Micro Guides

[fishinphilly]

whats the difference between regular guides and micro guides?

 

thanks

[BrianinMD]

Size and weight...

[gulfcaptain]

As stated above, size and weight.  But mico's help eliminate line slap by focusing the line through a smaller area as well as keeping it closer to the blank.  They aren't for everyone as braid to leader knots have a hard time fitting through unless you tie really compact knots and are fishing lighter (less then 30lb) braid and topshots under 15lb.  They are "suppose to" help casting distance but I can't really see a difference myself.   

[Penguino]

Also supposed to be more sensitive. Key word is "supposed"

[Angry John]

When you use smaller guides most of the time there are more guides which makes more contact points with the blank. There should also be less guide weight dampening the vibrations in the blank. The theory to practice on this has mixed opinions.

[Crank Bait Nut]

Regular Guides and Micro Guides ,  With The Micro You Should Be Able To Feel Lighter Hits , 

 

My 2 Cents

 

Mike

[SenkoGuru]

I am in the boat that says micro guides ARE more sensitive. Mileage varies between fishermen.

[junyer357]

Microeyes will also freeze up quickly and constantly if you do any cold weather fishing. Im not a fan of them myself. Too much of a hassle for what lil if any results you get.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

"Micro" guides come in a range of sizes and have definite advantages in an appropriate application but are not a cure all

[stkbassn]

I fish a lot at night and it's not fun threading micro guides after a break off , I can tell you that. I much prefer regular guides all around. To each his own.

[J Francho]

I can barely feel a micro guide under my foot before crushing it with a my weight.

But really, for casting rods, I don't think you really see the advantage until you use a spiral wrapped micro guide setup.

[Crestliner2008]

About 7 years ago I attended a striper fishing seminar, down in Hartford, Ct.. The "Captain" there, conducting this seminar, said that he would only allow one kind of rod on his boat. It was unusual in that the line went from the reel INTO the center of the rod and out through the end of it - no guides! I do not recall the make of the rod, but it seems to me that these new micro guides are sort of leaning in that direction. Anyway, this captain thought they were the greatest thing since sliced bread. And, for whatever it's worth, he said his customers agreed.

[chelboed]

I fish a lot at night and it's not fun threading micro guides after a break off , I can tell you that. I much prefer regular guides all around. To each his own.

If you can't thread a guide...how the Heck do you thread a hook? Hahaha

[stkbassn]

If you can't thread a guide...how the Heck do you thread a hook? Hahah

I don't know chuckles, my hooks just have the one eye so I can handle that but just barely I seem to remember that micro guide rod having several guides but I could be remembering it all wrong. Point was at night it's less time consuming with a rod with standard guides...at least for me....and I still seem to feel the fish and actually catch a few with the old standbys. ...amazing

[CRANKENSTIEN]

Gulf captain. X2. I am ok with them. But if you want to use a leader no chance

[zeth]

I am not a micro guide fan.  I am not a full size guide fan.  Phenix used mid sized guides on their M1 rods.  Works perfectly.

[WIGuide]

About 7 years ago I attended a striper fishing seminar, down in Hartford, Ct.. The "Captain" there, conducting this seminar, said that he would only allow one kind of rod on his boat. It was unusual in that the line went from the reel INTO the center of the rod and out through the end of it - no guides! I do not recall the make of the rod, but it seems to me that these new micro guides are sort of leaning in that direction. Anyway, this captain thought they were the greatest thing since sliced bread. And, for whatever it's worth, he said his customers agreed.

These used to be a Cabelas brand rod. I don't remember what they were called, but it was an interesting design. My uncle had one. I remember there were times he had a hard time threading the line through with something like braid, but I think you could do it with mono first and tie it to the braid to pull it through. Unfortunately I never got to fish with it to see how well it worked.

[J Francho]

Daiwa Innercast, or something like that. A lot of Cabela's private label stuff is Daiwa.

[Phelptwan]

Daiwa Innercast, or something like that. A lot of Cabela's private label stuff is Daiwa.

Interline.

[SenkoGuru]

The only problem I've ever had with micro guides is the fact that I can not use a leader on those rod's. I have some regular guide rods I use braid and a leader on but my favorite rod's can't do that with the small micro's. I truly believe the micro guides are better in every other way though, they are lighter, more sensitive and I even feel I am able to cast a little better with them. I have never had a guide pop out or never lost a micro guide so that fact helps.

[Krappiehog]

I have all 3 reg size, macro, and micro... I like macro, micro I love. I notice I cast more accurately, and I feel more. I fish duckett's ghost rods, a Denalli Kover [macro] is pretty sensitive, but not as much as my duckett. All my regular size guide rods have been replaced except for my a-rig rod

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I don't like the term "Micro" guide because it describes a range of guide sizes from 5.5 down, then you have differing ring materials and thicknesses. For MH bass rods, I've more or less settled on 4.5 running guides for up to 50# braid w/leader. A well tied Albright knot will pass them with no problem. Can you feel the knot on a sensitive build? Sometimes yes, but I don't find it to hinder casting at all. You really can't rule out a guide all together based on one rod because there are other factors that affect the total build and performance. Being a builder I've had the opportunity to wrap the exact same blank different ways, with different guides and am  convinced of the advantages of spiral wrapping the smallest, lightest guides that will do the job.

[MickD]

Good treatment of the topic, in my opinion.  Pluses and minuses.  One more disadvantage, drop one of those when building a rod and you may never find it.  Best way is to take your shoes and socks off and walk all over the possible area it could have dropped into.  It will stick nicely into your foot.  Just thought of another, many micros have such small feet they are more fragile than bigger guides.

 

My opinion is that the advantage of micros is in two areas:  finesse rod sensitivity and length of casts.  Having said this, if you don't use braid, you  may not feel the difference in sensitivity, maybe not even then if the blank is not a truly high quality blank.  And for increased casting distance the guides have to be set up right, and how to do that is highly debatable whether for spinning or casting.  I would not go to micros just for a possible small casting distance advantage. 

 

With spinning rods the biggest thing you can do for both increased sensitivity and casting distance is to use 10-15 pound nanofil or braid and be very careful of your knots.  IMHO

[chelboed]

Let me interject that you can find Fuji KR Concept guide Team Lew's Speed Sticks for $99 on popular auction sites. Really nice rod and the KR Concept system is actually really smooth, quiet, casts further with less line slap.

The first few guides are larger and graduate smaller in intervals...choking the chaotic floppy line during a cast.

Testing along side the Falcon Bucoo Micro and Lew's Tournament SL rods...there's no comparison.