they too run into the problem of trying to convince the public to buy them.

Are there other reasons the manufacturers generally don't build these?

For now I'm going to loan this customer one of my spirals and let him spend a few days casting it. Maybe that'll help convince him. What selling points do the rest of you use when facing this same situation?

Thanks,
Chad Huderle

Huderle Custom Rods
Prior Lake, MN

Same problem watching with interest.

Cheers

Mark Newcombe
Old Bar NSW
Australia
markscustomfishing.com
American Tackle Pro-Staff

Comments deleted



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2016 05:25PM by John E Powell.

Bill Stevens at Swampland had some excellent marketing examples for spiral wrap, and why someone would want them. There are some articles out there from reputable publications that show some of the advantages, one was from a tournament bass mag so this might interest your customers. Bill called it proof source confirmation, or something like that where a reputable source touted the item, which lends credibility to your argument.

Manufacturers don't build them because they are harder, and people think they look funny and won't buy them so they leave this market to us. Realistically, they don't provide a huge advantage to the bass angler, as the benefit is a more stable system under load. Since the biggest loads occur when a fish is hooked, all the other casting activity doesn't benefit the angler with a spiral wrap much. This is my opinion of course. Guys and gals that bass fish more may disagree.

There is a big advantage with offshore rods, jigging or back bouncing heavy weights where there is a constant load and you are fighting the torque of the reel and the guides on top. Spirals give you an advantage in these situations as you are handling the rod under load while fishing and fish fighting. All of my rods for these methods are spirals for this reason. You can build a jig to demo this that may convince customers that the stable reel location in a spiral wrap is with the reel on top, instead of the rod always attempting to turn in your hand.

Just some of my thoughts. Discussion welcome.

Terry

I tend to agree with Terry on his post.
i.e. for the typical bass caster, who is basically in a casting environment for about 90% of his typical day, and on top of that - many many of the casts are very short range - not a lot to be gained by the use of a spiral wrap.

I built two spiral wrapped rods for bass fishing folks. After using the rods for 6 weeks, they both brought them back and asked me to rewrap the rod with a conventional guide setup.

6 months later they came back and ordered another 6 rods with conventional wrap.

They expressly said that they wanted no part of the spiral wraps for their uses.

----
On the other hand, I have built many rods for folks who are using the casting rods in a trolling environment. Same thing In reverse. They started with conventional guides and asked me to rewrap one in a spiral wrap for their consideration.
Then, later came back and ordered more spiral rods.

So, as Mr. Kirkman has stressed so many times in the past - use the right rod for the right purpose. Use the right components on the right blank with the right grip wrapped the right way for a given purpose.

What may be the perfect rod for one person - is NOT the perfect rod for another person.

The basic differences for the clients who have liked or disliked spiral wraps seem to boil down to the fact -
Is there going to be a lot of casting with the rod, or not.

i.e. the non casters seem to like the spiral wrapped rod.

On the other hand, the folks who are heavy duty casters, tend not to like the spiral wrapped rod.

Actually, my personal preference is in 100% agreement with this thought. i.e. I have lots of rods that I use for many casts per day that are wrapped conventionally.

But, another batch of rods that I have that are used about 90% of the time for trolling. (generally spiral wrapped).

Be safe
Roger

If you have the Volume 8 #4 issue of RodMaker, look inside for information and plans on how to build a Spiral Wrap Demo device. A minute or two playing with this thing usually convinces any potential customer that a spiral wrap offers some tremendous advantages over a conventional wrap.

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

Hi Chad,

Good info above, all of it valid. I will not repeat what has been said.

I build many spiral wrapped rods. They work. I built many years ago a demo rod that is both a conventional and a spiral wrapped rod, 2 sets of guides. I demonstrate it's effects using a spine finder with the cone that rotates. They can see and feel the dynamics of each method.

Here is what I believe is one of the biggest advantages of a spiral wrapped rod. For an angler with a medical problem, neck, shoulders, arms, wrists and hands the spiral wrapped rods eliminates all the torque and twisting and allows the angler to continue catching fish in less pain.

