Hi,
What do you guys think about using the torzite casting guides (double leg frame T-KWTG) on a pike/musky rod?
I know st-croix uses them on their new legend elite musky rods but when I look at these guides the frames seem a little light for casting heavy baits (2-4 oz). Also, It seems that st-croix uses a slightly heavier frames version of these guides, but I'm not sure about that.
Thanks in advance,
Greetz,
Jeroen



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/2016 11:45AM by jeroen teugels.

I have the standard strength Fuji SV guides on a heavy powered rod I use for 8 ft long sturgeon using 32+ oz. of lead to get to the bottom in heavy current, 30 years and counting, zero problems.
You can hang a 16 pound downrigger weight off a Fuji single foot guide with no problem. Guides are way over engineered for the use we use them for in fishing, it's the transport, storage, stepping on and hangup on things that cause most guide damage.

You could do it if you like. As spencer said, even a well wrapped single foot guide could withstand that type of fishing, and titanium frames are plenty strong. Though I wonder if it is worth the money. The performance of basic ceramic guides are able to withstand heavy braid fishing, let alone high-end ceramic or torzite guides. It makes more sense for spinning guides, since the frames and rings are that much bigger, saving 50% or so on weight makes a bigger difference. The roughly 50% weight savings on a spinning guide set goes a lot further than on a casting guide set where the guides are much smaller. Alconite guides probably give the best bang for the buck. The price jump to torzite is really high considering the small jump in performance and weight savings on casting guides. Again, different story with the physically larger spinning guides.

That being said, I'm not saying you couldn't or shouldn't do it. Build a rod that makes you happy, the torzite guides will be plenty strong enough.

Have fun,
Nick

First of all thanks for the reply.
@Nick: Very good point and I have thought about that myself too. The blank I am talking about about is a CTS baycaster (cb 802-2) and I have this little demon in my head that says "build this blank to be the best and lightest rod possible" :-). But I agree that you are probably right and it is overkill, especially for that type of fishing.
Greetz,
Jeroen

Jereon,
Over the years many of the folks who build Musky rods have used simple and rather inexpensive guides for all of the guides with the exception of the tip.

Many of these same folks have found that for the thousands of casts made with the heavy baits that the use of a longer lived tip like one made then of Silicon Carbide did a better overall job on the rod.

The less expensive guides were fine on the guides, but the tips lasted longer if they were Silicon Carbide or Torzite.
No issue in mixing the guides and tip type inserts.

Be safe

Spencer
The SV being the high frame cast / spin guides are the guides on top ? No torque issues

Bill - willierods.com

All of ceramic ring materials (aluminum oxide, alconite, sic, zirconia, torzite) are extremely hard and durable and none of them will wear out or groove due to line type or baits used. In fact, you cannot cut or even scratch any of these ceramic inserts with a hacksaw blade or metal file. They only thing that will cut them is a diamond. I personally think that torzite or sic rings are over kill for almost all freshwater applications. Alconite will work as well for a whole lot less money.
Norm

Bill,
Yes it does torque big time. I use an inexpensive Braid lap belt with gimbal pocket with it for oversize sturgeon, etc.
It's a Kunnan experimental designed blank that was one of 4 given to me to build up for them when they saw me fishing Pt. Defiance salmon jigs for Florida fish on wrecks north of Haulover Cut in Maimi, Fl. I was using backbouncing rods for the presentation, some of my rods were built on Lamiglas graphite live bait blanks, others on backbouncing blanks. I sent them back with Pac Bay low frame guides, they loved the rods, but decided my builds were not durable enough. They said I could have one returned and I picked the one I have now, but it came back with the mentioned Fuji guides on it, my grip cut a bit shorter and a gimbal installed with Fuji rubber cap. I just never changed them.

I'm the little demon in your head. Build it with Torzite®...because you can.

I am the other little demon in your head. You can get 3-5 sets of alconite guides for the price of one set of torzites, without a functional disadvantage. All guides can fail for one reason or another, most by accident. I have replaced both torzite and alconite guides, so I am not so sure about which one is more durable. If you want to say everything is top of the line on your build then get the torzites.
Norm