In the "Spinning Rod Guide Sizing and Placement" tutorial for butt guide distance, it lists 18" - 22" from the spool face for freshwater rods. Also, it says "Typically, the larger the spool diameter, the further from the spool face the guide will be located". So I assume the smaller the spool face, the closer to the spool face the guide will be.

I'm going to use AmTac guides as I wanted the gold zirconia rings, so they will be a tad shorter in height compared to the Fuji concept guides. Once the choker is established, the shorter height guides would normally be skewed further from the spool face using the reel's spindle to the choker, but the butt guide should possibly be closer to the spool since it's only 48mm. The rod will be chucking 1/2 - 5/8 oz lead with drifting spawn, tweaking the guide distance back and forth so it will cast an extra 3 - 4 feet further is a moot point.

So which "rule" takes priority - guide tops even with line from spindle to choker or butt guide closer to smaller spool face? Thanks.

Trust, but verify - Ronald Reagan

You do what you have to do with the height of the butt guide. If you're locked into a specific height, it will go where it will go and whatever that distance is from the spool face is what it is. At some point you'll have to just cast is a bit and find out the location that works best for you.

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Tim,
In virtually all of the spinning rods that I build I just place the butt guide at 20 inches from the reel and go from there. Really have no issues at all with that distance, no matter the spool size or the guide size.

It works well.

Be safe

All the rules are just a Starting Point The rod has to be static tested - test casted Guides moved to find the best -place to give the best performance
Nothing written in Stone
i usually start at 18" for the butt

Bill - willierods.com

Don't forget that the rod has two jobs, casting and fighting fish. Both influence placement. Lower guides will move further out, higher guides closer. Try to choose a guide that supports the section of the rod that will do the heavy work.

Jim Ising Wrote:
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> Don't forget that the rod has two jobs, casting
> and fighting fish. Both influence placement. Lower
> guides will move further out, higher guides
> closer. Try to choose a guide that supports the
> section of the rod that will do the heavy work.

Fishing fish has always been paramount when I build a rod, but I have picked my guides and I'll work with these only but the butt guide is not going to be very far from the spool. I'll shorten up the choker guide distance if needed. I might have to dig out those old Fuji concept guide spacings . . .

Trust, but verify - Ronald Reagan