Sorry if this has been asked already but I can’t find on the forum if it has.

Having built a few rods using kr concept and using a couple rods that were oem manufactured with guides you would use for the kr concept my question is this: if the guide layout on these rods is based on reel size what happens if you decide for whatever reason (weight savings, price savings, needing more line, etc.) to move to a different sized reel on that rod.

For example, you could practically move from a 2500 reel to using a 3000 sized reel on the same rod. Or if you went from a 1000 sized reel to a 2500. How is performance affected? Are you supposed to stay with the same sized reel the rod was built around originally?

Depends. I build mine plugging in numbers for my line size and a 2500 reel. I also checked to see how things change when I go to a higher line size as well as reel size, and noticed that things didn’t change when I plug in a 3000 sized reel. There was also some room going up on line size as well. I started with 16H guides so I didn’t think I’d have much room going up, since most store rods start at 20H, but there was plenty of room upwards (within what I’d ever intended to use the rod for) in line size and reel size. Plug in the numbers of the changes you might consider in the future and see if the guide layout changes or not.

Sound process and advice, John.

You articulated much of my own process in determining a guide train when building a custom rod: Identify the top and bottom ends of what I want to do with that rod and build it to cover that range. If I have a narrower range, my choices reflect that as well.

Al,

Reel Size is the lesser factor to consider in the KRC world for me. Line size and type are the more determinate factors in choosing a guide train (16H, 20H, or 25H): Braid, Mono or Fluorocarbon line use is where the game is, IME. A 1000 reel has a line range that is not the same as a 3000 size reel based on monofilament or fluorocarbon lines.

It makes total sense that off-the-rack rods labeled as KRC might go with the 20H RT group because it is the most likely to fit a variety of line/reel sizes on rods from "Ultralight" to "Medium Heavy". Is your off-the-rack a 20H group?

If your KRC rack-rod is throwing light braid (#20 and less) with a 20H RT, there will likely be little difference in casting performance if you switch reels from a 1000 to 3000 size. Personally, I'd go a little lighter braid than #20 with a 1000 reel. I find Power Pro #4/15 braid, or equivalent, to be a useful all around line for lighter duty. Throws like #4 and breaks like #20+.

However, if you are switching from #4-6 mono/fluoro to #10-12 mono/fluoro line, then reel size and guide size become more critical factors to casting performance. A 20H RT group will throw all those lines well. I'd just not go more than #6 on a 1000 reel with mono/fluoro myself.

The 20H RT guide group is probably the most universal for lines #4-10 in mono/fluoro OR braid up to #20.

Surf casters use #20 braid and 20H RT's for looooong distance casting for big fish on 4000 and 5000 reels, too.

As Les alluded to ....... line type and size is going to be a major consideration. If you're using very supple braids. reel size, more specifically, spool lip diameter, isn't as much as a factor as if you were using a stiffer nylon mono filament, or fluorocarbon line.

As John said, if you go to the KR concept software, you won't see much if any change when you change reel sizes, until you make a drastic change in line size and type. For instance. I just put in the same rod dimension numbers for a 1000 size reel using 4 - 10 braid, and a 3000 size reel using 6 - 10 braid. They had the exact same reduction guides called out. So as you can see, the 3000 with a much larger spool lip diameter than the 1000 size reel, didn't result in any change in guide size at all.

If you built a rod for a 1000 size reel using 4 - 10# line and put the guides the KR software calls for, then put a 3000 size reel and say 8# fluorocarbon line on it, you will see a marked decrease in casting performance. All of my spinning rods are built using the guide train that the KR software calls out for using 2500 - 3000 size reels, and 10 - 14# mono. Which gives me the 20H reduction train. 20H, 10H, 5.5M. I use anywhere from 6 - 10# fluorocarbon line on them. The 6# line casts noticeably better than the 8, and the 8 casts noticeably better than the 10.

If you use braid as the main line on spinning gear, and I have recently put braid on two of my rods, then I don't reel size makes much difference at all. I have 15# Daiwa J Braid Grand 8 on two of my spinning rods. They cast probably twice as good with the braid, as they do with the fluorocarbon line. Honestly, if it weren't for some of the characteristics that braid has when fishing in the wind , with light baits. I'd probably have braid on all of my spinning rods. Casting performance is crazy good, and line twist which is a major factor with fluorocarbon on spinning gear, is all but non existent.