I just made a purchase from the Mud Hole but not by way of your site. Does that count? If so I am about to build my first rod. It will be used for Halibut in the 50 to 200 lb range. Is locating the spine that important when using a "tuna" rod.

I don't know whether it counts on not. Depends on what it's supposed to count toward, I suppose.

Take a look at the FAQs page for more info on the spine. The third scenario is one I've always favored for the really heavy duty rods that won't be used for casting, but there are other opinions as well.

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Yes it is very important no mater what size rod.
If you do not get it on the spine right it will always have a tendancy to role on you.

Spine has nothing to do with rod stability. This is long standing myth that needs to die.

Guide location determines stability, not spine position.

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Tom,
I need some more words on this subject????

If you have a rod where the guides are located on the top of the rod, as in conventional casting or trolling, etc., the rod will attempt to twist when load (a fish) is applied to the line. The greater the load, the greater the tendency for the guides to seek the lowest point. This will take place regardless of where you orient the spine.

On any rod where the guides are located on the bottom of the rod, as in fly, spin or spiral wrapped casting, the rod will be rock solid stable no matter how much load you apply. It will not attempt to twist or spin, regardless of where you orient the spine.

You can prove this to yourself with some simple tests.

The fallacy of the spine finders and such has always been that the methods we use to locate the effective spine do not approximate in any way, the way the rod is pressured when we are fighting a fish. The former uses pressure applied by hand or similar to the blank itself, the latter uses pressure applied through a line running through guides which are attached to the blank. This type pressure will always overcome any spine effect.

I began preaching this 20 years ago, but at the time didn't have a vehicle to do so effectively. Every article I wrote on it was politely turned down as pretty much "hogwash." It was considered heresy and I took a lot of flak over the years for it. Now, even most of the most outspoken critics of such ramblings at the time, have accepted the fact that rods with guides on top are inherently unstable and rods with guides on the bottom are inherently stable. And spine location has nothing at all to do with rod stability.

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