i finally tested the 1089 spiral wrap i built this winter on some fish. i put a 525 T-mag on the rod spooled with 65# stealth. the rod was very nice! no loss in casting distance at all. i was quite easily out casting my fishing partner that was using a 1089 with a 6500 nautil on it. the comfort while fighting fish was very aparent. now i just need to find an application for a 9' conventional.

Glad to see you tried this for yourself. Look foward to hearing some more guys trying spiral surf rods this year. I know Bawana was going to do one as well (I think).

Niiiiiice...what where ya throwin? No more rod work for me till 2005....05' sounds weird, how time fly's.

Goose, i was throwing a few different things. pencil poppers were the most sucessful on the fish. i threw some 9" ledgerunners and some 7" swimmers, but for some reason the fish only wanted topwater. :confused: no complaints here, though. i usually wouldn't attempt to throw poppers with a non-levelwind, but this was as much of a chance to give the new rod a test as it was a chance to catch.

this could be a good jigging stick for tight places or when i don't feel like jigging with my glass stick. i still have one more rod to complete for myself, and one for a friend. no rush on either one as the fish take priority now!

What do you guys mean by "spiral Wrap"

I think "spiral wrapped" is a term in regards to the construction of the rod blank?:D

Spiral wrap has to do with the transition of the guides on the blank. It's used on a conv. rod to convert to spin type by spiraling the guides from top of blank to bottom. I built one and can't wait to try it.

Its a method to take the twist out of conventional rods while fighting fish. A rod tends to want to twist so that the spine will be opposite the applied load. Even on a well spined rod , the fish just a little to one side or even a slight cahnge in hand position and the rod wants to start twisting. The guides on a spiral wrapped rod start on the top of the blank like a standard conventional but each guide towards the tip is offset by say 60 degrees (just and example of one scheme) so that after about 3 or 4 guides you have the guides lined up along the bottom side of the blank. With the tip section having all bottom guides , the rod does not twist in your hand while fishting fish. Its been used very successfully on boat rods but the question is always whether it will rob you of casting distance on a surf rod. I don't know the answere yet.

thanks gents,

I thought that was what you were speaking of. I think the other application is for very fast tipped rods where the line can not be kept from touching the blank.

Correct I did three of them to try--One was the 1362F with 10 inches off the butt which I tried and it seemed to cast Ok but I wanted to try it with less casting brakes in the 700 Calcutta or with a faster reel once it got warmer here.The only thing I noticed is that it feels more like a spinning rod when it is being retrieved. I also did an ASW-1089 set up kind of the same with the 25 first guide and the 2-12*s to a 16 on the 180.This seems to keep the line in close to the blank but still gives plenty of clearence and the line doesnt seem to have any problems here during the transition.I also set up a 50 class blank as a cod jig stick a little like a stand up rod with the shorter butt and a longer foregrip with some pac-bay BBSG SIC guides.I am pretty sure the boat one will be worth the effort as I have seen it done on a couple of rods one for Cod jigging and another as a stand up 50/130.Also now doing a batson 1089 as a spinning to compare to the spiral.I laid out the pattern and started to wrap but am now back working and seem to be having Time/motivational problems but I will get it done and let its results be known good-bad or indifferent.Also have to decide on whether to go with the BSVLG 50 or the BHVLG 40 HH for a first guide.Keep hoping either Fuji or Pac bay will come out with a 50 sic guide.