To Spiral Or Not to Spiral... what is your preference?

[Cal]

Was chatting with someone the other day who reads the site but was unfamiliar with the concept, so this morning I had the idea of throwing this poll together. Let's go!

[jvelth74]

What do you think, which one cuts down more of casting distance, spiral wrap micro guides or more amount of micro guides in a straight line?

[DenhamBruce]

What do you think, which one cuts down more of casting distance, spiral wrap micro guides or more amount of micro guides in a straight line?

Neither should cut down casting distance... If done properly

[Cal]

What do you think, which one cuts down more of casting distance, spiral wrap micro guides or more amount of micro guides in a straight line?

I've not noticed an affect on casting distance with rods wrapped spiral or with micro guides. In fact, if laid out properly the concept of micro-guides should actually help because your line is more quickly funneled into a straight line during the cast. That funneling is the concept behind the MicroWave stripper guide and it actually works. I've fished rods with that guide on it and can feel the difference.

[Johnny A]

You forgot choice:

Thought about it, decided against it.

That would have been my choice.

[Cal]

You forgot choice:

Thought about it, decided against it.

That would have been my choice.

That would qualify as choice #3

[amso4]

I have built rods both ways, spiral and guides on top. For me, I now use spiral wrap when the application is tip up, as for jigs and bottom dragging. I use top guides for cranking rods. I can usually usually use 1 less guide when I spiral.

[hoohoorjoo]

For me, anything less than medium power and fast action gets spiral wrapped. The last 2 custom rods I've had built have been spiraled. One is a 6' light power blank, the other is a 6-6 ML blank. Maybe its just me, but I think anything that bends deeply should have the guides transition to the bottom of the blank, because the line hits the blank under load if they are on top. Since I use a lot of straight braid, I dont want the line possibly damaging the blank while fighting a fish.

[Johnny A]

You forgot choice:

Thought about it, decided against it.

That would have been my choice.

That would qualify as choice #3

Okay! Will do …

[bish0p]

It depends how I fish the rod. In general if the rod is fished tip up I spiral wrap, if fished tip down I don't.

All my conventional offshore rods are built spiral wrapped.

[Hogsticker2]

For me, anything less than medium power and fast action gets spiral wrapped. The last 2 custom rods I've had built have been spiraled. One is a 6' light power blank, the other is a 6-6 ML blank. Maybe its just me, but I think anything that bends deeply should have the guides transition to the bottom of the blank, because the line hits the blank under load if they are on top. Since I use a lot of straight braid, I dont want the line possibly damaging the blank while fighting a fish.

This for me as well. Spiral on lighter rods helps resist torque and twist when fighting a large, heavy fish. As whimpy as it sounds, it helps with wrist fatigue.

[hoohoorjoo]

For me, anything less than medium power and fast action gets spiral wrapped. The last 2 custom rods I've had built have been spiraled. One is a 6' light power blank, the other is a 6-6 ML blank. Maybe its just me, but I think anything that bends deeply should have the guides transition to the bottom of the blank, because the line hits the blank under load if they are on top. Since I use a lot of straight braid, I dont want the line possibly damaging the blank while fighting a fish.

This for me as well. Spiral on lighter rods helps resist torque and twist when fighting a large, heavy fish. As whimpy as it sounds, it helps with wrist fatigue.

Yep, this one was caught on a custom Rainshadow 7' Immortal UL(0 power) casting rod with 8# braid. It took about 4 minutes to land her on a UL crank with tiny, thin-wire trebles with a very light drag setting. I am firmly convinced that I wouldn't have landed this fish had the rod not been spiral wrapped.

[DrTrevorkian]

I have a 12’ Lamiglas float rod spiral wrapped with Fuji Torzites. 6-12lb with, I would say, a ML action Mod. speed blank. Stouter and faster than most float rods labeled as such, if you care to know…

With the longer rod, I bet we saved at least 3 extra guides if they were all on top. That’s a significant difference in weight, ice-up, and cost. I’m firmly for it! I have noticed zero detriment and as long as the guides aren’t huge (this float rod stepped from size 10’s to 7’s at the tip for winter steelhead conditions - so, much bigger than micros!) I don’t notice the spiral looking funky like a few others in my area that built/bought (Raven… ) them with far too big/tall guides. With longer and lighter action, as noted in previous posts, the blank wants to twist 90-180 degrees under full-load. No blank twisting with a spiral wrap. You should see my G.Loomis IMX 11’3” 6-12lb float rods and Salmon Series MH 12’3” 10-25lb & H 10’6” 10-40lb trolling rods I use as casting float rods for kings (guides all traditionally on top) twist almost makes me cringe, but they do keep on keepin on. I pretty much max all those rods’ line ratings with my leaders.

I plan to build more float rods this way and I’m thinking I may make 3 vertical jigging sticks specifically for the Detroit River and Saginaw River from Rod Geeks’ St. Croix SCV blanks (6’6” ML F, 6’8” M XF, and 7’ M F), spiral wrapped - larger sized Torzites (sz.10 down to 7’s), and carbon fiber handles. I think those would be excellent for winter and spring walleye in my neck of the woods.

I also personally think it matters to which side you wrap, more so for float fishing (slack line drifting - open bail), but I would wrap toward your reel hand side if you tend to rotate your reel on the cast (reel handle down), regardless. JMO.

[Smalleyez]

I have a 6' spiral-wrapped custom Otterod on a 2-piece ML St. Croix blank. It's married to my Conquest BFS and a happy marriage it is! It's a real fixed smile inducer.

[nvbroncrider]

All my casting rods I’ve built are spiral. 6RV strippers then your pick of 5.5-4 to the tip. I like the 5’s the best. They cast great. Doesn’t matter the blank. Key to casting distance is the blank loading and unloading properly. I’ve ran these rods using an array of techniques and I don’t notice any difference between them. You definitely don’t wrap your tip with braid with spirals near as much. Other advantages people don’t talk about with spirals is if set up right line will never touch the blank. Physically impossible because gravity sucks. It’s already been mentioned less guides. Normally on a 7’3” rod I’m using 8 guides instead of 10. Biggest advantage with a spiral is control. With a spiral wrapped rod when a fish makes a run left or right you have no twisting torque on the rod caused by load. Since the line under the blank can rotate in the guides to naturally change load. With a conventional rod when a fish runs left or right it applies a twisting torsion to the rod since the load is being applied to the top side of the blank. This is transmitted through the guides and into the reel seat and the users wrist. Making it important for the user to keep a firm grip on the rod. With a spiral wrap it is completely eliminated since the line and guides are on the bottom. That torque is absorbed by the tip of the blank and the user will barely notice if at all. Makes fighting a fish much easier with some simple physics. Some will claim they cast farther and all this. I think in a lab in perfect conditions you may see very small gains but nothing real world that you can really claim as a true reliable gain. I personally will never have another conventionally wrapped rod in my lifetime.