rod componets

[Lucas Cooper]

What are some good micro guides for braid. Is the crb cork rear grip good, and what are your go to cork split grip parts. 

[MickD]

Check out the Fuji KLH guide trains in the Fuji catalog.  I love them.  All my rods are built now with some version of Fuji K series guides, spinning and casting.  It's like putting very functional jewelry on your rods.  

 

I cannot offer valuable info on cork components; I turn my own from the best quality cork rings i can get.  Easy to do on a drill press.

[bish0p]

For guides I like Fuji or Alps.

[SDoolittle]

17 hours ago, Lucas Cooper said:

Is the crb cork rear grip good, and what are your go to cork split grip parts. 

I mainly use EVA and Winn grips, but I have used the CBR two tone cork grips a few times. They look nice, and they hold up well.

[Iluvsmallies]

I like the Fuji kl as well but have used the pac bays minama and like those too.

[Lucas Cooper]

What Fuji micro guides would you recommend. Are the American tackle company guides a good guide to get as well?

[MickD]

I use the KB's for the first two on spinning rods, KT's after that.  I have used a few  AmTak micros  in the past, no problems, have grown to prefer the KLH reduction guides, KB's and KT's for runners.  The AmTak design was not tangle free.  I don't like the Microwave system that much, no problems, just personal preference.  I sometimes use KB's for all the running guides on casting rods and heavier spin rods.  

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

The microwave from AT performs well and is a no brainer for setup. Good choice for newbies (and others )

[Lucas Cooper]

Which ones would you recommend for casting rods?

[spoonplugger1]

Casting guides are a different kettle of fish, lots of great guides out there and you don't need to spend a lot to get a good guide/rod. This is where you should ask "how much"? Truth be told, the difference between world class and mediocre is maybe 2%, or less. Now you add the truth that any rod you pick off the shelf will cast further than you can reliably get a hookset, get a consistently good presentation, and really feel the fish in it's environment at it's best and you end up with, "what will make the lightest, most sensitive, and FUN rod to fish?" Micro guides in a spiral wrap are a great option, and cost less than the bigger guides, so unless your tying leaders on your braid, using extraordinarily large knots, it's something to look at.

[Tim Kelly]

I would recommend the fuji K series micros above any others I've used as they are less prone to bending. Most micro guides have just a single flat bend in the wire going from the ring to the foot, and this is a weakness which means the guides are easily bent. The Fuji K series have two pieces of metal going at an angle to the guide foot and are much more resistant to bending. Once the guide has been bent and pushed back a couple of times it is very likely to snap, which is just annoying and means you have to replace it, so I prefer to spend a little more at the outset and decrease the risk.

[grub_man]

The Batson Forecast and Alps lines both have fantastic micros, as do American Tackle, Kigan, Sea Guide, and Fuji.  The PacBay Minima guides mentioned above are fantastic as well.  I know many people use Minimas successfully with braid, but I have a hard time overcoming the idea personally, and would personally choose something with a ceramic insert for braided line, especially on a rod that will be used as a 'fish extraction tool.'

 

As mentioned, the actual performance difference between guides using various ceramic inserts is minimal.  My personal rods generally find themselves equipped with aluminum oxide inserts.  They get the job done very well and do not break the bank.  I've built rods with higher grade ceramics and/or PVD coatings, and there is just not enough difference to justify the cost, unless I am looking for a certain aesthetic.

 

I will say that if I were fishing the salt for large fast running fish that will spool a reel in a hurry, where the risk of overheating the line became important, I would certainly opt for silicon carbide or other rings that dissipate heat a bit faster.  But, for anything that we encounter in a typical bass lake, I can't justify the difference in cost.

 

Rest assured that anything you are finding available at MudHole, or any of the other rod building dealers that have been around for a while, is up to par.  There are a lot of options that will test how deep your pockets go, but they are just that options.

 

Microwave guides on a casting rod are really a gimmick.  For a pitching rod, where you are constantly reaching for the line, they have some merit because the extra insert keeps the line a few mm higher off of the blank, but the same thing can be accomplished by going up a size or two on the butt guide, or choosing a butt guide with a slightly higher frame.

 

Microwave guides on a spinning rod are a good thing.  It gives you a fool proof way of putting together a spinning rod that will perform very well with a variety of reel size, line type, and diameter combinations.

[Lucas Cooper]

What sizes from tip down do you find the most effective on casting rods?

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

It depends on the specifics there's no fixed answer. There's a wealth of information available regarding custom rod building. Google is your friend!