How are the guides on a fishing rod positioned?

Question by Jane L:

How are the guides on a fishing rod positioned?

The guide on the fishing rod is positioned so that between the ones closer to the tip has a shorter distance than those between the ones further away from the rod. The distance between 2 guides are getting bigger and bigger from the tip of the fishing rod.
1)Why are they position that way and how does it help fishing?
2)Does the length of the fishing rod affect fishing? How?
3)What is the purpose of having guides?

Thank you for your time =)




Best answer:

Answer by Peter_AZ
1. The guides are spaced so the line doesn't go around an especially sharp corner when it goes through each of them when the rod is bent. This reduces wear on the line (as well as wear on the guides), and reduces friction which adds to the drag if a fish is taking line.

In addition, on a saltwater conventional rod (which is used with the reel and the guides on top) the guides are positioned to keep the line from rubbing on the rod between the guides.

2. The length of the fishing rod affects casting distance and the leverage you use when pulling on a heavy fish. Longer rods will cast further, while shorter rods will make it easier to lift heavy fish. So surf fishing rods tend to be long (sometimes 12 feet or more) while big game rods tend to be short (6 feet or less at times).

3. The purpose of having guides -- I assume you're thinking of a rod with only a tip guide. The guides keep the line from flying out of control when casting -- especially with a spinning reel (I tried this once when building a rod as a kid -- I put on the tip guide and a reel, and tried casting, and got a mess with line wrapping around the rod blank about halfway up). They also, as described in #1 above, keep the line from going around tight corners and wearing out quickly, as well as keeping the line coming into the reel from (pretty much) directly in front of it.

If you're thinking of running the line through the center of a hollow fishing rod -- even if the inside was smooth, there would be so much friction the outfit would be nearly unusable.

Spinning rods tend to have fewer guides, since they don't have to keep the line from rubbing on the blank, and larger ones (especially the first guide) to reduce friction when casting, as the line spins off the reel. Casting and conventional rods usually have more, and smaller, guides.

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