Help Support Nitro Owners Forum:
T AMBURGEY
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 25, 2009
- Messages
- 257
- Reaction score
- 0
Very good rod, They improved my casting accuracy quite a bit, and they seem to be able to throw a little further than my other rods,they are very light plus they look real cool to with my Johnnie Morris reels. The small guides are a little hard to thread line through. I really like them and gonna get a few more. I own a 7 feet med heavy and heavy action. Ive caught 43 with them the last few trips and lost only one which was my fault cause I got excited and tried to rush her in the net
TritonGlenn
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2005
- Messages
- 2,785
- Reaction score
- 5
I don't use them, and have actually never laid eyes on them in person. All I know about them, I read on Duckett's website and the reviews from others. People seem to like them.
I've been around long enough to see a myriad of guide styles and techniques come and go.
My first rods had wire guides - no rings at all.
Years later, I had my first "ceramic ring" guides on a new rod.
Then came the others - Aluminum Oxide, Hardloy, Alconite, Silicone Carbide, Silicone Nitride, Gold Cermet, Fuji's "concept" guides, etc...
Now we have new Micro guides with rings made out of something called Nanolite or Duralite.
I've been through the straight guide alignment, spiral wrap, improved spiral wrap, internal guide (Daiwa and Cabela's), etc...
My old formula for a long distance casting rod used to be as such - big stripper guide (Like a 16) of quality material and a slightly larger SIC tip top (like a 10).
Now, we are going totally opposite, and people are claiming they can cast much further with micro guides. But further than what? Are the rods they are comparing them to outfitted with top quality SIC, Gold Cermet or something of the sort; or is the comparison being made to rods that have Aluminum Oxide, Hardloy, or Alconite guides? That, to me, is the big question before I'd jump to something like that. I'm not saying folks that like the rods are wrong. I'm simply voicing my own reservations in jumping onto this new concept of micro guide rods.
When I built my own (which I'm really considering starting to do again), I would ensure that on a custom rod, the line never touched the blank when the rod was bent. I'd check guide placement to ensure they were close enough together that when I bent the rod, the line didn't lay flat on the blank, or even worse - slip to one side. The height of the guides allowed me to do so. Then came Fuji's concept guides, and that technique of building rods pretty much went out of the window. I'd still check guide placement, but there was no way to keep the line off the blank with the guide ring so close to the blank. Now we have micro guides. I wonder how the line is resting when the rod is bent to a normal arc? (That's an actual question). If anyone that owns one (Todd - if you wouldn't mind), could bend it to a normal fish-fighting arc and have someone take a picture of it from the side so I could see how the line rests, I'd greatly appreciate it.
All the best,
Glenn
I've been around long enough to see a myriad of guide styles and techniques come and go.
My first rods had wire guides - no rings at all.
Years later, I had my first "ceramic ring" guides on a new rod.
Then came the others - Aluminum Oxide, Hardloy, Alconite, Silicone Carbide, Silicone Nitride, Gold Cermet, Fuji's "concept" guides, etc...
Now we have new Micro guides with rings made out of something called Nanolite or Duralite.
I've been through the straight guide alignment, spiral wrap, improved spiral wrap, internal guide (Daiwa and Cabela's), etc...
My old formula for a long distance casting rod used to be as such - big stripper guide (Like a 16) of quality material and a slightly larger SIC tip top (like a 10).
Now, we are going totally opposite, and people are claiming they can cast much further with micro guides. But further than what? Are the rods they are comparing them to outfitted with top quality SIC, Gold Cermet or something of the sort; or is the comparison being made to rods that have Aluminum Oxide, Hardloy, or Alconite guides? That, to me, is the big question before I'd jump to something like that. I'm not saying folks that like the rods are wrong. I'm simply voicing my own reservations in jumping onto this new concept of micro guide rods.
