I am building a hover/jigging/light bouncing rod for chinook on the Columbia with a Lamiglas SI 941 MH. I am going to spiral wrap this rod and am considering using a 10 or 8 MXN stripper and size 4 Alps fly guides for runners.

I have a couple questions:

1. Am I crazy or will these little mini guides hold up to hot chinook?

2. How does one choose an "optimal" stripper size for spiral wraps? I see a lot of recipes for size 12s, but I always seem to end up with something smaller on the the rods I spiral wrap. I was just curious if there was something that I am missing as a freshman builder.

I appreciate everyone's thoughts.

The guides you describe have been used on rods more powerful than what your building. I personally have caught a 52 lb. King on those guides and many more over two weeks. The guides have been tested to take far more load than your rod or fish would ever put on them. They have had dead weights tied directly to them which subjects them to far more load than would ever be put on them with a line and load slipping through them. Since you're not casting with the rod, I'm not sure stripping guide size is all that important, guide height might be something to think about. What reel are you using?
I use the same guide train for guides on top, or spiral wrapped rods, I have used double foot guides in the spiral of customer's rods because some have a problem bending the single foots in transport and storage, I personally have never had a problem.

Thanks Spencer. That guide train sounds like a winner.

For a reel, I'll probably use a 301 sized curado e or something similar. Heck, maybe I'll try to keep really light with a 200 sized low pro...

If I were casting, would you use a larger stripper?

Thanks.

I don't see why a 201 wouldn't work, it's more of a fight straight down than off to the side, and you'll see a lot of Daiwa Accudepth 15 ICV being used out there, which have similar line capacities. The depth feature really isn't needed, it's just the people putting their steelhead plug reels to good use. I just spool to the bottom, reel up two cranks and I'm fishing. I'd let the rod tell me what works for casting, I test cast everything I build, but I also factor in that particular rod's anticipated usage. If it's a vertical presentation rod and going to bigger guides changes the casting performance only slightly, I'll sacrifice a few yards casting performance for decreased weight and increased sensitivity every time. Back in the early 80's I ordered a European match rod to do some carp fishing with friends, knowing nothing about carp I bought one rated 1-4 kg., 2-8 lb. test, little did I know the folly of my selection, those fish were bulldozers with fins.When I got my spinning rod it had a stripper guide of 10 mm and it was a double foot match guide. I of course thought either me or the rodbuilder was crazy, but I put my Shimano 2000 reel on it and a 1/6 oz. Acme Kastmaster and did some trout fishing with it, it cast the lure into next week compared to any of my other trout rods. I was soon fishing both banks of some pretty decent steelhead rivers from one bank with that rod, I no longer have a normal guide system I build to, I let the fishing rod and the individual needs dictate what I build.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2020 02:15PM by Spencer Phipps.

Thanks Spencer.