I am looking to build a St. Croix 4T76HF3 (rated for 3/4 - 3 oz, 15-30lb) for an inshore rod used to target roosters, groupers, snappers, sierra, dorado and such in Mexico.  Is my Penn Slammer III 4500 a good fit?  Should I use a single foot guide train using the KR Concept?  Or would I be better off using double foot guides, and if so how do I lay out the reduction train (still KR or maybe 27x spool diameter)?   And what size guides?

I will use braid, probably 30 lb.

Thanks in advance.

Bob,
Personally, I would use a conventional reel / rod but if you are H-bent on a spinner, stick with the KL-Hs, KBs out to a MN tip top. Also consider stepping up to a 50lb braid with a 20-40lb leader. A KL 25-H, KL 12-H, KL 7-M or 6-L with appropriate sized KBs out to an equally sized MN tip top will get the job done. Obviously, single-foot guides are not as robust as double-foot guides which is why I suggest a conventional reel / guides, but the spinner will certainly work if you are careful with and do not abuse your equipment. I am interested in learning from other replies; we are all here to learn.

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

I am not a fan of single foot guides for saltwater builds. The double foot guides give you that extra support in case you hook into something a little bigger. I also dont care so much about the weight of a saltwater rod because of the bigger reel going to be used. Like Mark mentioned above, you can get away with the single foot guides, you just have to be mindful. I also would not go above the 30lb braid if you are going with the single foot guides.

Bob & Ken,
To be honest, I am actually in the process of building a ~20lb saltwater spin rod, basically for Calico. But there is always the possibility of hooking into a 30lb Yellowtail of 50lb WSB. The rod will be a spinning duplicate of the casting rod I built from the same Conolon blank, just for comparison’s sake and simply because I can lol.
Most guides, single or double foot, are inherently many times stronger than any force the line will ever impose on them. Granted, yes, the taller the frame = the more leverage can be imposed. But considering, say, 20lb of reel drag spread over, say, 6 guides, each guide will only experience 3.3lb of force from the line = not much. As I alluded to above, the double foot guides are inherently more robust and will withstand more abuse and rougher treatment often associated with saltwater fishing. But a spinning rod can certainly get the job done as well; I am certainly interested to learn of the difference.

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

Mark, in my waters we always used to say we use spinning reels to maximize the fight. A conventional reel, with the ability to drop a thumb on the spool and/use it as a winch, definitely gives you more of an advantage in a fight. For a fish like your yellowtail one would want that. For a dorado maybe you just want to have a bit more fun and challenge?

In short, I like the spinning reels best for fish that run fast/hard on the top of the water column and conventional reels for the ones that like to run for cover on the bottom. Different horses for different courses I guess:)

As far as the original question, sounds like it will be a travel blank and that is a big reason to consider double foot guides. You need the rod to survive and be available, not be the lightest build or longest casting. I'd go with Fuji MNSG and would get an extra spool for the Penn Slammer III 4500. Load one with braid and one with mono and you can cover a lot of ground.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Russell,
Your comments are acknowledged, understood and accepted. I also like your saying, “Different horses for different courses”. I have not heard that one before, like it, consider it to be very true and will probably rip-you-off. I am anxious to test my “identical” old casting and new spinning rods back-to-back; who knows, maybe I will end up agreeing with you.

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