# Reguiding a Rod



## MrFish49 (Jun 30, 2012)

I have a 9 foot rod, more like 8'8" after breaking the tip off twice, it's a graphite two piece rod that I pretty much use for everything larger on the pier. It's a nice rod for what I need but it only has 5 guides which didn't bother me too much when I got it 3 years ago, but now I've snapped off 4 inches the guide tip is way too close to the first. What would the best way to go about redoing the guides and maybe the whole rod. I want to stick to this because I got a smaller car now and can't fit a one piece no matter how much I want one. Also where should I get the guides from and what would ya'll recommend that wouldn't break the bank.


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## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

guide spacing plays a huge roll in how a blank acts under load. if the spacing isn't right and puts unnatural pressure on the blank under load it will break. 

best bet is to strip it and redo with new guides. a 9ft spinner will use 7 guides minimum. get rid of those huge 40mm steel ring guides if that's what you have. those things are worthless. there are a lot of builder on here that can redo the rod for you or show you how to do it. I'd spend the extra time and money for a better build and experience. 

once you learn how a rod is properly built and what to look for you will be able to find rods in every price range that suit your needs.

I know PompanoJoe builds and can repair rods. he's a good family friend and one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. show some interest and he'll give you any amount of time and you'll learn a lot!


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## MrFish49 (Jun 30, 2012)

Ok thanks for the info, it's just some rod from basspro with ceramic insert no name guides, but I've pretty much all my firsts, king, tarpon, bobos, reds, so I'm willing to put money and my time into it. Just can't really be getting anyone else to do it being up in Georgia.


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## MrFish49 (Jun 30, 2012)

Also what does cutting say about 4 inches off the butt of the rod entail?


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## TarponDan (Nov 29, 2011)

Cutting 4 inches off the butt is pretty simple. I put masking tape around the place where I want to cut and then use a hacksaw, the finer blade the better. Sand around the cut to remove rough edges, and re-install a butt cap.

Removing that 4 inches will change the balance of the rod, however. It will also affect your casting stroke. The longer the butt, the better leverage you will get for putting more power into your cast. The rod will be more tip heavy, and it's hard to guess how much different the balance will feel.


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