Fishing Rod Guides, What Does SIC Mean?, Rod Eye, Aluminum Oxide Guides (2024)

"Sorta Like The Barrel Of A Gun"

A Critical and Delicate Rod Component

Fishing Rod Guides

So what exactly do fishing rod guides contribute to the form andfunction of a bass rod? Those circular loops of metal that are affixedto the length of the rod?

First, they keep the line away from the rod and secondly theyprovide a smooth surface over which the line slides. "So what?" you ask.By keeping the line away from the rod the ability to cast is enhanced.By having a smooth surface within the ring over which the line can movefriction is minimized. And we all know that friction creates heat andthat heat is not yourline's friend. Furthermore, your line takes less of a beating, suffersless wear and tear by passing over smooth surfaces.

Guides serve to direct your line to your target, like the barrelof a gun directs a bullet. Imagine fishing without guides on your rod.You're ability to reach most bass would be greatly diminished.

Guides also contribute to a rod's sensitivity and castingdistance. Guides that are lightweight and high quality function verywell in transmitting line vibrations to the rod and ultimately theanglers hands. Another factor in rod sensitivity is the number andlocation of guides on a rod.

Rod Guide Materials

Historically, guides were predominately steel and sometimeswere coated with chrome. Then, in the 1960's, ceramic rings wereinserted inside the rings. This eliminated the need to replace guides due to wear.It just didn't happen. However, these rings were heavy and prone todropping their ceramic inserts if the rod was knocked around. Thissystem has been greatly improved and metal guide rings have ceramicinserts that are fastened directly to them virtually eliminating any"drop-out".

There are numerous materials from which guides are made. Adissertation could be written (probably has) about fishing rod guidesand the material from which they are made, focusingon hardness, weight, heat dissipation, durability and a multitude ofother considerations. I'm just an old "peddler" (salesman) and avid bassfisherman. So all that matters to me, unlike rod manufacturers andcustom rod builders, is the weight and durability of the guides on therods I buy. So I'll not try to explain the physics and engineering ofrod guides. It'sbeyond me.

However, it should be obvious that the heavier the guides, thenumber of guides and where they're placed on the rod's shaft will impactthat rod's general responsiveness and sensitivity as well as itscastability. Heat dissipation, while important when deep-sea fishingwhere there are often long runs by the fish and extreme frictiongenerated, is not really an issue for us bass fishermen. What should beimportant to us is that the guideson the rods we buy are lightweight and durable and that there are theappropriate number on the rod and that they are properly placed.

So, as for materials, I'll just tell the following are the most common.

Silicone Carbide

So What Does SIC Mean? What are SIC Guides?

Today, Silicon carbide, referred to as SiC, and titanium carbideare considered the best materials for fishing rod guides. Friction andheat are reduced to a bare minimum with theseadvanced ceramic ring guides. Less friction translates into longercasts. Additionally, this material stands up to the new braids and superlines,. As guides with siliconecarbide or titanium carbide are quite expensive you will find them only on your "high-end" brand name rods or your custom rods.

Aluminum Oxide

Alconite, Sounds Space Age

Alconite is a guide material whose base is aluminum oxide. Itoffers exceptional smoothness and durability but at a lower cost thansilicon carbide. Fuji alconite guides were developedto be lighter than SIC, Hardloy or aluminum oxide. The surface isextremely smooth.

Hardloy

Hardloy is another grade of aluminum oxide, another ceramicmaterial, from which fishing rod guides are made. it is not as expensiveas the preceding materials but us quite durable. Fuji Hardloy guidesare that company's most popular guide.

Aluminum Oxide

The ceramic material from which guides began to be made some 40+ years ago and from which many are made today.

Titanium

Titanium used for fishing rod guides is a new and expensivedevelopment. A nice feature is its propensity to spring back to itsoriginal shape even if bent flat. RECOIL® guides from REC Components,found on high quality rods like G. Loomis, are made from nickle titaniumalloy. This is a material which enables the guide to bend and springback to its original shape. It is also 4 to 5 times lighter than similarguides. It is also highly resistant to corrosion. These guides do nothave ceramic inserts. The metal is hard and flexible at the same time.How does that happen?

It should be pointed out that there are some rod makers, mainlycustom rod builders, that are not particularly impressed with Recoil®guides. The complaint is that superlines cut grooves in the guides andcan do so rapidly even for weekend anglers. This has certainly not beenmy experience. But I have a lot of respect for the guys whose skillsenable them to make excellent custom rods and felt their opinion shouldbe passed along.

I've included below a brief table showing you which guides are used by some rod manufacturers.

Other Guide Considerations

Style Of Guides

Fishing rod guides are produced in both double and single footed formats.

Single foot guides weigh less and are more sensitive. Theseguides are used most often on spinning rods. Though originally used onmedium to light spinning rods technology has facilitated theconstruction of heavier duty spinning rods and correspondingly singlefoot guides to accommodate them.

Double footed fishing rod guides are for designed to provide morestrength and tend to less sensitive. They're found on casting rods forbass and other rods manufactured for large game fish.

Number of Guides

A rod with more guides will generally cast better and be moreresponsive. Energy and stress are more evenly spread throughout thelength of the rod. This makes for a more responsive rodand a rod that will withstand the pressures encountered while fighting abass.

Generally speaking, there should be a guide for every foot ofrod. A 6' rod should have six guides, possibly seven, plus a tip guidefor example. Spacing between fishing rod guides is wider at the butt endwith the distance reducing as they move closer to the tip. Lowerquality rods will often be found to have too few guides. Be certain tocount them and if there are fewer than one per foot of rod put the rodback on the rack. Also check the in-line placement to assure they arealigned correctly.

Innovation Marches On

The Newest Thing In Rod Guides - Micro Guides

In 2009 at ICAST the first production "micro guides" wereintroduced. Prior to this they were used exclusively by custom rodbuilders, at least in the U.S. These new guides were in sizes 2mm-5mm.To put this in perspective, production rods have an end guide with themeasure of 6mm.

Allegedly these smaller fishing rod guides offer increasedsensitivity due to the decreased weight of the guides themselves and thereduction in necessary thread wrap and finish lacquer. Less line"slap", when line bangs against the inside of the guide rings, resultsin greater casting distance and fewer wind knots. The one I like bestis a reduction tangles from rods on deck or during transport. I likethat one because I rarely have less than eight rods on deck.

As for negatives, they can clog with water-borne material likeleaves, slime, grass etc. They can freeze over in temperatures under32°. I'm not concerned about that one because ifit's that cold I'll not be on the water. Don't know about you. Lineswith memory like fluorocarbon or monofilament that have been on the reelfor a while, can perform poorly as it won't pass through the rod eyesvery easily.

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