Rod Building: Microguides

[rps]

Just finished wrapping a new rod for my own use. I don't tie fancy, just functional. This will be my new wiggle wart, spinner bait, and Spook rod.

I built the rod on a St. Croix SC IV blank - 6'3", medium power, fast action, rated for 10-17 test line and 1/4 to 5/8 ounce baits. Fuji 9" straight handle. 2 ounces of lead inside the blank in the last 6 inches. 11 ATC micrguides plus tip top. Balance point with reel on the rod is right at the free spool button.

This was my first experience with microguides. The little buggers are so small they are a pain to tie. My wife complained (understandably) when I cursed several times while crawling on my knees looking for the tiny little things. My old eyes and fat fingers meant I dropped them way too often. However, when I took the rod outside to test it, the bait (Spro Dawg) rocketed with just a casual flip.

If the rod performs as I expect, I think I may stop using recoil guides and use the microguides on the next one.

Has anyone else wrapped a rod with them and do you have any tips for how to deal with tiny guides, old eyes, and fat fingers?

[Brian K. Shaffer]

Post up some pics of the rod for us to drool over.

I'm not sure I even know what Microguides look like.

Brian

[Flysmallie]

Here is a comparison photo I found online. Those are crazy looking.

[timsfly]

How will the smaller eyes perform in cold weather(ice) and what will they do better than the other style of guide, other than lighter weight.

They look neat.

[Al Agnew]

There was a pretty good discussion of them over on Riversmallies a while back. I think the consensus was that they save on weight but make little difference on performance. Personally, I simply don't like the looks of them, but then again I didn't like the looks of baggy basketball shorts when they first appeared, but I've gotten used to them!

RPS, I'll be interested as to how you find that rod works for Spooks. I really don't like long-handled rods for spook fishing because the handle slaps my forearm with each twitch, and after a while it gets to be a pain. My canoe spook rod is only 5 feet long (because it's a whole lot easier to work a walk-the-dog type bait with a very short rod when you're sitting down in a canoe or kayak) and has a short, straight handle. My boat WTD rod is about 6'2" because it started out being a 6.5 ft. rod but the handle was too long so I cut part of it off.

[Gavin]

Giant Wrap, Tiny Guide...kinda remind me of the old flip ring guides that you see on ancient fly rods...Frankly, I dont like the way they look..

I guess they save on weight, but are they fragile?

[rps]

When I get the finish on the wraps I will take pictures and post.

As for the spooking with a long handle, when I got serious about the bait, what I owned was a six foot Falcon with an 8.5 inch handle. By now, what I do while walking may not be what others do. But it works. I also will use the rod for spinner baits and warts. When I throw, I use two hands. I learned when I was so small, I have always thrown with two hands. I never got into the pistol grip as I couldn't use both.

Performance? I will tell more once I have fished all day for several days. For now though, the combination of factors seems to make things work.

You know, why don't some of you with questions come fish with me this Spring and Summer. I'll let you throw my rigs and see what you think.

[RSBreth]

I saw these in a tackle-making catalog a while back. Look a little funny, but if you like them, I guess that's all that counts.

[Rolan Duffield]

I've been using the regular Fuji single foot guides for years and really like them for casting ease. Wouldn't even consider using any of the snake guides anymore.

I would be concerned with the small size of these micro guides as I doubt if the guide size is large enough to provide friction free and smooth casting. Of course this depends on their size in relation to the line diameter.

Rolan

[LarrySTL]

Boyd Duckett, one of the BASS Elite guys, got in a dispute with his rod company last year and has started his own rod company. His rods exclusively use the microguides and theres a discussion on that website about what he feels the pluses of those guides are. He says they actually cast farther and easier than traditional larger guides. See Duckettfishing.com