check your rods as well

Started by alantani, July 14, 2010, 06:01:45 PM

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alantani

3/26/09 - A school of 50 to 80 pound Guadalupe yellow fin tuna were working the chum line off the stern of the "Spirit."    Several of us were already hooked up.  Then it was Wesley's turn.   A yellow fin picked up his bait and line started peeling off his reel.  After an agonizingly long three count, he threw the reel into gear.  His rod loaded up in an instant.  Then came that sickening sound from his reel, "zzztttttttt, zzztttttttt, zzzzzzztttttttttttt, powwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!"  Tail between his legs, he walked back to his tackle box, tied on another hook, pinned on another bait and flipped it out into the chum line from an empty corner on the stern.  His bait was inhaled as soon as it hit the water.  Three more seconds and threw is reel into gear.  I heard the same "zzztttttttt, zzztttttttt, zzzzzzztttttttttttt, powwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!", this time followed by "son of a #@*% !!!!!!!!!!!!!!"   He almost chucked that rod and reel into the water. By the time he picked another rig, the bite had died.

I had serviced his reel before the trip and had no idea what was going on.  During a lull in the bite, I tore his reel down and found no problems at all.  I spooled it back up and grabbed a scale.  I hooked the line up to the scale, pulled back on the rod like I was fighting a fish and set the drag to 15 pounds.  Then, just out of curiosity, I pulled back in a straight line and got 10 pounds.  I was shocked!!!!  The rod was adding 50% to the drag setting.  A quick check revealed a ceramic insert in the rod tip that was grooved.  I pulled off the ceramic tip, glued on a roller tip, and we were back in business.  Now, through the guides, I had a 15 pound drag setting rearing back on the rod.  On a straight pull, with no load on the guides, I had 13 pounds.  As far as Wesley was concerned, that rod had bad Juju, but at least I knew what the problem was. 

For local fishing in Northern California, my rods all have guides with ceramic inserts.  My long range rods are a little different.  Mind you, these are not hard and fast rules.  For drag settings of 10 pounds and less, I use rods that have guides all the up.  For drag settings of 11 to 15 pounds, I add a roller tip.  It probably does decrease my casting distance a little, but I am so lousy at casting that I think it does not make a different.  For 16 to 20 pound drag settings, I added a roller tip and roller stripper.  For drag settings in excess of 20 pounds, my rods have rollers all the way up.  To get the smoothest performance from your gear, both the rod and the reel need to work. 
send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

Bill B

Just now found this, great explanation Bossman.....Bill
It may not be very productive,
but it's sure going to be interesting!

MarkT

That was then, now his rods use all ring guides... but some might be rotated to the bottom. Dude, were you on acid when you wrapped that rod?
When I was your age Pluto was a planet!

CapeFish

That's why I skip rods that don't have Fuji guides, unless it goes for super cheap and it may warrant an upgrade, if any of my old rods need a refurb they get braid proof Fuji guides, alconites have worked well so far. Some cheaper guides and even stainless steel may not groove but they can very easily burn braid under heavy drag on a fast run.

boon

Quite the old thread!

I don't run roller guides on anything, all setups are braid, mostly Fuji SiC guides. I've scaled one setup to 44lb drag and they seem to go OK :)