Cat Tip of the Day: Better check your rod tips.

It is that time of year to tune up the equipment to get ready for some spring fishing. I just happened to scan the rod tip of one of my favorite rods and it was deeply grooved along the bottom center of the tip guide. It has to be from the superline. The groove in the rod tip was deep and sharp and definitely could hurt the line. I immediately checked all my other rod tips and they all looked OK. Next time you all get a chance, check out your rod tip guides looking for a groove along the bottom edge. I tried to take a photo of it but it didn’t turn out very good but you get the idea.

I use a “Qtip” to check my guides. Just run it around the inside. Fibers will pull off if there is cracks or wear spots. Also use cotton balls to check the fibers of my rods. (Note: Keep your mind out of the gutter) Any splinters, no matter how small will show up.

Good post Steve!

And follow up…what a great way to stop the “ultimate Break Off” by finding a crack in your rod before hand.

As long as we’re talking about spring tune ups.

I was surpised to find the screws that hold one of my Garcia 7000 so loose last year that it was winding goofy. Could have been a disaster! The good thing is that they can be tightened with your fingers until a screw driver is located.

I’ve now taken them all apart and used the blue locktite. Blue isn’t the permenant stuff.

Comanchero –

I have an ongoing debate over guides with a good friend from the site here. He insists ceramic guides are ruined by superlines. I don’t share his opinion on this subject. Could you please tell us whether the tip-top you have in the photo is metal or ceramic? Also curious what kind of superline you were using and what size line – and what application the rod was used with?

Thanks,

Chuckles

Chuckles..

Super lines WILL eat up rod guides. There is no need to debate it. Some super lines are worse than others. I have found FireLine to be the worst.

Steve.. your best replacing that tip with one without an insert(basic steel tip), or one with a Titanium shock ring(insert).

These heavy super lines really put an extreme load onto guides.

My experience with guide wear is that it depends on the rods, and the type of fishing you do. Cat fish rods take a lot of abuse three ways. 1. You use large diameter superline which acts like a saw. 2. You catch bigger than average fish with this set up, so the sawing action is modified. 3. Using heavy weights often time leads to snags which if pulled by the rod can wreck eyes. Walleye rods are longer for the most part, and have a number of eyes on them to relieve the effect of the line to the individual eye. The walleye rod will often be a medium action, absorbing much of the action of the line. Cat/musky/pike rods are stout, focusing much of the action on the rod tip. Ironically, I have found Fireline to be the friendliest of these superlines because it is stranded and somewhat flat. Power Pro and Gorilla Braid typ lines are wrapped filament lines which focus the cutting action in a latitudal or “X” manner. Fireline is a longtitudal line and it’s braids are in the “Y” plane. You can eleviate that by going to a rod made by Diawa called the “Interline.” It is a rod made for salt water, I have used it for Halibut in Alaska. It goes in the handle, and exits through a titanium bugel looking eye at the end. We have used 80# PP with these for years without wear!
Here is the rod I am talking about Diawa Interline

Nothing against Diawa….

….but….

ISH!

I’m just calling them as I see ’em!

Here’s to mono!

Oh I hear ya Tuck…

But there’s just something about the line running through the guides….and the hooks geting tangle in the other rods line that appeals to me. Just seems to take the good looks of the rod away…practical? I bet it is.

Good Morning, Chuckles – To answer your questions:
It is a metal rod tip guide on a Quantum Graphite Musky Casting Rod, 7′ long, heavy action, rated for 15 – 45# line.
I was using 65# test PowerPro, HiVis line.
The rod was used for catfishing, primarily flathead fishing. Like Tuck said, it had it’s fair share of tugs from being hungup in heavy cover which had to be a contributor.

Fisher DAve – that has not been my experience with the superlines having used them for 10 years plus nearly exclusively on my rods. But cheap off-brand aluminum oxide guides – its sounds possible – it doesn’t sound likely with alconite or sic or any of the harder guides… the rod building site I frequent layed down this test – take any of the new – harder cermics and run a file across them – it will only riun the file – try that on yur metal guides and the results change dramatically.
Chuckles

Hey Tuck, I was looking at the Interline rods in one of the catalogs. The concept of better line protection without guides was kind of intriguing. Do they have a feel a lot different than a normal rod? Would you consider using one for walleyes and smallmouth?

CHuckles..

The rods it happened to me on were rods that were supposed to be of higher quality(St Croix) and another.. Its not impossible that St Croix was saving some money on guides buying lesser quality guides from a company known for a quality product(Fugi).

There are advantages to ceramic type guides.. one major one is they disperse the heat so it doesnt build up.

I wasnt saying ceramic guides are junk.. was just saying I have had problems, especially with the tips using Fire Line. Rod guides are getting better all the time. I’m in the process of building some rods.. I am going to play around with different guides, and stick to the highest quality with Fugi brand guides(they make a bunch).

Steve, I am not sure. I would think there would be more resistance due to the fact that the line would be making more contact with the blank of the rod as it is being casted. So in my pea sized brain, it would lead me to believe that light jigs or small Raps may not cast as far. Now a 4 ounce no roll? No problem! We use them for vertical jigging halibut in 100 feet of water using super line. When you real a few hundred halibut in from those depths with no damage, a few 40 pound flattys are Nuttin!
Maybe someone else on here has used them in your application. Unfortunately I have not.
Tuck