Microguides?

[NorthernBasser]

Hi all. I wanna get another rod for flipping/froggin'. Looking at something around 7'2" med heavy.

 

I see some rods with the microguides, but have never used them. Thoughts on them? Pros and cons?

 

Any recommendations on rods for flipping/frogging?? 

 

Thanks a bunch.

[fishnkamp]

First welcome to the forums. You will find many members happy to give their best advice.

 It also helps to use the search box and see questions and answers that have already been given in the past.

Micro guides are supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread, not so much. They do control the line better, but I do not believe it results in the longer cast they were designed to achieve. I find them much harder to string up in a hurry.   I own 3 or 4, but I never made the choice of that rod because of them.  

 

Now, you never mentioned your budget, and of course you also did not mention your preferred length.

So here are some suggestions from different price ranges. All of these rods will have a powerful graphite blank with a very soft fast tip which is exactly what is needed when fishing frogs. Because we fish frogs and flip in heavy cover you need a powerful rod to hook and land a bass in the jungle (dense weeds or lily pads),  The problem is the lure we throw there is a hollow bodied frog that weighs less than 5/8 of an ounce usually. Here is where that special tip comes in. That has to load up and throw the frog a long way as well as be soft enough to properly work that lure.

 

For a rod costing less than $100 take a look at an Abu Garcia Veritas 2 Frog rod. It is 7'6" long and is built as a frog rod. It runs $80. 

Above that price but below $200 look at these rods.

 

I am partial to Dobyns, Powells and Irods, so many of my suggestions are going to be from them.

Your next choice would be a Dobyns Fury FR705C for $110.  

This is a great intro rod series from Gary Dobyns. It fishes much more like other brands rods costing up to $200.

 

Next i would look at a Powell Max 3D 736 CEF Frog Mag Heavy. It runs $160.

 

Irod has a rod series called the Genesis II and a frog rod called an IRG754C "The Fred's Magic Stick".

It runs $150.

 

For rods above that $200 range you could look at my frog rod. I can only fit a 7 footer in my rod box, so I went with a Dobyns Champion XP series model DC 705C.  It work great for me, Gary usually suggests the DC 735C. It has a really nice taper and is his best choice, but he extra 3 inches was a hassle for me to travel with.

 

There are plenty of other options out there but I personally have fished with these rods or know someone who is. I hope this helps. 

[d-camarena]

I could do without microguides. I dont feel any advantages with them. 

[Largemouth21]

I bought a veritas 2.0 7'MF casting and I didn't realize it was micro guide. They're okay, just not the miracle fishing product people make them to be. They also get clogged with weeds faster, probably NOT the best for a froggin' stick. 

[sully420]

I would suggest a duckett ghost 7'3" heavy fast it can be found on amazon for 80 bucks i love it but people on this site don't seem to fish them

[NorthernBasser]

7 minutes ago, fishnkamp said:

First welcome to the forums. You will find many members happy to give their best advice.

 It also helps to use the search box and see questions and answers that have already been given in the past.

Micro guides are supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread, not so much. They do control the line better, but I do not believe it results in the longer cast they were designed to achieve. I find them much harder to string up in a hurry.   I own 3 or 4, but I never made the choice of that rod because of them.  

 

Now, you never mentioned your budget, and of course you also did not mention your preferred length.

So here are some suggestions from different price ranges. All of these rods will have a powerful graphite blank with a very soft fast tip which is exactly what is needed when fishing frogs. Because we fish frogs and flip in heavy cover you need a powerful rod to hook and land a bass in the jungle (dense weeds or lily pads),  The problem is the lure we throw there is a hollow bodied frog that weighs less than 5/8 of an ounce usually. Here is where that special tip comes in. That has to load up and throw the frog a long way as well as be soft enough to properly work that lure.

 

For a rod costing less than $100 take a look at an Abu Garcia Veritas 2 Frog rod. It is 7'6" long and is built as a frog rod. It runs $80. 

Above that price but below $200 look at these rods.

 

I am partial to Dobyns, Powells and Irods, so many of my suggestions are going to be from them.

Your next choice would be a Dobyns Fury FR705C for $110.  

This is a great intro rod series from Gary Dobyns. It fishes much more like other brands rods costing up to $200.

 

Next i would look at a Powell Max 3D 736 CEF Frog Mag Heavy. It runs $160.

 

Irod has a rod series called the Genesis II and a frog rod called an IRG754C "The Fred's Magic Stick".

It runs $150.

 

For rods above that $200 range you could look at my frog rod. I can only fit a 7 footer in my rod box, so I went with a Dobyns Champion XP series model DC 705C.  It work great for me, Gary usually suggests the DC 735C. It has a really nice taper and is his best choice, but he extra 3 inches was a hassle for me to travel with.