When I built my own (which I'm really considering starting to do again), I would ensure that on a custom rod, the line never touched the blank when the rod was bent. I'd check guide placement to ensure they were close enough together that when I bent the rod, the line didn't lay flat on the blank, or even worse - slip to one side. The height of the guides allowed me to do so. Then came Fuji's concept guides, and that technique of building rods pretty much went out of the window. I'd still check guide placement, but there was no way to keep the line off the blank with the guide ring so close to the blank. Now we have micro guides. I wonder how the line is resting when the rod is bent to a normal arc? (That's an actual question). If anyone that owns one (Todd - if you wouldn't mind), could bend it to a normal fish-fighting arc and have someone take a picture of it from the side so I could see how the line rests, I'd greatly appreciate it.
All the best,
Glenn
Rich Eder2
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2006
- Messages
- 288
- Reaction score
- 0
Teri, I'm on the same side of the fence as Glenn. I've always been taught that the more guides on the rod the more drag on the line which would slow down the cast. Just my 2 cents.
T AMBURGEY
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 25, 2009
- Messages
- 257
- Reaction score
- 0
I sure will. Im not near my rods right now guys so when I am with them again I"ll take a picture. Im comparing them to my rick clunn rods and my extremes and quantum pts.I felt just like you guys but I won these two and now I will buy some more. But I have never owned any high quality rods before. Maybe I just believe Im doing better with them.Any way Ill get the pics and guys thanks for all you all do on here
TritonGlenn
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2005
- Messages
- 2,785
- Reaction score
- 5
Todd,
I greatly appreciate you taking the pictures. Looking forward to seeing them.
All the best,
Glenn
I greatly appreciate you taking the pictures. Looking forward to seeing them.
All the best,
Glenn
I have one arriving tomorrow. I will test it out at Guntersville and let you know what I think but I am not near as technical with my rods as you. Personally, I like really light "feeling" rods. My price point will be comparing them to 100-175 rods. The rod was highly recommended to me by a friend who fishes a great deal. So, I thought I would try it out. I am just getting to the point where I have the right rated rod for every situation instead of using 3 rods for everything. Just a beginner so I am not too picky or hard to please. I do have one rod in one brand that I really like, St Croix Mojo Bass Topwater, so I bought their Slop n Frog rod and I hate it. Feels like a broomstick with guides. To each it's own I guess.
Scott Hammer TOXIC
Well-Known Member
And don't forget the most important thing when picking out a rod, any rod, verify that the placed the guides in the correct relation to the spline. Glenn can explain that better than me. I just know how to check them in the store. You would be surprised how many are incorrect which greatly effects the way the rod performs.
TOXIC
TOXIC
Dan J.
Well-Known Member
Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I think the micro guides are another way to introduce more choices/products to a limited market. A great blank, with sturdy, free-flowing guides, a good strong reel seat, and an overall complete balance weighed with a loaded reel for the technique applied is the ultimate goal. How you get there is all individual choice and semantics from one angler to the next. The proof is in the pudding as they say, so play with as many as possible and assemble in your arsenal as many as you can comfortably afford, tuning each one to its' particular task. Think of it as building a great set of Snap-On tools. Good luck! 
T AMBURGEY
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 25, 2009
- Messages
- 257
- Reaction score
- 0
How do I put pics on here
Dan J.
Well-Known Member
Todd - Click on the link and Carlos' helpful info will set you up.
http://www.nitroowners.com/projects/PostPicturesOnNTOWS.htm
http://www.nitroowners.com/projects/PostPicturesOnNTOWS.htm
T AMBURGEY
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 25, 2009
- Messages
- 257
- Reaction score
- 0
Thanks Dan. Is this what you wanted to see Glenn
http://www.nitroowners.com/~library/24091/008.JPG
http://www.nitroowners.com/~library/24091/008.JPG
TritonGlenn
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2005
- Messages
- 2,785
- Reaction score
- 5
Todd,
Not exactly, unless that is a spinning rod. Thanks for taking the picture though.
If it's a baitcasting rod, I want the guides on top, just like you would have it when fighting a fish. Then put the same type of bend in it that you have in the pictures. I want to see the area between the guides to see how much the line is resting on the blank / beside the blank.
