Guide spacing for BK super noodle

[bigfoot86]

Bought a bass khang 48” super noodle to build on with a 6” straight grip.  Thought about taking a few inches off the the back end and possibly an inch or two off the front end.  Has anyone built on this particular blank before?  Was wondering what I should do for guide spacing.  Bass khang does have a specs page showing suggested guide spacing for all their blanks except this one.  I did email them and they suggested using the finesse noodle guide spacing chart and maybe just adding another eye but I’m not sure.

[meandcuznalfy]

The spacing for the finesse noodle is good, I built one of those a few years back, only a 36" though, so might need one extra guide for a rod that long.

[Old Goat]

Bought a bass khang 48” super noodle to build on with a 6” straight grip.  Thought about taking a few inches off the the back end and possibly an inch or two off the front end.  Has anyone built on this particular blank before?  Was wondering what I should do for guide spacing.  Bass khang does have a specs page showing suggested guide spacing for all their blanks except this one.  I did email them and they suggested using the finesse noodle guide spacing chart and maybe just adding another eye but I’m not sure.

     I took some measurements off my 48 in Currents Noodle Rod  First tip 2nd 5.5 in. 3rd 11.5 4th 18.5  from handle going away from reel is 8 in handle then 2 in (not used ) the 12 in.

[Old Goat]

Bought a bass khang 48” super noodle to build on with a 6” straight grip.  Thought about taking a few inches off the the back end and possibly an inch or two off the front end.  Has anyone built on this particular blank before?  Was wondering what I should do for guide spacing.  Bass khang does have a specs page showing suggested guide spacing for all their blanks except this one.  I did email them and they suggested using the finesse noodle guide spacing chart and maybe just adding another eye but I’m not sure.

     I took some measurements off my 48 in Currents Noodle Rod  First tip 2nd 5.5 in. 3rd 11.5 4th 18.5  from handle going away from reel is 8 in handle then 2 in (not used ) the 12 in.

[bigfoot86]

     I took some measurements off my 48 in Currents Noodle Rod  First tip 2nd 5.5 in. 3rd 11.5 4th 18.5  from handle going away from reel is 8 in handle then 2 in (not used ) the 12 in.

Thanks old goat.  Gives me a good idea at least.  And are the measurements from where the loop is in the guide (the part where the line goes through)?

[defish]

The spacing for their Finesse Noodle is probably a good place to start plus a guide or two, but I strongly suggest doing a static test to check the load distribution - especially if you trim the tip and/or butt end.

I'm currently building one of their "Finesse Noodles" as a panfish dead stick, and my guide spacing is substantially different than BK's numbers which seem kind of "mechanical" as in 3, 6, 9...

My static test spacing is:

T, 2 5/16, 4 7/8, 7 1/2, 10 1/8, 13 3/4, 19 3/4

I'm curious.  Does the 48" blank taper all the way to the butt, or does it have a straight section?  I HATED the "Finesse Noodle" blank when I got it and it sat unbuilt for a couple years - it has a good light tip, but NO power anywhere in the blank and is "floppy" all the way into the grip with a continuous taper all the way to the butt end.  I got a different blank to build a finesse rod, and the 36" BK finesse blank is strictly a dead stick at best to me, but everyone has different likes and dislikes.

Good luck, and I hope you post your impressions of how the blank fishes.
Dan

[Ice_Fly_Guy]

Check this out: It helps me frequently.  Some adjustments still need to be made, most likely.

http://carlinbamboo.com/guidecalc/

[bigfoot86]

The spacing for their Finesse Noodle is probably a good place to start plus a guide or two, but I strongly suggest doing a static test to check the load distribution - especially if you trim the tip and/or butt end.

I'm currently building one of their "Finesse Noodles" as a panfish dead stick, and my guide spacing is substantially different than BK's numbers which seem kind of "mechanical" as in 3, 6, 9...

