I'm still very new at this, and I'm working on about my 9th rod. So far, I'm very happy with the results. For guide spacing, I have simply copied my favorite factory rod with the New Concept system. I'm building on a GL3 MB804 blank, (6'8") and am using 7 guides plus tip top. 25, 16, 10, 8, 8, 7, 7, 7(tip top)

But I'm wondering if I can't improve. I've read where others gained better distance by eliminating the 8's and going with 7's all the way out. What do you think?


When stress testing a baitcaster, it is easy to see where the guides need to go. But on these spinners, the difference of an inch in either direction does not change things much, except around the very tip of the rod. The factory spacing seems as good as any I come up with myself. So here are my questions:

* Is stress testing as important on a spinning rod?
* I try to make the line path follow the curve of the rod closely with no major gaps. Is there anything more that I'm trying to accomplish?
* With the New Concept guide placement, are there any tricks to help increase casting distance?

As usual, thank you for the help you guys so willingly dispense. This board is a great resource! And if anyone ever needs help catching stripers in the Chesapeake Bay, feel free to email me! It's the least I could do.

TH

Why don't you try your guides set up by tapeing the guides in place. Go outside and cast the weight you plan to use. Now try and change the size eights to sevens and test cast them to see any difference. To see the difference of the guide placement, check the angle that the line travels through the guide. If the angle is very sharp, try adding another guide. This should decrease the angle and make the line follow the curvature of the blank better. Then go out and test cast and see how this affects the rod. You may find that it helps or hinders the action. This will be the only way to be sure. You may think you have a great set up only to find by adding another guide that you can make some improvement. There's only one way to know and that is by test casting. At least after you have done this you will rest assured that you have done your best. After all, that is what most of us are striving for. Is it not?

Bruce Young
Landing Gear

Thanks, Bruce. Sounds to me like you are saying that stress testing IS just as important for spinnning rods.

On a 4-power spinning rod like this one, you think 8 guides plus tip may be the way to go?

TH

Are you using the standard (on the top of the blank) way to put the guides on? Yes, stress tests are just as important with baitcasters.

I did that exact same rod about 6 months ago. I don't remember what I used for guides and I don't have my journal here at work. I'm pretty sure I went 16, 10, 8, 6, 6, 6, 6. I felt that if I were putting the guides on the top side of the blank I would have put 8 plus the top. I went with a spiral wrap on it and 7 seemed just fine. I love this rod! My 'go-to' Bass rod.

Oooooops! Just reread your post. You're setting this up as a spinning rod! Anyway, yes, its still very important to stress test. And if you're setting this up as a spinning rod I would start with a 25. Maybe even one size bigger. Are you using a big spinning reel? And I would skip the 8's. As far as the number of guides go, you may be able to cut it back to 6. Load 'er up and she what she looks like. I would have gone to 6 if I would have been setting it up for spinning.

Prior to the ultimate test casting or 'field testing', you should be able to achieve some idea in the shop about stress distribution, and it's just as important for a spinning rod as it is for a baitcasting rod.

One way you can achieve without wrapping the guides completely is to tape the guides or some might use other methods such as rubber tubing or tying in place temporarily with monofilament, whatever...just to hold them in place. Then bend the tip of the rod by hand for the 'stress', and just look where the taught line (not the thing producing the stress) is being distributed though the guides. A smooth transition should form about 10degree angle deflection from each guide. More than this and it is probably overstressed. Of course, the test casting will confirm your final tweaking for optimal performance and as Bruce suggests is what we attempt to achieve.

As for the concept guide system, the purpose for this is in a nutshell is weight reduction at places where it really counts (past the butt third of the rod or so), and thus better performance.

Tony, I could always use help in catching stripers, now that I've 'mastered' red snapper...we don't have either in our region but my ears are open to your 'secrets' for new species. As biologists would say, 'different feces, for different species'. Jokingly, and not to be derogitory, the idea of the 'ultimate' custom rod for specific species and among individual rodbuilders can be thought of in a similar manner as to what idea works 'best'.

Rich
Solyrich Custom Rods

Tony just one suggestion to try in your stress testing, first tie the line to an object what will not move about 10 feet away. Now start with the rod pointing straight ahead about belt level and start moving it upward slowly to straight up or 90 degrees. Watch the rod bend and the angles the line makes with the guides. You want as small an angle as possible with each guide. Do this several times and adjust the guides to reduce the line angle if possible. Flex the rod to 90- degrees but no more. While you are flexing the rod there should not be any torqueing or twisting when you load the rod. You want the rod to be stable. Now turn around and do the same thing with the rod in a casting position. Watch the angles the line makes with the guides. Again the angles should be as small as possible. Watch the rod to see if it torques or twists when you loat it as to cast or does the guides stay directly in front of the rod with the line held close to the front of the rod. If the rods torques on the fish fighting or retreving or on the back flexing or casting check the spines to be sure they are properly placed. This may be more than you asked but it provides much more information than the traditional stress test.

I used the outline in the July/August RodMaker and lined things up with a table edge as shown. One you understand the straight line concept it is really easy and will SHOW you EXACTLY what guides to use. You don't have to guess or select any - the rod and the line path do all that for you. Takes maybe 45 seconds to set up the Concept system with that method.

UPDATE:

First of all, THANKS, guys for the help.

I just used some of the tips I've been given in this thread. The general stress testing I had down pat, but the tip of reversing the rod and stress testing from the TOP helped me tweak the guides a little better. (They were STILL almost identical to my others, but you can never be too perfect. Upside down testing of my previous rods shows me that I wasn't far off at all! But they will be even better from now on.)

Also, I swapped the 8 fly guide for a 7 without any kind of penalty, but it seems to perform a little better.

I toyed with the idea of moving down to 6's, but for a jetty casting rod of this power and line test, I feel better with the 7's right now, and they are still smaller than the 8's and 10's most guys prefer for this kind of work.

So in summary, you guys have helped me improve once again. THANKS AGAIN!

-TH