Making A Casting Rod into a Spinning Rod

Fish_N_Russ · 12-09-2008, 01:23 PM

Recently got a nice casting rod (non-trigger handle) and wanted to make it into a spinning rod, so do I just need to replace the 1st guide with a large one for the line to be able to spin around the spool? Or does it matter? thanks
Russ

StickFish · 12-09-2008, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish_N_Russ

Recently got a nice casting rod (non-trigger handle) and wanted to make it into a spinning rod, so do I just need to replace the 1st guide with a large one for the line to be able to spin around the spool? Or does it matter? thanks
Russ

Depends on the size of the 2nd guide and maybe the third and the size of the reel you want to use. Generally spinners have fewer guides. What is the model number and rod manufacturer?

Tinman · 12-10-2008, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish_N_Russ

Recently got a nice casting rod (non-trigger handle) and wanted to make it into a spinning rod, so do I just need to replace the 1st guide with a large one for the line to be able to spin around the spool? Or does it matter? thanks
Russ

I think your casting distance will be severely shortened unless you replace the first 3 guides with larger spinning guides. Look at any standard spinning rod and you will see how the guide sizes funnel down gradually. Ideally you would replace all the guides with spinning guides. That would give you a set of casting guides to put on a new blank.

Rakkasan · 12-18-2008, 11:03 AM

Stickfish said it. It depends on the reel size and rod size. I would at least change the first 3 guides. For steelhead spinning rods I use a #25 for my first guide. Any larger applications I use a #30. I hope this helps.

Dave

Irish Green · 12-18-2008, 12:37 PM

I believe that the spline on a casting rod and spinning rod are opposite,which means you will need to strip all the guides off and re-tye them on the other side of the rod (180 degrees ).Others on this site may disagree,but to do it right I believe this is what you do.

StickFish · 12-18-2008, 02:00 PM

Very few rod builders bother to spin blanks anymore. The current train of thought is to build on the straightest axis. Several posts here about it and on most of the rod building sites.

FCJ · 12-18-2008, 03:43 PM

Even if it was spined, the effect would marginal. Effective spine being set up for fighting fish rather than casting. I wish I spent more time fighting fish than cast but it just isn't so.

Will Fish For Food · 12-28-2008, 08:16 AM

Well for the spine I spine all rods I build and if the blank is that bad I send it back or leave it at the store for someone else. there are some blanks out there you have to build to the bend so I don't use them.
I would replace the first 3 guides from the handle and use the stick or pick up a spinning rod to fit the need and heve two steelhead rods.
There is some nice buy right now. Retalers are have some good sales.
WFFF

TEC · 12-28-2008, 02:56 PM

I really don't know much about rod building, but I bought a mass produced rod one time (not cheep) that casted really poorly. After looking at it you could see that it was softer bending to one side. Years later I learned that is what you call the spine of the rod.

So I thought it was really important to build a rod to it's spine, but you are saying that it should not really be an issue with a good blank?

FCJ · 12-28-2008, 05:24 PM

The jury is still out in my mind about the importance of the spine in a top quality blank. My point was; There less effect in rotating he effective spine 180* than there is to have it between 0* and 180*. At 180*, it is still in the proper plane and the difference would not likely be noticable. I also learned to build rods by first locating the spine. Sometimes it is hard to unlearn old tricks.
Jim

CRD4Liberty · 12-29-2008, 07:19 AM

A fairly quick and easy way to get a nice rod out of this change is to first decide what reel your going to use on the rod. Measure the spool lip diameter and buy a Fuji Alconite first guide that is as close to 1/2 the spool dia as you can get, if you in the middle, are using heavier line and have a choice upsize one.
Now take the spool diameter and multiply it by 27. Measure from the spool lip to that point on the blank and pick the closest guide as your choke guide. Now remove all the guides toward the reel from that point.
Lay the rod with the reel installed on something with a straight edge, could be a table, straight line on your floor, whatever works for you. Center the reels spool shaft on your line and have the top of the first guide you left on just touching the line and put the first guides position where it has it's foot on the rod blank and the top of the guide on the line like the guide on the rod is.
From this point if I drop the guide sizes by 2, ( 30, 20, 12), or what ever is working for your rod and reel, I usually have an easy time matching them to the straight reference line and still have decent guide spacing, usually the ones closest to the guides you left on the rod are the ones you have to mess with the most to get a straight line path. These guides are inexpensive in the small sizes so ordering a few extra to get the height right isn't going to kill the project.
When your done, looking through the guides should give you a picture that looks like a archery target from big first guide to the small guide you left on the rod.
Wrap it and go fishing. You've just built a New Concept Guide rod as Fuji intended, not as the factories have done it.