My static test spacing is:

T, 2 5/16, 4 7/8, 7 1/2, 10 1/8, 13 3/4, 19 3/4

I'm curious.  Does the 48" blank taper all the way to the butt, or does it have a straight section?  I HATED the "Finesse Noodle" blank when I got it and it sat unbuilt for a couple years - it has a good light tip, but NO power anywhere in the blank and is "floppy" all the way into the grip with a continuous taper all the way to the butt end.  I got a different blank to build a finesse rod, and the 36" BK finesse blank is strictly a dead stick at best to me, but everyone has different likes and dislikes.

Good luck, and I hope you post your impressions of how the blank fishes.
Dan

The super noodle blank seems to only bend about half way and the rest is a straight shot.

[bigfoot86]

Check this out: It helps me frequently.  Some adjustments still need to be made, most likely.

http://carlinbamboo.com/guidecalc/

Very informative, thank you.

[SirCranksalot]

Apart from at the top guides there is generally very little change in the line direction and therefore very little force. The guide spacing should not matter very much at all.

[Remps17]

I haven’t followed any recommended spacing charts. I take dental bands or masking tape and put the guides on the blank to test it. If there is a steep string angle I will move a guide or add another one.

By doing this I don’t have to second guess anything. I will write down my spacing in case I build on the same blank in the future.

[matzilla]

This is the best way I've found to get guide spacing awfully close on the 1st shot:
Get a big piece of paper, poster size is nice
With a helper, hold the butt of the blank stationary on the paper while you flex the rod tip 90 degrees from the butt
Hold the flexed blank into position and have a helper trace the curve of the blank on the paper
Draw in your handle (and reel seat if you are using one) on the butt end trace of the blank
Take the reel you wish to use, draw the face of the spool in the location it will be, along the the line roller location
Measure the height of the guides - foot to inside of the ring - record measurement
Take your best stab at drawing the guides onto the trace of the blank curve
Connect the guides like connecting the dots, drawing lines between each line - use a straight edge
Adjust the number and placement of guides to yield the least degree of change between each guide - straightest path possible
Measure the guide placement distances and build on that
After doing this once or twice you'll get the hang of it and be able to repeat the process on any blank in about 5-10 minutes vs a bit longer to actually mock up the handle, reel, guides, etc on the blank to static test

Try to keep the angle from the stripper guide to the line roller/spool of the reel as narrow as possible - it'll reduce rod tip bounce and provide for a smoother drag break away, not to mention your jig will drop easier/faster

I use one of those giant post it note style paper pads for whiteboarding - I keep the guide setup info for all the rods i've built on the pad, curves notes and all

[bigfoot86]

This is the best way I've found to get guide spacing awfully close on the 1st shot:
Get a big piece of paper, poster size is nice
With a helper, hold the butt of the blank stationary on the paper while you flex the rod tip 90 degrees from the butt
Hold the flexed blank into position and have a helper trace the curve of the blank on the paper
Draw in your handle (and reel seat if you are using one) on the butt end trace of the blank
Take the reel you wish to use, draw the face of the spool in the location it will be, along the the line roller location
Measure the height of the guides - foot to inside of the ring - record measurement
Take your best stab at drawing the guides onto the trace of the blank curve
Connect the guides like connecting the dots, drawing lines between each line - use a straight edge
Adjust the number and placement of guides to yield the least degree of change between each guide - straightest path possible
Measure the guide placement distances and build on that
After doing this once or twice you'll get the hang of it and be able to repeat the process on any blank in about 5-10 minutes vs a bit longer to actually mock up the handle, reel, guides, etc on the blank to static test

Try to keep the angle from the stripper guide to the line roller/spool of the reel as narrow as possible - it'll reduce rod tip bounce and provide for a smoother drag break away, not to mention your jig will drop easier/faster

I use one of those giant post it note style paper pads for whiteboarding - I keep the guide setup info for all the rods i've built on the pad, curves notes and all

Wow, that is another excellent idea.  Thank you

[defish]

The super noodle blank seems to only bend about half way and the rest is a straight shot.

Thanks for the info - sounds like a better design than the 36" finesse blank.

If you have a calipers or micrometer it would be nice to add this blank's profile to Matzilla's blank profile database.