Do spiral wrapped rods cast differently?

Started by pjstevko, December 30, 2017, 10:57:47 PM

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pjstevko

I was just wondering how spiral wrapping the guides on a rod affects casting distance....

I know it reduces torque on the reel but does it reduce casting distance?

Pj

Captain64-200

You mean mounting the rings in a spiral pattern ?  or  the carbonfiber wrapping ?
Fred from Biarritz ,

pjstevko

Quote from: Captain64-200 on December 30, 2017, 11:39:16 PM
You mean mounting the rings in a spiral pattern ?  or  the carbonfiber wrapping ?

Wrapping the guides...

Swami805

Yes it does, more friction less distance. I know there's some big fans of spiral wraps on here and there is a benefit with the rod torquing to one side. The down side is casting distance is shortened.
Do what you can with that you have where you are

pjstevko

Quote from: Swami805 on December 31, 2017, 12:46:53 AM
Yes it does, more friction less distance. I know there's some big fans of spiral wraps on here and there is a benefit with the rod torquing to one side. The down side is casting distance is shortened.

That's what I thought.....

MarkT

While there may be a little decrease in casting distance, it'll only be a few percent and you probably wouldn't notice any difference.  I have two acid wrapped rods... Seeker Black Steel 6480 and 6470.  Both wrapped by my brah J.AkuHed.
When I was your age Pluto was a planet!

Rivverrat

#6
If its done right you would need a tape measure to be able to tell any difference in casting distance. I mean are we talking casting sinkers or bait ?
If you use the rod as you would fish it there is little if any diff. If in fact there is any one way or the other. It is my belief that some blanks benefit from it more than others. Some blanks may see little to no benefit from being acid wrapped. I think how a blank is laid out on the mandrels when built plays a huge part in this.

I have one that Jon Vadney did for me, did it make a huge positive difference ? Probably not but there are no obvious negatives to it. So I will leave it as it is its a very unique beautiful rod. An acid wrapped rod in my mind comes into play when after big fish & using heavy drag. 20 or more pounds of drag for an extended time.

Word of warning for what ever reason this is one of those topics that some seem to have no issue going to war over. Not understood that myself.... Jeff


Tiddlerbasher

About 6 of my rods are acid wrapped - the rest 'normal' - I really don't notice any diference in casting performance. BUT if I'm into something heavy (not often!) I prefer the acid wrapped. No torque on the wrist.

Swami805

I built 2 about 30 years ago when I first learned the concept, I used them for casting swimbaits on 1/2-1 oz lead heads. Fished them for a few years and got used to them and they worked fine. But if your interest is in distance they just don't cast as far. Distance casting is about friction, less friction more distance.

You're right Jeff does tend to rile people up.
Do what you can with that you have where you are

MarkT

#9
I've had people wonder if I had a 2-piece rod that was put together wrong. The Captain on the Excel gave me grief over my acid-wrapped G6470 too. Why is it called an acid wrap? Dude, were you on acid when you wrapped that rod? Yeah, it can be like that! OTOH, it can be easier to keep the line level on a conventional reel. If you're right handed spiral to the left. The line will tend to move to the left on the retrieve so all you have to do is push it to the right with your thumb. It was an advantage when I caught a 270# YFT on Alan's rig that was acid wrapped.
When I was your age Pluto was a planet!

Swami805

And they're ya go, The proper equipment for the task and success was achieved.
Do what you can with that you have where you are

Jeri

We did this experiment a couple of years ago with pure distance casting surf blanks. When measuring spiral wrapped against traditional, we could find no difference at all. The friction arguement doesn't hold water, if the two rods have exactly the same number of guides. In our tests, we were testing much heavier sinker combinations than small lure rods, and distances were measured over 450 feet or more.

Just our findings, though it was a short lived entity in our custom rod building, as shortly afterwards nearly 99% of our competition anglers changed over to braid and fixed spool reels.

Cheers from sunny Africa.

Jeri

Swami805

So how many distance casters switched to spiral wraps?
It's a decades old cocept that never caught on. Tournament bass guys don't use it hardly anyone one does but it crops up about every decade then just fades away. If it works for you great but for most it didn't and that's why you don't see it around much.
Do what you can with that you have where you are

Tiddlerbasher

'Looks' sells tackle - spriral wrap looks 'wrong' to a lot of people. That equates to less sales for the big boys. Therefore the 'big boys' don't sell them.
IMHO spiral works fine, even on the rail. Each to his own :-\

MarkT

The only downside to acid rods is that they are difficult to bundle up when packing up to go because the guides get in way!
When I was your age Pluto was a planet!