If that is a spinning rod, then that picture does say a lot.
Thanks again for posting it.
All the best,
Glenn
Not exactly, unless that is a spinning rod. Thanks for taking the picture though.
If it's a baitcasting rod, I want the guides on top, just like you would have it when fighting a fish. Then put the same type of bend in it that you have in the pictures. I want to see the area between the guides to see how much the line is resting on the blank / beside the blank.
If that is a spinning rod, then that picture does say a lot.
Thanks again for posting it.
All the best,
Glenn
Scott Hammer TOXIC
Well-Known Member
Dang it Glenn, explain the spline thing....:lol::lol: I think it is something everyone should be aware of and check before buying....if possible.
TOXIC
TOXIC
TritonGlenn
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2005
- Messages
- 2,785
- Reaction score
- 5
Tox,
OK, OK... :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
Most factory rods, including quite a few high end models (unfortunately), are not splined correctly. Now, before I get into this, I'll preface it by saying that some do not subscribe to this way of thinking, and some adamantly argue against it. That's fine. They don't need to fish with my rods anyway, so it really doesn't affect me personally if they don't agree. :lol::lol::lol:
The spline, or the natural "arch" of the rod will allow it to bend perfectly DOWN. The way it is supposed to. If the spline is not positioned correctly, when the rod bends down, the blank will also rotate in your hands slightly (and sometimes... not so slightly - actually, quite harshly).
Have you ever owned a rod that always seemed to wear you out, even though it wasn't that heavy? It seems like your wrists hurt after a day of using it? Every time you set the hook on a fish, the rod seemed to torque sideways a little bit when you slammed the hook home on a largemouth (or other fish)? More than likely, your rod is splined very wrong.
To check the spline on any rod, and it is much easier to do this on a rod blank, vice a pre-built rod, but it can be done on either:
Place the rod butt on a smooth surface that won't "grab" the rod at all. It should roll smoothly when you twirl the rod with your fingers with the butt resting on the floor. Lean the rod tip down to about a 2 oclock position, with the butt still on the floor. With one hand, take your index finger and lay the rod on top of it. so that the rod is resting between the floor and your index finger. Now take your other hand and place it palm side down on the rod, approximately halfway down the length of the rod. Press down gently so the rod has a slight bend in it. With the hand you have at the mid-point of the rod, roll your hand over it so that the rod starts rolling underneath your palm (and across the top of the index finger on your other hand. As you roll the rod, it should naturally "jump" to a spot that feels like it doesn't want to move from. That is the "spline". Do it a few times to repeat the results until you are sure you know where the spline is. I normally have someone else put a piece of tape there and mark it perfectly with a pen so I know where it's at when I'm done.
Now, on a spinning rod, the guides should be mounted so that they are ON the spline. On a baitcast rod, the guides should be mounted so that they are 180 degrees from the spline. This way, when you set the hook or bend the rod, no matter how it is set up (spinning or baitcast), the natural spline goes DOWN - all the time.
If the spline of a rod is to the right, when you set the hook, the rod will twist right. If it's on the left, the rod will twist to the left. If it's on top, the rod may twist fairly violently either way. If it's down - the rod doesn't twist. Period.
I sincerely hope this is understandable. It's really easy for me to show someone in person with the rod there. If needed, I can take some pictures of the process to clear up any misunderstandings of the procedure.
For fun one day, go to a store that stocks a variety of high-end bass fishing rods. Check the spline on them. I think you will be surprised. I've found two companies in all my years that consistently spline every single one of their factory rods correctly. I'm not going to name names, because I haven't checked them lately and I don't want to misrepresent something. I will say this though - MOST rods are incorrectly splined. I do one of two things these days if I'm not building a custom. I either go through the stack and find the one that is splined the best (or as close as I can get to perfect), or I just buy it, take it home, strip the entire rod and rebuild it correctly. I've only done that a handful of times (rebuilding a brand new rod), but the resulting rods have always been my favorites.
