I am a novice builder and have been wanting to spiral wrap the guides. I was just wondering for what application(s) should spiral wrapping guides be used for OR not used for? Any advice on the subject would be appreciated. Also which is the best way to do a spiral wrap? I know of a couple different ways to do it but everyone has their own way and would like to hear everyone's opinion. Oh, and I am a Bass fisherman so any applications would be for a Bass Fishing rod.
Thank you in advance
God bless and Happy New Year

Spiral wraps are only used on casting rods.
The simple spiral wrap, with guides at 180, 90, 0 degrees works fine on bass weight rods.
Right handed crankers place their guides at or 12, 3, and 6 o'clock, while left-handed crankers switch the bumper guide, at 3 o'clock, to the 9 o'clock position, so that it will face upward when you lay the rod down.

I too am a bass fisherman. And build/use only spiral wraps. Personally do not know a bait casting rod application that would warrant not using a spiral wrap.
I use The Vibronics spiral wrap set up exclusively.
If you would like the recipe? email and I send it to you.

I use for saltwater water casting and bottom fishing rods. I prefer the 0 - 60 - 120 - 180 degree set up. I turn to guides towards the handle side of reel so the rod rests on the handle and not on the guides when laying on deck. Good luck, mh

Trolling rods are also a good application and I use a simple spiral. For bass rods I use Steve Gardner's method I got from him. Works great

Trolling rods are also a good application and I use a simple spiral. For bass rods I use Steve Gardner's method I got from him. Works great

Chris, I've been building spiral exclusively since I did it for the first time about 4 years ago. It just makes sense to me to build the spiral. I've tried different "methods" but here is what I do. I cast left handed and crank with my right. Looking butt to tip the guides spiral clockwise, in other words to the crank side as Gary mentioned above. I don't really subscribe to a particular formula but instead lay out all the guides on top and then do a static test. During the test, with the rod under load, I rotate the second and third guides around the rod looking for a smooth line transition and clearance from the rod. This generally ends up in something close to a 0-60-120-180 configuration but I don't worry about the exact measurements. I also build mainly bass rods and a few inshore rods. I find the spiral works well for all techniques.

Steve Hartzell
Lake Conroe - Willis, Texas

Note that with simple spiral the bumper guide is loaded directly into the foot of the guide, not at an angle which produces torsion on the guide. So all guides are loaded optimally, the first into the foot and the others away from the foot. Little or no torsion. Better for heavy duty applications, IMHO. Normal bass applications are not overloaded in torsion with any setup.

Thank you everyone.

Could someone please explain what the Vibronics spiral wrap set up is. I am wanting to build a spiral wrapped rod and want to see what this set up is.


Thanks,
Frank McKinney
Flint Texas

Talk to Steve Gardner. See above.

About the only time I hear people finding a regular build more desirable to them over a spiral build (besides just personal preference) are some applications where the rod is fished with the tip in a sharp downwards angle fished, for example, from the deck of a bass with the rod tip near the surface of the water. With the rod tip pointed down sharply, the guides of a conventional built rod already place the line on the inside of the curve. If you spiral the guides on this style rod, then your actually creating the same scenario of a traditional build fished rod tip up where the line paths on the outside of the rod curve.