I build Bass, Panfish and primarily Walleye rods. I started a program where I get $ from my community and I build rods for kids at no cost to them or parents. Have a young man that wants a Northern Pike rod 7'6" Medium heavy with micro guides. Do I need to run double footed guides all the way to tip? or can I do 3 double footed guides tapering down to micros #6 running guides? He gets to go to Canada with scouts and fish a lake full of big Northern Pike. Want to send him well equipped!! FYI Baitcasting rod. Thanks for the help!
Marcus

Marcus McCleery

Single footed guides will work well.

Put a double footed guide at the butt, and the rest, single foot #6s.

Be sure to know if he’s taking fly-in trips, because a two piece rod is more practical if that is the case.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/19/2023 01:21PM by Joel Wick.

Using single foot guides on the upper section of the rod is fine, but make sure to use very low frame types such as what many builders use on fly rods. The lower the frame the more durable they're going to be.

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I think all double foot guides would be overkill and would add weight unnecessarily.

Thanks Daryl! I think so too. I think the three transition guide = dbl foot and then 7 #6 single footers!
Marcus

Marcus McCleery

Using size 6 runners is not what I would consider to be a micro guide rod. If your young customer wants a micro guide rod, then use smaller runners. For such a build I would would use a KR concept build, with a Fuji KW10 double ft butt guide, a KW5.5 double ft transition guide and single ft KB/KT runners in either size 5, 4.5, or 4, and a matching LG tip top. You would probably need 10 or 11 guides total with four or five KB running guides and four or five KT running guides.
Norm



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2023 06:25PM by Norman Miller.

Thanks Tom!

Marcus McCleery

Will he be using a leader? if so, #5 running guides would be the smallest I would use so the knots can travel through the first couple guides and tip top without hanging up.

Yes, he is a big fan of the uni-to-uni knot. Anything smaller than #5 rattles through the guides. I think I might use #6 low profile or micro guides as the running guides incase he uses heavier line than he was guessing. Needs to be durable as well as functional. 14 year olds can be pretty rough on stuff!! That's the primary reason I considered double foot. Owning a boat and transporting rods in a locker is much kinder than chucking them in a tube or just putting a rod sleeve over em!
Thanks Steve!

Marcus McCleery

I'd have no problem building for durability of a 14 year old, scouts coming and going from camp would be a good reason for beefing a rod up and going 2 piece, I'd also build for his potential inability to tie the smoothest, smallest knot.

Any thoughts about doing a spiral wrap for something even more unique and easier to fight the big ones with?

I added a guide to my old Kunnan 9' bait rod to be able to flip the top section over so the guides are on the bottom of the blank when you're fishing.
Casts just as well and no twisty torque when hauling in the big ones.