 

There are plenty of other options out there but I personally have fished with these rods or know someone who is. I hope this helps. 

Thanks a ton for the write-up. I did mention I was looking at a rod around 7'2". I'm 5'11", so I wonder if something 7'6" would make it harder for me to walk the frog if I wanted.

 

Right now I'm using a 7' med-heavy Abu Silver Max med-heavy, which has been doing well enough. But I've been meaning to upgrade.

 

I used to fish a TON. But I kind of took the last 6-7 years off, so a lot of these companies are new to me. Most of my rods are St. Croix, Shimano, BPS and Gander Guide Series. I have heard a lot about Dobyns in my recent research. 

 

Again, thanks a bunch. I'll definitely look into the rods that you mentioned.

 

BTW, I did look for a search feature before I started this thread. Somehow I must've missed it. My bad. 

[MickD]

I do believe that micros result in a longer cast, but probably more important is the fact that lighter guides give a faster, more sensitive rod.  There are disadvantages.  They freeze up more easily than larger guides if you're fishing around 32F, and they will not pass just any knot.  You have to be more careful about the knot and the pound test of the line and leader to be sure the knot will pass cleanly.  I build all my rods today, and all have micros.

[Angry John]

Yet another spin is macro guides.  I stick with the 4.5-5 guides because they provide all the smaller lighter guide benefits with reducing the pains of stringing and freezing up being less.  I had a rod built with this sized guide train and its the second that i now have.  Megabass rods use this same sized guides and some of the steez rods do as well.  Depending on your area macro's might be great and a lot of rods are moving this direction.  My dobyns dx rods have smaller guides than some of my others so it seems like a trend in the higher end lineups.

[fishnkamp]

If you look at the Dobyns XP model DC 735C tht is a 7'3 Med/HVY rod that rates 1/4 to 1 1/2 oz baits. It is available in your choice of split cork handle and full cork handle.  That is right near your 7'2" preference. Of course my personal frog/pitching rod is the DC 705C which is a 7' "it is considered mag heavy in flipping pitching ratings, Dobyns has different ratings for different categories of rods. I wish you lived close to Baltimore as I would happily put the rod in your hands.

 

 

 

[NorthernBasser]

3 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

If you look at the Dobyns XP model DC 735C tht is a 7'3 Med/HVY rod that rates 1/4 to 1 1/2 oz baits. It is available in your choice of split cork handle and full cork handle.  That is right near your 7'2" preference. Of course my personal frog/pitching rod is the DC 705C which is a 7' "it is considered mag heavy in flipping pitching ratings, Dobyns has different ratings for different categories of rods. I wish you lived close to Baltimore as I would happily put the rod in your hands.

 

 

 

How nice would it be if we could test out rods and reels before purchasing?

[fishnkamp]

I do it often for members here on this board.  I own 4 spinning and 12 baitcasters. Just last week I met with 2 anglers that live within an hour of my home.  We met at a local tackle shop that caries some really good brands and then we came back to my home. In one case the member was struggling to get his baitcaster adjusted correctly. He watched as I explained how to set his reel up, and then I gave him a few casting pointers. He quickly gained distance and line control.  Then I let him play with a couple of my combos. He had never cast a Daiwa Tatula and so we went over how they setup differently. He also had a chance to cast some rods from Irod, Powell, Dobyns, and Falcon.  All brands he never or almost never played with.

 

The other member we redid some gear to eliminate some line issue. At the tackle shop  we spent a good deal of time going over lure/rigging techniques that would do him well around the bodies of water he fishes.  I get a lot of enjoyment when I get to help someone and they return my favor with new fish pictures. I have met at least 4 or 5 new fishing partners just this summer.

 

One of the things we members should do more often is find other members that live close to you and partner up with them for fishing trips.  I have done this with some from 3 fishing websites.  It is fun to learn from each other.

 

 

[NorthernBasser]

2 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

I do it often for members here on this board.  I own 4 spinning and 12 baitcasters. Just last week I met with 2 anglers that live within an hour of my home.  We met at a local tackle shop that caries some really good brands and then we came back to my home. In one case the member was struggling to get his baitcaster adjusted correctly. He watched as I explained how to set his reel up, and then I gave him a few casting pointers. He quickly gained distance and line control.  Then I let him play with a couple of my combos. He had never cast a Daiwa Tatula and so we went over how they setup differently. He also had a chance to cast some rods from Irod, Powell, Dobyns, and Falcon.  All brands he never or almost never played with.

 

The other member we redid some gear to eliminate some line issue. At the tackle shop  we spent a good deal of time going over lure/rigging techniques that would do him well around the bodies of water he fishes.  I get a lot of enjoyment when I get to help someone and they return my favor with new fish pictures. I have met at least 4 or 5 new fishing partners just this summer.

