Micro Guides on baitcasting rods.

[Bankbeater]

I got my first spinning rod with microguides back in 2020.  It took me a while to get used to it.  I've been using it for small moving baits, and fishing with a split shot rig. First off the microguides will pick up a ton of debris.  If you're fishing in slop then you will have to clean off the guides about every other cast.  I never noticed any change in sensitivity, but that may be the blank and not the guides.  Forget about fishing them in cold weather, they collect ice as fast as they collect slop.

[dodgeguy]

2 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

I got my first spinning rod with microguides back in 2020.  It took me a while to get used to it.  I've been using it for small moving baits, and fishing with a split shot rig. First off the microguides will pick up a ton of debris.  If you're fishing in slop then you will have to clean off the guides about every other cast.  I never noticed any change in sensitivity, but that may be the blank and not the guides.  Forget about fishing them in cold weather, they collect ice as fast as they collect slop.

Fish weeds all the time without that issue.

[PhishLI]

Meh. They're a minor tweak, and not a revelation at all regarding casting bass lures, IMO. I wish my rods that have them didn't.

[Togue]

I only build casting rods with size 4 and 4.5 Fuji K guides. For me they pass the braid to leader knot no problem. The only downside for my use is icing up. As the rod gets heavier, the weight saving becomes less important. I think it's a necessity for medium power rods and still valuable for medium heavy. With my really light trout rods I am size 3 and smaller.

[MickD]

On 8/19/2022 at 9:12 AM, bulldog1935 said:

zing

What does "zing" mean?

[bulldog1935]

It's the same as shooting a fly rod to 140', which includes Allbright knot and 30' of backing. 

[CrashVector]

13 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

Fish weeds all the time without that issue.

Same.

 

Never understood that "problem".

 

I don't fish places that ARENT loaded with grass and weeds....and I've never had that issue.

[ska4fun]

On 8/18/2022 at 10:12 PM, Kirt Howe said:

What are your opinions/experiences on using rods with Micro Guides. I have never tried them, but have considered buying a rod with them. I just wonder what the advantages/disadvantages are of these types of guides.  Are they more useful for some techniques than others? Are rods with micro guides more expensive (in general) than the same rod with conventional guides?

 

I like them for use in a fishing technique, a vertical jigging style, brazilians dubbed as pindoco, and for BFS fishing.

 

Pindoco:

 

 

[Lead Head]

@dodgeguy and @CrashVector, you guys have any cottonwood trees where you fish? I don't have a problem with weeds, but my #5 guides do occasionally "clog up" when the cottonwoods are in bloom. I would imagine anything smaller than a #4 would be unfishable. Line type probably plays a role here as well, braid likes to bring in way more than straight fc or mono. I'm in no way saying you guys are wrong, just pointing out region and water conditions can play a role in regards to debris fouling small guides. 

[Manifestgtr]

I’m kind of neutral on them. My favorite guides are torzite and yes, the dreaded NRX recoils (they work, they’re light, I like them…what are you gonna do).

 

I’m almost exclusively braid to leader aside from my straight braid frogging/pitching and the only times I run into issues with my (carefully manicured) blood knots are occasionally when the knot will hang up as I’m about to land a fish. I could do without that…and the “ticking” of my leader knot through a ridiculously expensive set of Legend X torzite guides can be a little disturbing…but thus far, that’s about it. 
 

To be honest, I don’t pay a ton of attention to the micros on some of my rods unless I’m rerigging after a cleaning or a reel swap. 

 

[Hammer 4]

I have micro guides on all of my rods, so far they don't present any issues for me.

I don't use leaders though.

[CrashVector]

7 hours ago, Lead Head said:

@dodgeguy and @CrashVector, you guys have any cottonwood trees where you fish? I don't have a problem with weeds, but my #5 guides do occasionally "clog up" when the cottonwoods are in bloom. I would imagine anything smaller than a #4 would be unfishable. Line type probably plays a role here as well, braid likes to bring in way more than straight fc or mono. I'm in no way saying you guys are wrong, just pointing out region and water conditions can play a role in regards to debris fouling small guides. 

 

Yes.  Lots.

 

I fish straight braid.  20# Hercules 8 carrier no fade.

[dodgeguy]

8 hours ago, Lead Head said:

@dodgeguy and @CrashVector, you guys have any cottonwood trees where you fish? I don't have a problem with weeds, but my #5 guides do occasionally "clog up" when the cottonwoods are in bloom. I would imagine anything smaller than a #4 would be unfishable. Line type probably plays a role here as well, braid likes to bring in way more than straight fc or mono. I'm in no way saying you guys are wrong, just pointing out region and water conditions can play a role in regards to debris fouling small guides. 

I e had that happen occasionally in the spring. Not a big issue.