Lending out a spiral wrapped demo rod is a BIG sales pitch. It is a touch that will bring back customers, special service.

Capt Neil Faulkner



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/20/2012 08:25AM by Capt Neil Faulkner.

I build all of my cranking stix with spiral as stated there is lest stress on the hands and arms when throwing big cranks all day long.

Bobby Stout
Bloomburg, TX

only time i use a conventional these days is for topwater rods and jerkbaits. i haven't had too much trouble selling the spiral, but usually don't push back too hard if someone is stuck on a conventional wrap. in the long term if they are happy with the end product, they got exactly what they wanted. Main sell for me is that i use mostly micros and the spiral just makes life easier! i know it doesn't make much difference but i spend all day making sure pixels are in the right place, so when it comes to rods, i get hung up on line rub/slap issues that seem to be exacerbated by conventional/micro setups.

Ironically, the hardest sell on spirals for me has been all the trolling guys i know. Everytime i see a guy constantly flipping a downrigger rod back over in the holder or a dipsy rod twisted 180 degrees - i point out "ya know if the guides weren't on there wrong side, that would work perfect". They all think i'm crazy... oh well, not my problem i guess :)

Regards,
-Justin

Often times people want to buy and not be sold.

Chad,
The best way to inform folks about a spiral wrapped rod is to have them use a spiral wrapped rod.
If you have a client that might not know whether to use a conventional or spiral wrapped rod will often decide if they can use a spiral wrapped rod for a weekend of fishing

Roger

Chad,
What Tom said. I spent several years researching and testing before I built the first complete Revolver Rod. I didn't intend to sell any - just change the Bass Fishing game forever. I gave the ideas away in print. Not one feature of the Revolver Rod was in use by any major MFG at the time. I talked to each of the big MFGs at ICAST. They all said the same thing - they were in the business of selling rods - not ideas to the fishing public. They would save their money and see if I could educate the bass anglers for them. I did. Now where are they? They have copied all but the spiral wrap and Forhan Locking wrap. They never will. Not because they aren't better ways of doing something, but because they sell to average anglers at cost effective prices. I did not. Without paying their dues, average anglers will remain - average. Better Bass anglers catch on quickly and are easily convinced of the advantages of a better fishing tool. Every customer is different - build accordingly. Educate where you can. Use RodMaker mag FIRST and then the die hard bass angles here to advance. Some of the best bass rod building advice I've ever seen, has been hear, also some of the worst - good luck sifting the wheat from the chaff.

Thanks everyone, I did loan him one of my rods to try and I have convinced the angler in question to give it a try. He's the current reigning champ in his bass league so maybe having him using one will perhaps convince the others league members to try one. (cross my fingers)

Thanks,
Chad Huderle

Huderle Custom Rods
Prior Lake, MN

I really don't see why a demonstration device is necessary. What better demonstration device is there than a real rod and reel? I humbly disagree that turning a spinning rod upside down is a legitimate demonstration, unless one plans to have very high guides on his casting rod builds. I have built and used both, and like Roger, like them for trolling. For casting use? Not a big deal. I seen to be insensitive to all that torque from conventionally wound casting rods (with small, low, guides). Might be different for many salt water rods, but for my kind of freshwater fishing, I can go either way and not notice a difference in feel, comfort, stability, or casting distance. Guess I'm insensitive.

Yes, a demo rod can work. A father and his daughter stopped by to order her a rod yesterday. She is an avid angler and was interested in everything about a custom rod. The father was aware of spiral wrapped rods. She stated she was interested in seeing what the difference between a conventional and spiral was all about. Used the rod that I have wrapped both conventional and spiral and she experienced the physics of it. She smiled and said she wanted a spiral wrapped custom. I will be building her new rod on a pink CTS ES 703, 6-12 # class blank. Now let me tell you, this is some Christmas present.

Merry Christmas to all.

Capt Neil Faulkner

OK, I can see the value of that demo as it is with an actual rod; I misinterpreted the term to mean something artificial. I'll have to tape some guides on top of one of my spirals and see what I find. thanks for the detail.