Recoil Guides…

…Are they worth it?

I’m getting a few custom rods built soon and wondering if recoil guides are worth shelling out $25 per rod for.

Two of the rods are going to be built on solid graphite blanks… a light walleye rod and an ultralight panfish rod and these are the rods I’m considering putting recoils on. I’m not worried about iceing up, the only reason I’m considering the recoils is for less weight and added sensitivity. Just wondering if they really make that much difference. The other consideration is to add a carbon fiber handle as well.

I don’t doubt these two components will increase feel, I’m just wondering if the increased feel is worth $32 per rod. Or if either component is more important.

Thoughts and suggestions please…

All of my new rods have recoild guides and any I order in the future will as well. I fish outside quite a bit, so that is the main reason that I purchased them.

If iceup is not a issue ( You don’t fish outside ) I don’t think it is worth the price of recoil guides. As far as the carbon fiber handle goes I’ve tried them and do not think they increase the sensitivity all that much. I’d go with with a split grip or a reel seat that allows direct contact to the blank if you really want to increase the sensitivity.

Personally I think the graphite handles are great, I need all
the help I can get. I’ve been using them on summer and winter
spinning rods for more than 10 years and plan to continue.
Recoil guides,,, I have them on a Quiver Stick and Al Dente
noodle, I fish outside with these rods and yes they’re worth
it IMO

Yup

worth it !!

I fish outside all the time, it’s just that guides icing up don’t really bother me. Cold and ice are minor problems… wind catching my line is what drives me into a shelter. I was hoping the advantage of recoils was geared more towards sensitivity and feel rather than staying ice free longer.

If you fish with it, or a similar rod for a day, you will answer your question very easily.

From my three rods I had built from TB, the weight that you saved going with it seem to help alot on feeling the bite.

Beside being less in weight and ice up less, I think that about it…

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…Are they worth it?

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In my opinion NO on a ice rod .

I have built several ice rods out of the finest blanks one can buy, some with recoils and some with Flexlite wire guides and in my opinion there is NO freezing up or weight difference.

The biggest difference is the price of each brand and the sense of knowing you have custom built rod with a lower value guides on it. Flexlite guides are just as light as Recoil. Those are the only 2 brands of guides I have used on my custom built rods so I cant speak for the other guides.

I could go on and on but I do not type very fast or very good ,so I will leave it at that.

I cant speak for the carbon fiber handle tho , never used one.

Any questions feel free to PM me.

JMHO Jeff

Thanks for the opinions guys, and I’m leaning towards a no. At $25 increase per rod I could get another rod for the same price of upgrading the guides… just seems ridiculous to me. Hopefully I never fish with recoils and end up kicking myself haha

you have a PM

I would for the panfish one. But I don’t think its needed.