Looking at possibly buying a Dobyns Sierra rod with that great sale on TW right now. Looking at the 7'3" model (735C) for jigs and hollow body frogs. They make two models the exact same but one has regular guides and the other the micros. I would never use anything but straight 40-65# braid on it (no leader for these fishing applications) and don't know which way to go. Talking to a guy at Bass Pro tonight he said braid is notorious eating up micro guides, if that is true. Anyway, which way should I go?

I've used braid on Fuji micro guides for years and never grooved one. Alconite or sic work best.

Braid does not "eat micro guides" lol. You can't always trust what a guy working at a sporting goods store says, even though I'm sure he meant well. I would get micro guides if you don't intend to use leaders, I've never had any issues in the 10 or so years I've been using them. 

My frogging and my jig rods both have micro guides.

On a side note I can remember several times I've been at BassPro and couldn't help but laugh to myself as I listened to some of the "expert" advice employees were giving customers.   I actually went to make an emergency purchase after breaking a rod and had one of them tell me there was virtually no difference between the St Croix BassX and AvidX except price when they didn't have the AvidX I needed.  LOL

micros......

I have micros on mine. The only downside is any slop or dreaded cottonseed that sticks to your line will get stuck in the guides.

47 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I have micros on mine. The only downside is any slop or dreaded cottonseed that sticks to your line will get stuck in the guides.

Is that just an irrantant or can damage the eyelet? I'm thinking more of when I'd be frogging in slop.

Won't damage the guide, just an inconvenience. 

 

Keep in mind that all micros are not equal.  Different ring materials, different diameters, different frame materials, different foot designs/lengths, different ring to blank angles and shapes.  Some are very tough, and others are not.  Being lower to the rod they don't get "hit" as often.  Like regular guides.  Braid doesn't eat micros any more than it eats any other type of guide.  Grooving depends mostly on the hardness of the ring.

 

Since the reasons for micros are casting distance and sensitivity and they have the disadvantages of clogging and are more easily damaged (at least some are, and the ones with tiny feet tend to slip out of the wrap if a locking loop is not used, and I don't think factory rods use locking loops) they don't make sense on a slop rod.  The casting distance advantage is minor at best.

 

Go with the regular guides.  For this application you have a much higher probability of seeing the disadvantages of micros rather than the advantages.

 

 

Well I was kind of set on the micros from what all I read but now I am not so sure. I am trying to take advantage of the TW sale on the Dobyn's Sierra line. I am looking at the Dobyns SA 735C (regular guides) or the Dobyns SSM 735C (micro guides) and from what I can tell the ONLY difference is the types of guides?

It has an extra fast tip and I am fine with that for frogging. Just not sure if I want that for a jog rod. Want a bit of a more moderate bend I would guess. Just confused, have to decide by tomorrow at 5 PM PT!

I had one frogging rod that had micro guides. Never again. The issue wasn't with the braid but rather the grass and thick stuff getting stuck in the guides and jamming them up. Giant pain in the butt. Constant cleaning them out instead of casting. No thanks. 

5 hours ago, pauldconyers said:

Well I was kind of set on the micros from what all I read but now I am not so sure. I am trying to take advantage of the TW sale on the Dobyn's Sierra line. I am looking at the Dobyns SA 735C (regular guides) or the Dobyns SSM 735C (micro guides) and from what I can tell the ONLY difference is the types of guides?

It has an extra fast tip and I am fine with that for frogging. Just not sure if I want that for a jog rod. Want a bit of a more moderate bend I would guess. Just confused, have to decide by tomorrow at 5 PM PT!

Flip a coin and leave it at that.

Dobyns doesn't make a true XF rod, they all bend down at least 1/2 way down (not a bad thing)