Microguide Gripe

[MontclairDave]

I get the benefits of micro guides and I have a few rods with them for selected situations—mostly when I am fishing braid, no leader. But for braid-to-leader applications, I like slightly large guides that can accomodate a uni-to-uni knot. (No, I don’t have the patience to learn the FG knot).

 

Here is my gripe: virtually NO rod descriptions on TW or even the manufacturers’ sites specify whether the guides they use are micro guides. So I have to email the manufacturer which sometimes yields a quick answer, sometimes not.

 

Which is frustrating because I want to buy a dedicated frog rod and don’t like the way microguides collect scum and other detritus when I am fishing slop. 

 

And I am not familiar enough with all of the guide brands to know on my own which size they are.

 

Pissy rant over. 

[bulldog1935]

no offense, but double uni is the problem.  

 

My Allbright knots zing through microguides (snake guides on fly rods, too)

I've been rolling these knots 40 years, though. 

With braid, I use Improved Allbright Knot.  The cross section is 1/3 of a double uni, and no single bends to break.  

 

 

The key to getting a good knot is proper tightening sequence.  

Remember the direction you rolled the braid loops.  

Begin tightening the braid tag while you roll the braid loops in that same direction, to make the knot smaller.  Lightly take up the standing braid slack that forms at the far end of the knot.  

Before the braid tag and loops get snug, tighten the mono tag to shorten the mono loop.  

Back to rolling the braid loops, this time, get everything tight with the braid tag.  

Finish by pulling both standing ends, braid and mono.  

Helps to tighten this knot under a magnifier.  

 

I also wet the finished knot with a drop of super-thin super glue (Zap CA+)  knock off the excess drip. 

 

I put a perfection loop in my standing leader, and fish everything loop-to-loop.  

A paper clip or micro swivel loops on beautifully.  

If you prefer tying direct to lure, you can loop-to-loop a sacrificial length of leader.  

(this is a titanium-wire micro trace and an intenional 1" perfection loop, so I can also loop-on a cigar cork)

[FishTank]

Albright knot is the ticket depending on the which micro guides the rod has.  What is the rod in question? 

 

Also, I looked through a couple of rod descriptions on TW... most have what type of guides are on the rods.

 

If it was me, I would forgo the braid to leader and use either FC or mono but for frogs I like straight braid. 

 

 

[MontclairDave]

Bulldog, will definitely try the modified Albright knot, thanks for the detailed instructions! And yes, I use straight braid for frogs.

[Lmsmbassaddict]

Dude the FG knot is super easy. Your just cross hatching 2 sections of the same braid. Learn the concept first. The best knots I use are:

 

FG>Alberto. If I'm trying to do a quick one I do the figure 8 to uni which is extremely strong or a slim beauty but I don't double the line up I just go at it like an Alberto. Infact this knot beat the FG a few times when I was testing knots. 

 

 

[WRB]

Micro guides are sized by the ring Outside Diameter, not inside diameter. 

Alex Owner of ALX Rods is the national distributor for Kijan guides and told me the smallest tip guide should be 5.5mm when using braid w/leaders.

Tom

[waymont]

I’m with you. I greatly dislike micro guides. I can tie perfect FG knots, just don’t like anything about micros.

[NoShoes]

I’ve enjoyed my micros so far. Much lighter, and obviously the form factor. 

[CrankFate]

Micro guides are overrated, IMO. Except when fishing thin diameter rods with thin diameter lines. I find that for most applications, you get better casting distance and more versatility with bigger guides. This is my biggest complaint about bass fishing rods overall.

[QED]

Lighter, smaller, [typically] less footprint, hence less effect on the blank's natural bending characteristics - they have some advantageous use cases.

[Lmsmbassaddict]

Micro guides are the best way to use 1 type of line. However I do prefer to use braid to leader even on my baitcasters. There isn't a knot that's slim enough for 65lb braid. I can with success use braid with the dia. .28-.38ish without much worry, but you really wanna be careful to really pack that line on tight.

[MontclairDave]

16 hours ago, WRB said:

Micro guides are sized by the ring Outside Diameter, not inside diameter. 

Alex Owner of ALX Rods is the national distributor for Kijan guides and told me the smallest tip guide should be 5.5mm when using braid w/leaders.

Tom

ALX site makes a point of noting that their guides (semi-micro, I think) are leader-friendly. Have my eye on their Skipper and Toad Zolo rods. 

[Fishes in trees]

I have a couple of rods with micro guides.  One is my primary pitching rod.   It works great with 15 lb Abrazx.  Works better once the line is wetted and stretched a little bit - maybe 15 to 20 casts.   I don't like it at all for early spring or late fall fishing because the tiny openings freeze over too often.  Keeping them unclogged, either by dipping the rod in the water ( which works for a cast or two ) or hosing the guide eyes with Real Magic seems to be more trouble than it is worth when you can just use a rod with regular sized guides in that circumstance.

Even in the cooler weather of mid-spring and mid-fall, fluorocarbon line seems to get a little bit stiffer and the micro guides seem to restrict casting distance somewhat.  At least that is my current take on micro guides.    Maybe if I used a different fluorocarbon my take would be different I don't know.

[txchaser]

I'm a fan of the Kigan semi-micros. They pass FG's just fine, and I'm so used to them when I pick up a rod with regular guides they look huge to me.