Just read the article on Magic wands in my Rodmaker mag, great article. I owned and just sold 8 JB Customs rods that were all spiral wrapped, I must say I liked those and especially all the casting type baits, especially the crankbait rods. The Pitching rod was nice as well but you had to make sure the line was not layed over to the right side of the tip top ( I pitch with the bait in my left hand) other than that I liked them. So according to Mr. Forhan every baitcaster should be spiral. So my real question is what are the thoughts on this, as there is also a great article by Mr. Kirkman on the simple spiral, and as I am building my crankbait rod right now could easily move my guides to the bottom and add the rub prevention guide.Thanks.

Keith Langford

There is almost no disadvantage to the spiral wrap on bass rods. Fish fighting attributes are enhanced. Casting distance remains equal (equal, not better). Other than strange looks from fellow fishermen who aren't up to speed on the physics of the thing - you have nothing to lose.

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I agree with Mr Forhan. have been doing the same since the 1070's

The only disadvantage I've ever seen with spiral wraps is that they take a bit long to lay out correctly.
But the effort is SO worth it!!!!

Hello Steve.

The 1070's, didn't know you were that old buddy, but I'm with you and Tom, spiral is the way to go.

Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

I can,t remember when i last built a baitcaster..it,s been all spinning or fly..at one time it was the other way around but the new super lines put an end to that and spinning made a comeback, big time..i don,t miss baitcasers one bit and you can purchase a very good spinner for half the price of a top line caster..

A baitcaster can still out cast a spinning reel with the wind, but against the wind, the spinning set up rules. I guess I do so many spiral wraps the layout is no faster to me than a conventional caster. The time consumption is in getting the guides in straight alignment to each other and the reel. If I was doing conventional with all guides on top, I would add another guide to keep the line off the blank. I like spiral wraps because they seem more fun to fish with and have a slight advantage with micro guides as well as not torquing in the hand when landing a fish. Just finished a 6'9 medium light, x fast, Point Blank spiral caster build for a Shimano Curado DC.

I would think that micro guides on a conventionally wrapped casting rod would lessen the need for a spiral wrap, even more. Lower guide heights equal less leverage, equals less twisting of the blank.

David Baylor Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would think that micro guides on a
> conventionally wrapped casting rod would lessen
> the need for a spiral wrap, even more. Lower guide
> heights equal less leverage, equals less twisting
> of the blank.

Smaller, lower guides do lessen the tendency of the rod to twist under load, but will not eliminate it. The spiral wrap does.

........

In my opinion tip down presentations do not benefit, probably just me. I have several spiral wrapped baitcasters.

Tom, I completely agree, guides on top, the blank is going to twist. It doesn't matter if you can feel it or not, it's still twisting. Spiral wrap eliminates it.

At least while the rod is in a certain plane

When you fight a fish, the line ALWAYS goes to the fish, i.e. UNDER the rod. Fly Rods, spinning and spiral wraps the guides are already there. If you would like little fish to feel big, put the guides on top, the twisting in your hand makes those one pounders feel BIG! Hopefully we can keep our sense of humor here. I once built a true spiral wrap as a demo, line on top to bottom to top and back to bottom. So many pros tested it , I forgot who had it last, never got it back. In a way Lynn is right. I would get pros who would say they like baitcasters with eyes on top. I would reply I only build that style for pros that cast heavy lures , fish it tip down and basically never catch any fish. I got a lot of dirty looks, but I got a lot of smiles also.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/2020 10:07PM by Richard Forhan.

I,m not understanding why it matters if the tip is up or down when using a spiral wrapped rod..from the fishes point of view the tip is always up unless it,s a flying fish..lol.

Richard,
I normally build conventionally wrapped conventionally wrapped casting rods. But, upon request will build a spiral wrapped casting rod.

However, for the folks who are hard core bass fisherman or hard core Muskie fisherman do want certain rods wrapped in the conventional fashion with all of the guides running down the top of the rod blank.

However, there exceptions.

For the bass fishermen who are hard cord jerk bait fisherman - all want the rods wrapped with the guides running along the top of the rod.

Also, the Muskie fisherman who use jerk baits and a lot of figure 8's at the boat want those particular rods wrapped with the guides running along the top of the blank.

The reason is simple. These different fishermen are using these specific techniques with the rod tip down. i.e. they will be standing on the deck of their boats and when fishing the rod tip is nearly touching the water when they are fishing. When they fish - they are jerking the rod tip back toward the side of the boat. If they get a hit, the bass or Muskie is seeing the bottom of the tip top and it is in the position to avoid having the rod twist, because the rod is held with the rod tip down next to the water and the rod tip is pulled back to the feet of the angler as the fish is being fought and thus no twist on the rod, since the fish will always be seeing the bottom of the tip top - and thus no twisting on the rod.


But, for the fishermen who do not use jerk baits and do not fish while holding the rod tip down next to the water, but rather hold the rod up in the air so normally the rod is held at 30 to 45 degrees above the horizon - typically want the spiral wrap because the spiral wrap, when fishing in a conventional fashion -- prevents rod twist.
Take care

I beg to differ. The line is not always under the rod when fighting a fish. There are many times when I am fishing horizontal moving baits that the line is off to the side of the rod, or as in Roger's description, the line is coming off the top of the blank. Roger's description is common place. If someone wants to call that improper fish fighting technique. I will beg to differ with that opinion as well.

I'm not debating whether or not there is rod twist with a conventionally wrapped casting rod, that isn't there with a spiral wrapped casting rod. I know the line wants to find the straightest path to the point of resistance. And that means it will go to the bottom of the blank. I know that whether you can feel it or not, that on a conventionally wrapped casting rod, the guides on top are causing the to twist when under a load. I get that. But .... unless this twisting can damage the rod, talking bass rods here, then I think there is more being made of the twisting than there actually is to it. As far as the saving a guide thing goes. I will just say that that depends on what your personal preference is concerning line path.

That,s interesting Roger..i,ve been fishing jerk baits on spinning gear but casting gear is a little easier, maybe if i build a spiral wrapped spinning rod..it would be a first..can you imagin the looks it would get..lol.

Ben,
You did get me to smile with that one.

On a different, but still an analogy, I remember the cover where one of our US presidents was shown to be out somewhere fishing and he was smiling, and reeling a spinning rod back ward while holding the spinning reel upside down.

So, yes sometimes the ways that folks use fishing equipment defy's logic or common practice.

Ha, i remember that picture too, and i think it was G. Bush jr. just a regular guy..lol. yea, a spiral wrapped spinning rod would be perfect for him..lol.

The advantage of a custom rod is we get to talk to the customer. If they know what they want we can build it that way or send them to someone that will. Jerk bait Rods are shorter and fished tip down, but when the fish is hooked on the next jerk, most I know fight the fish with the tip up. If they fight to the net tip down, build it the way they want. If the customer wants just the best rod for the technique that I could build , I did. There are over 40 important techniques we use in competition. I’ve used them all. I intend to address them all in the 12 articles in the Magic Wand series.. The first 2 articles are in the current issue. Four others are done and submitted to Tom. Six more to go, plus a couple extra, then that’s IT, or so I keep telling Tom.

Whenever I hook a big brownie on a Zara Spook (or similar) I will most likely put the rod tip down in the water and apply downward pressure to keep the fish from jumping and throwing the plug. In this case a spiral wrap is of 0 (zero) benefit.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2020 08:04PM by Lynn Behler.

I agree the spiral is of no benefit in this situation. It is also of no detriment in this situation. Which way the top guide is pointed makes no difference when the tip is underwater.