Do any of you guys use spiral wrapped guides on your rods?  If so, are there any downsides to it, and do you use it on all your casting rods or just for certain techniques?

Some don't like spiral wraps for top water but I haven't seen any negative affect. I'll use a simple spiral in heavier rods where stability is the main focus and a slower spiral on long casting rods. 

DVT, please define "long casting rod" Thanks, Lynn

With some types of spiral layouts the line on retrieve can build to the side that the first guide is offset to.  With the simple spiral the first guide is at zero degrees, so this is not a problem.  It is the easiest to lay out and in my opinion casts as far as any other layout.  I like spiral for rods which will be used for trolling from rod holders, but I don't build spirals for any other use.  To me they look goofy and I just don't feel the stability "problem" with standard on top layouts.  I think it's a solution without a problem.  

Keep in mind that if you are using very small guides, close to the rod (low height) there is not much of a lever arm to create the "devil" torque that spirals supposedly solve.  You can get away with a couple fewer guides with small guide spirals relative to small guide on top builds, but I don't mind.  there is no penalty in casting distance that I've been able to find (by having an extra guide or two). l

If anyone wants to know how to lay out a simple spiral , just ask.  

I think where spirals make super good sense is with heavy power boat rods, vertical jigging rods, and trolling rods as previously mentioned.

i have them on my casting rods with micro guides  and will always continue to do them for future rods . i even have my big swimbait rod spiral wrapped with micros . i only use American Tackle Artus Heavy Duty Micro Guides on my casting rods as they are very stout in the leg area and are a little higher of the blank compared to a lot of other micro guides , as for a spiral wrap i like a small stripper guide ( size 5 BLCAG Fuji double footed low rider guide ) followed by by 3 transition guides , casting rods get size 3 guides , my swimbait rod has size 4's. i find no problems with spiral wraps and to me they make working a bait and landing a fish easier , i just couldn't see using a spiral wrap without micro guides . yeah , i love micro guides !! even have them on my spinning rods .. 

On August 23, 2016 at 4:44 PM, Lymanx said:

DVT, please define "long casting rod" Thanks, Lynn

Spinnerbaits, cranks, swim jigs basically anything except pitching and flipping. 

I've built two for myself.  Both are for bottom contact baits.  A while back I built a spinning and casting rod using the same blank. To me the spinning rod seemed to be more sensitive an I reasoned that was because the line was always in contact with the guides.  A spiral wrap gives me that plus the benifits of a baitcaster. 

I have a spiral wrap on my swimbait rod.  Not sure it's any better or worse, but we were able to use micros, and the line doesn't touch the rod when loaded.

3 transition guides after the stripper guide is the only way , in my opinion , to do a spiral wrap

I've built a few. Simple spirals. Stripper on top, one transition guide, next guide on bottom. I don't see the need for a longer transition, but understand why some would. I have one i'm experimenting with that has no transition guide. Stripper on top, next guide on the bottom. Works fine so far.

1 hour ago, .ghoti. said:

I've built a few. Simple spirals. Stripper on top, one transition guide, next guide on bottom. I don't see the need for a longer transition, but understand why some would. I have one i'm experimenting with that has no transition guide. Stripper on top, next guide on the bottom. Works fine so far.

Interesting.  My assumption is that guide on the bottom is fairly close to the stripper.  For heavier baits, I don't see that affecting distance much, but on lighter presentations I would think it would make a difference.

Joe, it's about 9", if memory serves. And, this is a light bait rod. These light power rods are where the spiral wrap shines, in my opinion.

To see why I say that, take your lightest power rod, with reel mounted, and line running through all the guides like you're getting ready to tie on a bait. Put the butt of the rod in something to hold it, and use the line to flex the rod, just like a fish would. Take it to 90 degrees, like a big fish would. You will see the tip guide has twisted around so it is on the bottom. the blank will be twisted 180 degrees at the tip. You can also see guides at various degrees of rotation, depending on how far from the tip they are located.

Visual proof of what happens when a rod is under load, with the guides on top. The blank twists. This torque on the wrist really doesn't bother me. Maybe it will as I age. What bothers me is the idea of extra wear and tear on the blank due to the twist. This is the reason I spiral wrap my rods. Particularly my lighter power rods.

That's an interesting point, Gary.

4 hours ago, .ghoti. said:

Joe, it's about 9", if memory serves. And, this is a light bait rod. These light power rods are where the spiral wrap shines, in my opinion.

To see why I say that, take your lightest power rod, with reel mounted, and line running through all the guides like you're getting ready to tie on a bait. Put the butt of the rod in something to hold it, and use the line to flex the rod, just like a fish would. Take it to 90 degrees, like a big fish would. You will see the tip guide has twisted around so it is on the bottom. the blank will be twisted 180 degrees at the tip. You can also see guides at various degrees of rotation, depending on how far from the tip they are located.

Visual proof of what happens when a rod is under load, with the guides on top. The blank twists. This torque on the wrist really doesn't bother me. Maybe it will as I age. What bothers me is the idea of extra wear and tear on the blank due to the twist. This is the reason I spiral wrap my rods. Particularly my lighter power rods.

To my shop I go to play. That's a very interesting point.

2 hours ago, basscatcher8 said:

To my shop I go to play. That's a very interesting point.

I'll take any excuse to go play in my shop.