All the best,
Glenn
OK, OK... :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
Most factory rods, including quite a few high end models (unfortunately), are not splined correctly. Now, before I get into this, I'll preface it by saying that some do not subscribe to this way of thinking, and some adamantly argue against it. That's fine. They don't need to fish with my rods anyway, so it really doesn't affect me personally if they don't agree. :lol::lol::lol:
The spline, or the natural "arch" of the rod will allow it to bend perfectly DOWN. The way it is supposed to. If the spline is not positioned correctly, when the rod bends down, the blank will also rotate in your hands slightly (and sometimes... not so slightly - actually, quite harshly).
Have you ever owned a rod that always seemed to wear you out, even though it wasn't that heavy? It seems like your wrists hurt after a day of using it? Every time you set the hook on a fish, the rod seemed to torque sideways a little bit when you slammed the hook home on a largemouth (or other fish)? More than likely, your rod is splined very wrong.
To check the spline on any rod, and it is much easier to do this on a rod blank, vice a pre-built rod, but it can be done on either:
Place the rod butt on a smooth surface that won't "grab" the rod at all. It should roll smoothly when you twirl the rod with your fingers with the butt resting on the floor. Lean the rod tip down to about a 2 oclock position, with the butt still on the floor. With one hand, take your index finger and lay the rod on top of it. so that the rod is resting between the floor and your index finger. Now take your other hand and place it palm side down on the rod, approximately halfway down the length of the rod. Press down gently so the rod has a slight bend in it. With the hand you have at the mid-point of the rod, roll your hand over it so that the rod starts rolling underneath your palm (and across the top of the index finger on your other hand. As you roll the rod, it should naturally "jump" to a spot that feels like it doesn't want to move from. That is the "spline". Do it a few times to repeat the results until you are sure you know where the spline is. I normally have someone else put a piece of tape there and mark it perfectly with a pen so I know where it's at when I'm done.
Now, on a spinning rod, the guides should be mounted so that they are ON the spline. On a baitcast rod, the guides should be mounted so that they are 180 degrees from the spline. This way, when you set the hook or bend the rod, no matter how it is set up (spinning or baitcast), the natural spline goes DOWN - all the time.
If the spline of a rod is to the right, when you set the hook, the rod will twist right. If it's on the left, the rod will twist to the left. If it's on top, the rod may twist fairly violently either way. If it's down - the rod doesn't twist. Period.
I sincerely hope this is understandable. It's really easy for me to show someone in person with the rod there. If needed, I can take some pictures of the process to clear up any misunderstandings of the procedure.
For fun one day, go to a store that stocks a variety of high-end bass fishing rods. Check the spline on them. I think you will be surprised. I've found two companies in all my years that consistently spline every single one of their factory rods correctly. I'm not going to name names, because I haven't checked them lately and I don't want to misrepresent something. I will say this though - MOST rods are incorrectly splined. I do one of two things these days if I'm not building a custom. I either go through the stack and find the one that is splined the best (or as close as I can get to perfect), or I just buy it, take it home, strip the entire rod and rebuild it correctly. I've only done that a handful of times (rebuilding a brand new rod), but the resulting rods have always been my favorites.
All the best,
Glenn
TritonGlenn
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2005
- Messages
- 2,785
- Reaction score
- 5
Oh... and for one person that has a REALLY badly splined rod that hurts your hands when you use it - I'll offer this - you pay shipping and send me that rod. Give me some time (it takes a while to carefully strip a rod and rebuild it from the ground up), and I'll strip everything off of it, rebuild it properly, and send it back to you. I firmly believe that I will make you a true believer in splining a rod properly after that experience. I'll warn you ahead of time though - you might become disappointed in some of your other rods after you experience the change it can make. :lol::lol::lol:
All the best,
Glenn
:lol::lol::lol:All the best,
Glenn
Scott Hammer TOXIC
Well-Known Member
See....what'd I tell you. :lol::lol: I quit checking because it was obvious how many were wrong.
TOXIC
TOXIC
