I recently built a spinning rod using microwave guide kit, I static tested it but never test casted it before finishing. I took it out fishing, using 6# braid, and when retrieve it retrieves extremely hard almost as if the braid is cutting in. I tried switching to a thicker braid thinking it would help but made things worse. Did I set something up wrong or does microwave make a different guide train for braided line?

I run anywhere from 10 to 20lb braid in several of mine, never had any problem. What size tip are you using? Most of mine are 5's

Seth,
Just as a test.

Go ahead and cast out, and then, while holding the rod under your arm, use your hands to retrieve the line.
I would not think that it is the reel, but let us know what you find when you retrieve the line with your hands.

If you find that there is no particular effort to pull in the line by hand, put a different reel with different line on the rod and try again. But, be sure that the reel and line that you put on this rod, casts and retrieves well.

You want to find out, if you have a guide or line issue - or a reel issue.

I honestly can not think of a reason why a line should have any difficulty at all with the line retrieve, no matter the set up of the guide train.

However, if something is up with the reel, there can be a large number of reasons why the line may retrieve with difficult.

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To double check the results, take the current rod and line that is on the microwave rod and put it on one of your other rods that cast and retrieve well to see if there are any difficulties with the line retrieval on a normally excellent rod on the retrieve.


Good luck

What Microwave guide kit did you go with is the first question since there are quite a few different versions and did you follow the instructions that came with the kit on the first guides placement ? Don of American tackle says 20" is the typical location of where the largest guide is located from the spools face. With 6 pound braid to not work well something is very very off . If that "First" guide is not setup correctly then the whole thing won't work right regardless of static testing etc....

Thank u for all the responses. I used a #5 ring tip. I'm not convinced it's the reel because I have tried twould different ones on it but I will try retrieving it in by hand to see if I can feel something. I also did use the layout recommended which tested very nice. I used DMBW-ATC kit. I'll have to measure the reel to first guide when I get the rod back home, little too much sauce, left it in his boat and for some reason don't have that distance in my notes. I will say other than this hiccup I am impressed with the guides themselves just trying to figure out where u went wrong

Measured it today and it was 22". Would that mess with the retrieve that much?

Seth,
Try two or 3 different reels and line on the rod and let us know if anything changes with respect to reeling in drag.

Also, pull about 20 feet of line off of the rod and put a stockinged foot on the line to provide pressure on the line.

As you reel in the line, see if the line is rubbing on anything except the tip top . Under normal conditions and with the correct guide train setup - the line should just barely brush against a guide or not touch a guide at all.

Take care

Hey Seth,

This is something I have not heard of before... I would love to learn more if you have not yet figured it out, give me a call

_______________________________
God Bless, Don Morse

800-516-1750 ext. 1207 / don@americantackle.us

Rod Building..... It's What We Do.

Seth,
By the way, it is not unusual for a reel to develop winding drag due to a failed part, lack of maintenance or other issue.

However, when a line with a jig, bait or lure is on the end of the line, - no matter the guide setup, it would make no sense that there is going to be any significant drag on the line. There is just not sufficient friction of the line against any guide surface that would cause a noticeable drag.

However, if I am wrong, I stand corrected.

Be safe

I can't find the info on the DMBW-ATC kit. Is that a spinning kit , Don would know the specifics on that kit , i see similar #'s on some kits but not that exact match .

Herb,
I think that Seth meant DBMW-set

I think that he interchanged two letters on the microwave guide set.

[www.americantackle.us]

Roger

Thanks Roger that makes perfect sense . Well we can rule out that he bought a casting set by mistake but with the use of 6 pound braid and how ridiculously forgiving it is a casting set would still probably cast relatively well , not nearly as well as a higher framed spinning set but still workable. All your recommendations are very good ones and should sort out the exact issues , maybe it is something wrong with the spinner , trying a few different models should help as you said.

Herb,
In my working years, I was a development engineer and when getting a product ready for production, we would have to iron out all of the problems one at a time until we had the appropriate product ready for the factory to build.
As one of the fellows would say, now, it is time to start peeling the onion of problems off of this product so that we can get a problem free product to build.

Be safe