Another post from a newbie here who has no idea what he’s doing and is still brand new to rod building. I’ve been reading more and more about how to get good guide placement measurements and starting to understand that aspect a little more although there is still some stuff I’m confused about, but my question for now is about the actual size of the guides. I’ve tried looking online for info on websites and haven’t really found any information myself, although I’m sure it’s hiding in plain sight. How the @#$%& do I know what size guides are right for the specific blank and application? I have no clue how to determine what size stripper guide and reduction guides and choker to use for different rods. I think I’m fine for the most part on running guides since I’m noticing most of the time for a lot of spinning setups it’s either gonna be 6’s or 8’s, and I haven’t even tried to understand the sizing for conventional rods for offshore bottom fishing yet either. Where do I start with all this? How do I figure this stuff out? Thanks ahead of time to all/anyone who responds with any info. Appreciate it guys seriously.

With spinning in particular knowing what type of fishing , reel and line type the angler plans on using is # 1 . Some will throw out sizes and guide types they have used over the years but spinning setup's can be made so much more efficient if you match the sizes of guides & ring diameters ,heights of guides etc.. to what reel and line you plan on using .


I'll give you an example , over the years popular guide trains for spinning setup's for the surf would be like 40,30,20,16,12, 8,8,8,8 or 30,20,16,12,10,10,10,10 IF you're using mono instead of braid those are not bad guide trains especially if using a spinner with a large spool diameter like a PENN 706Z but with braid EVEN heavier braid those are terrible choices for guide trains.

The reason is braid is much much more supple and limp and in my honest opinion anything over a size 25 butt guide of the proper height with braid is going to result in a massive loss in efficiency . I don't even think a size 25 guide is needed especially with braid 30 pounds or less . To come up with the most efficient guide train possible you want to choose guides where each guide has a real impact on either line direction or line containment and unfortunately most guide trains fail to achieve that goal because the ONLY thing they do is take up space due to being the proper height or the guide happens to be the size that's next in line like after a 20 the 16 would be a choice for many builders but it's really a completely useless guide that has so little impact on line direction or containment .

Now if that 16 guide ring was a size 10 ring at the same height of the 16 it would be ideal because a 10 size ring has much more of an impact on line direction and containment than a 16 size ring has especially with braided line . Choosing a layout like a 20 ,10, 5's on out is a very very efficient guide train because each guide has a major impact and is extremely useful a 20,16,12, 8 etc.. is a major efficiency destroyer.

The goal is to choose guides that are of the proper height but also have the most efficient ring sizes that match up best with the preferred reel and line of choice . There is no shortcut to knowing this it just comes from doing it and lots and lots of test casting.

Check out the below links they should prove very helpful.


[anglersresource.net]

[anglersresource.net]



NGC is another way for laying out spinning setups however the above two are the latest preferred way when using lighter braids .

[www.rodbuilding.org]

What size reel and line are you using? What kind of fishing are you doing?
Norm

Guy, have you read all the articles in the library above about guide sizing and placerment? The basics is where all experimentation starts from, it's not as confusing as you think.

Ideal spinning rod guide size depends upon several conditions: Monofilament or braid? Line diameter? Anticipated ambient temperature? One guide train is not best for all conditions.

Guy,
The links to Anglers Resource provided by Cris are invaluable to know, understand and apply to all spinning rods. Granted, only Fuji guides are listed, but for someone just starting out in rod building and to make it much simpler and less confusing, stick with Fuji! Even after gaining experience, many such as myself stick with Fuji.
Rods used with conventional / bait-casting reels do not have to deal with the chaotic coils of line coming off a spinning reel. The guides can therefore be lower to the blank with smaller ring sizes; the biggest concern is keeping the line off the fore-grip and one's fingers. I basically only use bait-casters for saltwater. A size 12 KW or smaller is a great choice for the stripper possibly followed by an 8 or just go right down to 6s all the way out to the tip (single foot KBs can be used as well) for rods up to 40lb. For 40 - 80lb rods, use HBs. Over 80lb, use rollers.
Discover, digest and apply the TWO-LINE-static-load-testing for guide placement. There are no measurements. It is simple, quick and effective to perform and achieve the ultimate guide placement on ANY blank. Use the search function here.
Good luck, keep us posted on your progress.

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

Selecting the best guide size(s) depends upon one of two things: looks or performance. In the complete absence of actual test data (numbers) comparing casting performance from different guides/guide placements you should go for the best looking guides.