Aluminum winding checks are easily enlarged by reaming, filing or drilling. I am assuming your problem is that they are too small to fit the rod at that point? If just slightly too large, you can make trim wraps up against the grips and then slip the checks on over them.

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Thanks Thomas. My wife and I have been going up there the past 7 years and it is no joke that the smallmouth are BIG and plentiful on Champlain. I catch largemouth here in Va. all season but my passion is smallmouth, so Champlain is my meca.

Tom, unfortunatley the winding checks I have go from waaay too big to waaaay too small for wrapping or reaming. I ordered the checks and hopefully they will arrive tomorrow or monday (from Japan). I completed one spinning and one casting rod, so I have the final two to build next week. If I get the checks by Mon I can do it, if not i may be (or should I say, my wife may be) one rod shy....

The winding chacks came in on Saturday. I have a second coat of epoxy to apply on a rod tonight then tomorrow night I will wrap the guides on the last rod and get a coat of epoxy on it. Then apply the logo on my lunch break wednsday and second coat of epoxy wednsday night.

Looks like it will be done, even though when I bought everything for these last two rods I measured the reel seat and winding check placement incorrectly by an inch.......:-/ Still fit though, luckily. I wont try this drill again anytime soon.....

-Mike