I did a slight oops while pier fishing a couple years ago and pulled out several rings. I know this is a very basic question but I looked around for quite a bit (on google) and could not find the answers I happened to be looking for, I appreciate everyones time / input even though its a pretty basic question.

I know the tip size is a 7.5 since thats on the specs for batson/rainshadows site. However I have 0 idea of what size the rest of the guides should be or what kind, I guess the best I can do is tell you what I am looking for;

The rod will be used primarily on a boat for Tarpon / Grouper / Tuna (light trolling / reef fishing), I need something fairly heavy duty for the guides (boat guides?), not ring material wise but frame wise. I love my fishing buddy to death but he is pretty careless (equipment wise) on the boat so even when we do go out I leave my north forks / glx's at home. I am also not looking to spend 20+ on each guide, I really would just like a cheap solution that plain works. (The guy who made the rod 5+ years later said he would do everything at cost and not charge labor is fantastic but I cannot afford the shipping fees right now and really did not want to spend over 40 dollars for a set of guides shipping alone would set me back 60 which is the cost of the blank pretty much) There are 10 guides total on the rod including the tip (which I also need to know what model I should buy for it). I would prefer it if the guides were black.

I have 0 issue if they are guides without even rings in them, or a mix and match of various kinds, I only prefer black because they seem to hold up a little bit better.

Also just a randomly question, aside from the first guide or 2 does it matter if the other guides are "casting" type? Seem's most of the durable boat guides I was looking at happen to be casting/conv (Forecast BSULG / BSTLG's)


I appreciate everyones help so much!

-Brian



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/2015 10:45AM by Brian Moore01.

First off....spinning reel or conventional? If spinning reel look in the library for the 27X article. Also read up on static testing.

I would be fishing 20# class on that blank....maybe 25# tops. So I wouldn't be looking for a heavy duty boat guide. Fuji, amtack, or alps would be my first choices but minimas would do for a budget choice. REC recoils are pretty much indestructible but costly. Would help to know if inserts popped out or if frames were torn loose from guide wraps.

For fish that make long/powerful/fast runs (like tarpon/tuna/dolphin/sailfish) I do think ring material matters. I don't need SIC but alconite/nanolite/zirconia would be worth the extra cost. For grouper, assuming you aren't fishing braid, anything will do.

Black is better, 316SS would be worth considering as well. Virtus lite with nanolite inserts might be just what you are looking for. I have them on a rclb80lx and rclb70l. Both are used with conventional reels. These days I would no longer use a double foot guide for a spinning rod in 30# and under class.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Hey Russ, Thankyou for your answer.

I shortened my previous answer since I tend to get a little long winded.

Spinning - I will be switching to conventional eventually so I am just borrowing larger spinning reels, just depends on who I am borrowing from it seems the first guide being 30 is a safe choice as long as I am not using a HUGE spinning reel.

The rings popped out on some of them, I am unsure the cause but could of been dropped or a swivel passing through the guides (lost about 4 sic rings), some seem to be snapped around the ring portion of the frame. We decided to do some camping and fishing off a pier, I probably drank a little to much but this was 5+ (probably 7 years ago actually)

I removed the guides and the blank is coated in epoxy so where I removed the guides I did have a mm or 2 of epoxy until the next removed guide, no idea on how to make this less visible.

I wanted to use boat guides not because of what I was fishing for but because things tend to get damaged on my friends boat (without beer hehe), I have plenty of nice inshore rods but just do not feel comfortable putting my north forks and glx's on the boat because of cost and the amount of time my builder took (due to back log)

I have a couple questions and what I plan on ordering below;

The rod consists of 9 guides and 1 tip top, due to my inexperience I cannot change this, I really do not feel comfortable removing the epoxy from the blank (area between the wraps/guides I already removed).

DBRLVL 30 - 16 - 12 - 8 - 8 - 8 - 8 - 8 I have room for one more guide, I am unsure if I should add another 8 or add a 20 between the 30 and 16.

BBRLT-8-7.5 - I was unsure which tip top to get, even though I dislike the blue it is made of the same 316 SS , I have had horrible luck with Fuji recently (Corrosion wise even if I clean fairly well, but I am open to your thoughts on which tip top)

ProWrap ColorFast 100yd Size D - 862 Twilight Black - I was reading black kind of hides the imperfections, I hope 100yards is enough. This rod had an underwrap is that still needed? aside from looks is there an added benefit?

Flex coat tip top adhesive

Flexcoat Rod Finish - High Build Kit (its the 24cc kit, is that enough epoxy?)

The total is 47.48 from mud hole. I have no problems going cheaper, just not any higher. I do have to say considering the last rod I had built for me its kind of nice all of that is cheaper than a single guide heh.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/25/2015 12:11AM by Brian Moore01.

Do NOT use 5 minute epoxy for guide coating.

It is a very unsuitable coating for thread. Use one of the excellent thread coatings on the market today.

It makes sens that you go with the double foot guides, both for being tough as well as fitting into the former guide spaces.

Check the Pac Bay catalog:

Page 10 - for the Minima Model TV guides. These taller double foot guides would work well for your purpose.

Good luck

Yeah I saw that a little later hehehe, thanks roger. I will look at the minima guides. (I edited my previous post)

While I wait for more answers I found this interesting

[www.ajmfg.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/25/2015 01:14PM by Brian Moore01.

if you go to here: [www.rainshadowrodblanks.com] this will give you a basic layout or at least ideas to get you started.. Let us know if we can help!

R. McBride

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