 

One of the things we members should do more often is find other members that live close to you and partner up with them for fishing trips.  I have done this with some from 3 fishing websites.  It is fun to learn from each other.

 

 

I know I'm getting off topic here, but what are your reels of choice? I've always been a Curado guy. All of mine are a little older generation, but still perform like they're new. The key is, obviously, to take care of them. Cleaning, oiling, grease.

 

I've been eyeing the Curado 200I, but now I see there's a new Curado coming our in Sept that sounds amazing. Also looking at ***, but have no experience with them. I hear good things about the ***. They also have a new reel coming out that sounds promising called the ***. Have you ever fished with *** before?

 

Appreciate it. 

[NorthernBasser]

Curious why part of my post was censored. All I did was mention a fishing brand that starts with "13" and some of their reel names. 

[J Francho]

11 minutes ago, NorthernBasser said:

Curious why part of my post was censored. All I did was mention a fishing brand that starts with "13" and some of their reel names. 

 

Read the Forum Rules & FAQs

 

Quote

Why does the site or product name I posted show up as "another site" or as ***?
First it has nothing to do with competition. In most cases, it has something to do with the bullet point above - site owners not abiding by the rules of the forum, or over-zealous pro-staffers spamming the forums. In some cases, however, the site owner specifically requested that we do not link to their site.

 

[NorthernBasser]

1 minute ago, J Francho said:

 

Read the Forum Rules & FAQs

 

 

Thank you sir. 

 

Just thought it was odd that no other brand names were censored except for this one. Figured maybe you guys might just really hate that brand here or something. 

[fishnkamp]

 Take a seat around the old campfire and I will tell you a tale.  A long time ago there were some members "discussing" the quality of that brand. It got into a shouting match ( I am being polite) and the manufacturer became aware of this. Rather then let things like this go on and hurt its brand they contacted Glenn. He is the owner of Bass Resources. Anyway he was told to censor any mention of their brand or face legal issues.  The shame of it is that their stance may have been their best choice back then, but the quality improvements that they have achieved in the past few year is to commended. Now most of the discussion would be super positive.  

My personal favorite line of reels is Diawa Tatula, Tatula Type Rs, Tatula CT and their newest version a Tatula SV TWS.  I have had older Shimano Curados (the green ones) Bantums, and even a Chronarch E7.

None have performed as well for me as my Daiwa Tats have.

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, NorthernBasser said:

Thank you sir. 

 

Just thought it was odd that no other brand names were censored except for this one. Figured maybe you guys might just really hate that brand here or something. 

 

There's more than a few that have either spammed our site or have asked to be removed.

[NorthernBasser]

5 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

 Take a seat around the old campfire and I will tell you a tale.  A long time ago there were some members "discussing" the quality of that brand. It got into a shouting match ( I am being polite) and the manufacturer became aware of this. Rather then let things like this go on and hurt its brand they contacted Glenn. He is the owner of Bass Resources. Anyway he was told to censor any mention of their brand or face legal issues.  The shame of it is that their stance may have been their best choice back then, but the quality improvements that they have achieved in the past few year is to commended. Now most of the discussion would be super positive.  

My personal favorite line of reels is Diawa Tatula, Tatula Type Rs, Tatula CT and their newest version a Tatula SV TWS.  I have had older Shimano Curados (the green ones) Bantums, and even a Chronarch E7.

None have performed as well for me as my Daiwa Tats have.

Gotcha. 

 

I have heard good things about the Tatula's. It's been years since I've had Daiwa reels. Maybe I'll have to add that to the list as well. Thanks again!

[.ghoti.]

The whole idea behind micro guides is weight reduction. No, it will not make a difference in rod weight you can feel.

 

What it will do is give you a more responsive and sensitive rod. The frames and rings are smaller, equaling less weight. The guide feet are shorter, requiring less thread and epoxy; again equaling less weight. The more mass you can remove from the business end of the rod the better it will respond. This is more critical the closer you get to the tip.

 

I've heard people say micro guides will improve casting distance. I have no evidence to either prove or disprove that claim. I do have two identical Setyr rods. Both 7' M-F with the same reel seat and identical handle lengths. I cracked a guide on one, and, since Setyr went out of business, I decided to replace all the guides. I went with small Fuji Alconites. BLAGs in size 5, 4.5 and 4. Did a side by side test between the two using the same reel, same line and same bait. Couldn't see a difference casting, but there was a very noticeable difference in feel. All of my Setyr rods now have micro guides, except one, and it will have them soon.

 

BLAGs go down to a size 4, which will reliably pass a leader knot. Forecast MK minis go down to a size 2. I would not recommend those if you use braid with a leader. Recoil micros go down to a size 4, but you cant compare sizes betweem recoils and any others. The smallest size recoil is tiny. But, is weight reduction is your holy grail, recoils are what you want. An entire set of recoils weighs less than one size 5 BLAG.