Wally Marshall™ Pro Rod Series question

[oomph]

Are the guides big enough for using a slip bobber or does the knot get hung up?

[CrappiePappy]

I looked at this website ad, and used the + zoom to check out the rod : https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lews-Fish...CABEgLkZvD_BwE ... and just from looking at it, it doesn't look like the rod has micro guides, which would definitely be a problem using a slip float/bobber stop rig. But, don't take my word for it !! Wait for someone who owns the rod to give you a definitive answer, based on their use of the rod with that setup.

[SuperDave336]

I was thinking Wally said in the podcast all his rods now have the small guides?

I have the Pro and took pictures for reference. Hope this helps.

[CrappiePappy]

I don't think those are micro guides, Dave. Even if you had 2# test line going thru the guides/tip in your picture, if those were micro's there wouldn't be anywhere close to that much opening clearance. I could be wrong, though ... as it's kinda hard to gauge the size of them in your pics.

My ESP 6'6" PowerLite rod has micro guides & tip ... and I can barely get 4 wraps of 20# test line thru the tip. I already know that most of the plastic & rubber bobber stop styles won't go thru the tip. I even tried them on my ESP 9' PowerJig rod and they didn't work very well.

Now, I do have to put in a disclaimer, though .... I have not tried using the string type stops (or mono, or dental floss) on my ESP rods. Reason being that if I wanted to cast a slip float rig ... I've got two 8' BnM FnF rods that would work just fine with most any type of bobber stop, and several other (shorter) rods with standard sized guides/tips that I could use. I just don't use that rigging in my waters. If I'm not casting, I'm probably Pushing my jigs !!

[oomph]

Yeah, I have an ESP rod as well and would not recommend it being used for a slip bobber. ESP makes a great rod by the way, I really like the feel.

That said, the guides on that picture do not appear to be micro guides, but I am still not certain if they are big enough to use a slip bobber setup with. Hopefully someone else with more experience can chime in.


Thanks,

Jimmy

[CrappiePappy]

I might also have to ask :

Exactly "which" bobber stops do you use, or plan to use ??

Reason I ask is (from my experiences) .... the little rubber football shaped ones "will" slide down the line when you're reeling a fish in and the stop comes in contact with the rod's tip eye .... regardless of the size of the tip eye. The only way around that, that I've successfully used, is to watch for the rubber stop and drop a little slack in the line as the stop approaches the tip eye (but continue to reel). The downside to that is that sometimes that momentary slack in the line is enough to allow the fish to get off the hook. You also have to be careful when buying them (esp. online) because some of them may not have the hole thru them "centered" correctly, and that "lip" is going to factor into the stop hanging on the guides/tip ... either when reeling in or casting out.

Now, the plastic "bone" and "ladder" shaped ones will not slide down the line when they come in contact with the tip eye (but they may temporarily hang up on the tip eye) .... also, they do pose a problem for "casting" if you're fishing deep enough that the stop gets reeled up into the line spool. Just by their shape, they do present a hang-up potential with the line around your reel's spool. They are also quite cumbersome to adjust depth with, since you have to unwind the line from them and slide them up/down all the while trying to keep the line loose from them. They will also put a "kink" in your line, where the line enters the holes, simply from the constant pressure of the line wraps around/thru them. That "kink" can pose a line breakage problem by weakening the line at that point.

I can't say anything about the string type stops, because I've never used them. But, I do see where the "knot" of them could possibly kink/weaken the line ... and the tag ends could possibly cause problems when reeled up into the line spool. But, I would think that the hang-up and slippage problem (when they come in contact with the tip eye, reeling in a fish) would likely be far less of a possibility than with the rubber football style stops.

OK .... so now you know why I don't often use a slip float rig ... and also of note is the fact that the plastic & rubber style stops WILL deteriorate over time, whether they're used or not.

[oomph]

I use the ESB bobbers, they use the classic string type stopper.

The Everlasting Slip Bobber - the world's finest slip bobber!

[Roy]

Maybe not answering your question directly but why buy a really nice rod and then set it up with a slip bobber, you could get by with a much cheaper rod for this application. Don't get me wrong, I own several Wally Marshall Pro Series rods and I really love them for casting, dock shooting, and vertical jigging. They are very sensitive and cast a jig a long ways, I would just use a lower end rod for bobber fishing, just my 2 cents.

["D"]

The rod pictured will handle bobber stops, but I'm with Roy. Unless you only use one rod. Pappy the football rubber ones work best on 6lb test or larger.

[CrappiePappy]

Pappy the football rubber ones work best on 6lb test or larger.

Yeah, but when I used them 'back in tha day' ... I was using 8lb test !! Didn't make any difference when they came into contact with the rod tip while fighting a fish, they'd slip down the line anyway. That's how come I know that giving that little bit of slack just before they reached the rod tip would allow them to pass right through, and it's also the reason I know that momentary slack is all some fish need to shake free from the hook (mostly those that are lip hooked, though).