I'm making an 8' casting rod for carolina rigs and bass fishing. I'm using the concept guides and would like some input on placing the guides on the inside on the bend, outside, or 90 degrees. I have placed most of my guides on the outside of the bend in the past. I've read many post on this in the past but am still pretty confused as to the advantages of each. I don't know if you call the inside or outside of the bend the spine. Don't really care as long as I place the guides in the best place.Thanks in advance, steve

steve it really dosent matter all that much if you use the inside or outside "ie: ford or chevy type of deal" but the 90 is a bad idea because then u will have the spine on the side of the guides reather than inline with them. hope this helps and Tight wraps John T Burford aka: Tightline Rod's

The spine is the outside of the curve when the blank has been pressured into a curve of least resistance.

If you are building a casting rod with guides on top, the rod will not be stable no matter where you locate the spine. If you are building it in the spiral fashion then it will be stable regardless of where the spine is located.

I would tend to put the spine so that it affected my casting and that would mean I'd have to take a look at see how I cast. Most people who are handed a baitcasting reel/rod will almost instinctively turn their wrist so the back of their hand is pointing up - this is the only way your wrist will flex fully in an overhand cast. In that case, you might be better to locate the spine in your particular casting plane which could place your guides at 90 degress, or somewhat less, to the guide position.

Don't worry about rod twist - spine has very little to do with it. Guide position has everything to do with it.

The issue of RodMaker which is mailing on Friday has more on this idea.

Tom,
I was on a match fishing web site and the page basicly said the same thing you did. I don't get it. If it really isn't important than why does everyonr make a big deal about finding the spine and wether to place the guides above it or below it? Just curious.

I didn't say it wasn't important. I said I would like to have it working for me on the cast. For many, many years people have located the spine in a certain position in order to make the rod stable - to eliminate twist - and the spine will not do that. I caught a lot of flak some 15 years ago when I first tossed out the notion that it was guide location, and not spine location, that determined rod stability. Only a handful who had observed the same thing as I had supported my position. Now most do.

But again, that doesn't mean that spine is not important. In fact, it may be more important than ever now that we are freed from the idea that is has to be located in any certain position.

Personally I like to have the spine in line with my casting plane. On spinning rods that may be on the 180 degree axis. On casting it may be on the 270 degree axis, depending upon my or my customer's casting style. With the guides on the bottom of the rods, I am stable for fish fighting in either location.

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If I located the guides on the casting plane, do I want the spine stiff for the cast or opposite spine for more flex on the back swing. Usually casting right handed with the reel up. Hopefully that makes sense. Thanks for the advice, steve

Steve,

One thing you have to remember is that the stiffest and softest axis' aren't likely to be opposite each other. It happens on some blanks, sometimes, but not often. Thus I'd work with the spine and forget about the stiffest axis for now.

I would try it (spine position up or down) both ways if I was you and decide for yourself which you think works better for you and your type casting. Typically I find myself positioning the spine so that it is on the bottom when I am holding the rod in the casting position. That might work for you, or you may feel the opposite position is more to your liking.

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I should mention that the idea of the casting and fish fighting plane being different on casting rods is something that many of us, myself include, often overlook. I was reminded of it by a letter from William (Bill?) Colby who posts here often. His letter and explanation of his system and why he uses it will be in the next RodMaker. Makes a lot of sense.

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If I had known you were going to use that in the magazine I would have checked my grammar and spelling a bit more closely!

What is the rodcrafters journal? and where do you get it if it may help?

Tom - Somewhere earlier you mentioned that you were going to discuss the 6 main causes of the spine effect. Is this going to be in the next issue of RodMaker? Should be interesting.

William,

Yes your letter brought up something I thought was important and something many of us forget so it has been included in the issue which mails tomorrow.

MIke,

Yes, there are many things which create the spine effect. The best known is the overlap where the pattern/flag starts and stops which creates an uneven wall thickness. But it is far from being the only thing, or even the most pronounced, when creating the spine effect. You can read more on the causes of spine in the next issue.

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