I am building my first steelhead rod, 9.5’ long and I laid out the guides but it just doesn’t look right. Went out and did some light casting and it seemed to work ok, but I want to double check with the experts here. This first guide from the spool of the reel is around 25”. Does that seem like a long ways? On my shorter spinning rods, it usually works out to be around 18.5” - 21”. This is a spinning reel set up with the rear handle being 10”, ~4” for the reel seat and another 3” for the fore grip, totaling 17” in handle. I thought the 10” rear grip was a little short for my liking but that is what my friend wants.
Thanks,
Dave

What kind of spinning guides are you using? What size reel and what kind and size of line are going to be used? To me 25” in front of the spool is on the long side.
Norm

He is using a pflueger SUPSP35X with 10# braid. Using a lzr 25 guide



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/16/2021 08:30PM by David Luttig.

Are you planing on doing a New Guide Concept (NGC) or a KR Concept. If doing a NGC the size 25 Y stripper/butt guide will work well placed about 19 to 21” in front of the spool. In my opinion, If doing a KR concept, a size KL25H is a little over kill for the reel and line being used. For a 9’6” salmon/steelhead rod with a 3000 to 4000 reel using braid up to 20# test I mostly use a KL20H based reduction train (KL20H, KL10H, and KL5.5M) followed by size 5 or 4.5 KB/KT runners. I place the stripper about 20-21” in front of the reel spool. Works really well.
Norm

Ya, I am going to move the guide in to around 20-21” and adjust the others accordingly and see how it performs. Like I said, it worked ok, but it sure looks like a long ways from the reel. Appreciate the help Norm!

You can’t go wrong with Norman’s suggestions!

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

Mark Talmo Wrote:
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> You can’t go wrong with Norman’s suggestions!


Yes, I am going with the ngc

The 25Y guide is approximately the same height as the KL20H. So a good starting point for the stripper guide would be about 20 to 21” in front of the spool. You can move it in or out a little to fine tune.
Norm

The NGC layout would typically call for a 30mm Y frame guide for the butt guide when using a size 35 reel. Making that change would require changing all of the guides in the reduction train, however. I'm not surprised that the 25 lands out there a little further. Given that you are using limp braid, you can easily get by with pulling your choke guide and reduction train back a few inches until the butt guide lands at about 21". Add an additional running guide, if required. You may be able to respect the guides you have without adding an additional running guide, but the ~4" you are making is a typical spacing near the tip.

Norms suggestions are spot on.

However, when building on a 9'5" blank - I almost always place the stripper at your current 25 inches.

In a word - if the blank does not bend at a location, there is little reason to have a guide at that location.

If, when testing you find that you are getting line slap, go to a taller stripper guide.

For stripper guides I will often use Match guides to get enough height from the blank to avoid line slap without having an overly large guide.

If i were using a guide product that contained a match guide, I would use a size 20 or a size 25 match guide for the first guide and then go down to a size 10 sv or shorter guide for the next guide.

Your current setup will work just fine. But, if you wish, you can certainly make changes.

Just don't make the mistake of putting too many guides on the rod blank. Sometimes, when folks are just starting to build rods, they think that since they are building the rods, they can add more guides and the rod will be better. Normally, that is NOT the case.

So, use the appropriate sized guides, spaced as far apart as possible and still keep the rod properly loaded when fighting a big fish and you will be creating a quality product.

Particularly, if a person a building on a blank that has a very soft tip as some of the extra fast action blanks have as well as a typical drop shot rod blank - they may be nervous about putting so many guides near the tip.

But, if you do have a very soft tipped rod blank - you may need to have a guide every 2-3 inches to insure that the line follows the contour of the loaded blank. Bottom line -- when a blank is fully loaded you should find that your tight fishing line should be following the contour of the loaded blank without a huge space between the blank - in the case of a spinning rod and normally should not be rubbing the blank or being under the blank in the case of a casting rod.

Sounds like you have a great rod that is almost ready. Carry on and finish the build as you wish and get it to the person who wanted it so that the rod can be put into its intended use.

Be safe