I`ve made many spinning rods in my time for saltwater use. I`ve noticed that on most guide layouts for 6-6.5 ft. rods the lead guide is 30 mm. A lot of the older store bought spinning rods had a 40mm lead guide on them,Which is a better size lead guide to use?. It seems that the line rubs against the 30mm guide more so than the larger guide.

For a 6 - 6.5 ft rod a 25 should be good enough.

John

We get away with smaller ring sizes these days because there are now higher frame guides available as opposed to the old days. Proper ring height allows a smaller ring to be used.

Peter, what size line are we talking a out?

Peter,
I use the following technique to determine the guide size and height. I was requested to use this method years ago by a client who cast heavy baits hundreds of times a day for big fish.

With all of your planned guides taped or attached to the blank in some fashion and the expected reel to be used mounted in the reel seat and the expected line to be used on the spool in the reel - line is pulled off the spool and threaded through the guides

Now, this is the test:
With light pressure on the line: I use a stocking foot to grasp the line to provide light pressure - the excess line that is laying on the floor is slowly reeled back on the spool. Now, this is done with light line pressure and a straight rod blank. One is looking for the line to essentially follow the full inside circumference of the stripper or first guide in front of the reel. i.e. as the spinning reel spool is turned, you would like the incoming line to just barely touch the inside edge of that guide all of the way around the guide.
For example, if you find that the line is rubbing against the top of the guide but not the bottom of the guide, the guide is too short or at the wrong distance. On the flip side, if the line touches only the bottom of the guide and not the top, then the guide is too small.
If, the line rubs hard against the sides of the guide; the guide is too small.

In some cases, one can take an existing guide and move it towards the reel or away from the reel to have the line meet the afore mentioned parameters. In other cases, the guide size needs to be increased or decreased. Or, the height of the guide needs to be taller or shorter.

But, over the years, I have found that if I follow this general guide line, I have 0 line slap and minimal drag on the line when reeling in heavy baits hundreds of times a day.

This also means that when reeling in a big fish, the effort will not be increased by excessive drag of line against a guide.

For the typical spinning rod, I have just found that a taller match type guide as the stripper is normally required to meet the afore mentioned parameters. But, then, as the line gets through the first stripper guide, the guides can quickly get shorter and smaller.

If running heavy mono or fluorocarbon all of the way to the reel in heavier lb tests, the guide sizes need to remain larger to allow for the process of stiff line loop taming. This in contrast to using limp lines like braid which will run well with much smaller guides due to the smaller and more easier tamed casting loops on the line with braid.

Best wishes.

Does the diameter of the reel spool have any influence on the gathering guide selection for a spinning rod, or is it chiefly determined by some other factor, and if so, What?

Phil Ewanicki Wrote:
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> Does the diameter of the reel spool have any
> influence on the gathering guide selection for a
> spinning rod, or is it chiefly determined by some
> other factor, and if so, What?

I don't build a lot of spinning rods so I am also interested in the answer. Is there a formula for spool diameter as to what size stripper guide to use. All the spinning rods I have been making are for 3000 size or smaller spinning reels so I have been using a 20 mm for the stripper with a rapid reduction. The guide train goes like this 20 mm high frame, 10 mm high frame, 5.5 mm mid frame, and the rest 4 or 5 mm low frame. These rods cast great or better than any store bought ones but I really don't know about anything larger.

Peter,
Allow me to offer my novice yet attentive perspective. The KR Concept is quite profound in performance! Unless utilizing a 6-6.5 telephone pole of a blank, most would assume a <2000 size reel being incorporated. Spooled with braid or <10lb mono/flouro, I would build according to Fuji’s KR Concept = KL-16H, 8H, 5.5M followed by KB, KT runners of your choice. Larger reels/line size would require larger guides such as 20H, 10H, 5.5M or even 25H, 12H, 5.5M. Even building as per NGC, the stripper should not need to be larger than a KL25 (note not a KL25H) for 30-50lb braid. Hopefully Norman Miller has recovered from attending the ICRBE to offer his veteran opinion.
Presently, it is not just about the stripper guide size but rather the height of the ring and rapidly choking the coils in the line to smoothly travel to the end of the rod. Fuji did their homework for all of us to reap the benefits.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

I assume the type of line used - nylon, fluorocarbon, braid - and its diameter (# test) - would be major considerations for choice of guide sizes. What is the best source of printed information on this subject?

[anglersresource.net]

Jim: Will the guide size recommendations posted by the makers of KR guides apply to guide size choices from other guide manufacturers?