micro guides for regular (St Croix in legend or avid)

[goblue4016]

Hey All -

Wanted to hear some opinions/feedback on St Croix's micro guides vs their normal ones. Specifically in the Legend line but also Avid.

I have a normal Legend Spinning rod which I really like and it casts great, but im curious about the legend X line as I do like split grips. but none of the stores near me stock them so I have never seen one in person.

I do tie a leader on almost always with a uni knot.

why did St Croix make the change to micro guides in that line? is there really an advantage? All the posts on it that I could find have been a couple years old. Ive heard that micro guides are terrible when using a leader, and then also that they are fine no problems what so ever when using a leader.

[REW]

Glo,
I have built a lot of fishing rods over the years.

In the last 10 years, there has been a flurry of news about micro guides, their use on fishing rods, advantages and disadvantages.

In a word, the advocates of micro guides stresses one particular characteristic of the micro guides. i.e. weight.

The typical micro running guide due to its much smaller size weighs less than a similar larger "normal" or "conventional" running guide.

For the consumers that want the absolutely lightest rod, the rod will have micro guides on the rod.

if you talk about very small micro guides like 2.3 and 3 mm, they do weigh less and if you use lighter braided line with no leaders, the rods will cast a country mile - so to speak and will satisfy every need of the fisherman.

These rods have been particularly popular in the hands of bass fishermen who are essentially casting a lure from the time they get into the boat until they leave the boat. i.e. lighter rods mean essentially less total effort at the end of a very long day of casting.

A walleye fisherman can use the rods equally as well for excellent casting and great fish handling characteristics. Just don't get involved with large knots or large bobber stoppers on your main line.

If you use leaders, just make the leaders shorter in length than the total length of the rod and never reel the leader connection through the tip of the rod and you will also be just fine.

----------------------------------------
But, after a lot of advertising and hype about the use of micro guides on fishing rods, it seems that the huge build up has subsided to almost nothing. There is not the huge effort to put very very small guides on most rods any more. But, in past years ago, the typical smallest running guide was 6 mm and passed knots just fine - with today's rods, there are a significant number of rods being built with size 4mm running guides which still work mostly all right with knots - as long as the knot is a small compact knot. But, one is seldom seeing as many micro guides on rods in the 2mm to 3mm sizes any more. To a degree, it was a passing fad, that had a lot of users which have mainly faded away to a significant degree.

If you want micro guides on a fishing rod, and don't want to pass knots or leaders through the tiny guides and mainly use a braided main line, the rod will work very very well and will be less effort to fish with over the course of a few thousand casts.

Good luck

[brigeton]

I have an Avid. I like it but I'm not really a fan of the micro guides. The biggest thing I don't like about them is they freeze up a lot easier in cold weather. Knots can also be a problem. In my opinion rod company's put them on as a cost savings like split grips then try to convince us they are better.

[REW]

Brighton,
Actually, micro guides are not a cost saving for the manufacturer. A micro guide is essentially the same price as a bit larger running guide like the typical number 6 guide.

Then, when using micro guides it is normally necessary to use more guides, particularly on casting guides where the line runs on the top side of the rod.

It costs money to wrap each guide so that if more guides are put on a rod, the rod will cost more to manufacture.

I expect that the reason for the micros was because of the Micro FAD that is part of the movement over the last few years, which is fortunately - in my opinion - going away for the very reasons that you mention.

Good luck

[Bill Krejca]

I have made several 7'+ rods using the micro guides, and really like them for my application, which is vertical fishing with little casting. I put them on my rods in an effort to reduce overall tip weight and subsequent fatigue, rods which I have to hold over a long period of time. Whether they reduce fatigue much is debatable, but I really like the almost weightless rod. Getting the guides to stay in place while securing with thread is another story.

Bill

[REW]

Bill,
Holding the micros in place is trivial when one uses the correctly sized orthopedic bands.

Slip enough bands down the blank to hold all of the guides plus a few extras before you start wrapping.

Then, have a fine nosed nipper to be able to nip the band and cut it loose after you have 3 or 4 wraps on the guide to hold it in place. Since the bands are so small, they take up very little room on the guide to be in the way.

============================
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-Bag-Denta....c100009.m1982

https://www.ebay.com/itm/15-Sizes-De...jop52eK4BP31rA

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dental-Orth...P1LqxQTXOyc88Q

A flush cutting nipper will do a nice job of cutting the band when needed:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wire-Cable-...EAAOSwi4pa6kqb

or:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Stainless-S...xPiyl__mpcTLYQ

[Bill Krejca]

Originally Posted by REW

Bill,
Holding the micros in place is trivial when one uses the correctly sized orthopedic bands.

Slip enough bands down the blank to hold all of the guides plus a few extras before you start wrapping.

Then, have a fine nosed nipper to be able to nip the band and cut it loose after you have 3 or 4 wraps on the guide to hold it in place. Since the bands are so small, they take up very little room on the guide to be in the way.

============================
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-Bag-Denta....c100009.m1982

https://www.ebay.com/itm/15-Sizes-De...jop52eK4BP31rA

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dental-Orth...P1LqxQTXOyc88Q

A flush cutting nipper will do a nice job of cutting the band when needed:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wire-Cable-...EAAOSwi4pa6kqb

or:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Stainless-S...xPiyl__mpcTLYQ

Yeah, thanks REW. I use the bands and other cool objects/techniques, but the tiny guides still are relatively unpleasant to work with.

Bill

[REW]

copy that Bill.

[REW]

In addition, several of my older clients have asked me to strip off the micro guides and rebuild with larger guides.

The reason that they give. Just too difficult to see what they are doing when they go to put line on the rod and get it strung through the tiny guides.

[Rick Johnston]

I just had a 6 ft elite rod replaced. They are dropping using those micro guides. I’d assume across the board but for my 6 footer for sure.


St croix staff said switching to standard guide as complaints with leader knots and slip bobber knots catching .