# Turning a casting rod into a spinning rod



## The Fishing Addict

Has anyone ever tried turning a casting rod into a spinning rod? Advice, tips and tricks and any other info is greatly appreciated!


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## Slikster

Research rod building. 

If you plan to do it yourself, keep in mind that the eyes will need to be put on the opposite side of the rod from where they currently are. 

Someplace like the Rod Shop could convert a rod for you. Not sure of the price though.


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## The Fishing Addict

Why couldn't you turn it upside down, slap a spinning reel on it and cut of the trigger piece?


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## UFM82

When assembling a rod it is critical to know where the spine of the rod is. That's the area where the joint of the material comes together. A casting rod is designed to flex with the guides on top of the rod where a spinning rod is designed to have the guides on the bottom. Is that a huge issue? To some people, maybe not but it would drive me crazy.


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## meisjedog

I think you'll find that the distance from the reel as well as the smaller size of the eyes will not allow the line to cast easily.


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## Shad Rap

Yep...eyes are too small.


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## Bassbme

Actually the spine of a blank isn't as important as it once was. Building on the straightest axis is more important. Of course the above is debateable.

If the blank has a curve, (and it's not that uncommon for a blank to be slightly curved) placing the guides on the concave side of the blank if doing a conventional casting guide layout will allow gravity and the weight of the guides to smooth out, or eliminate the visual curve.

If doing a spinning rod, mounting the guides on the convex side of the curve will serve the same purpose of smoothing out or eliminating the visual curve.

As far as the guides being wrong goes ..... as mentioned above, the guides won't be spaced correctly, nor will they be the right size, or the right height. The guide train on a spinning rod is definitely more dependant on proper guide size and placement, than it is on a casting rod.

So if you're simply asking if you can flip the rod over and put a spinning reel on it and expect it to function even close to acceptable, the answer would be no.

If you're talking about stripping the rod down to the bare blank and rebuilding it as a spinning rod, then yes, you can use the same blank. The rod blank doesn't know or care what kind of guides are used, and which side of the rod they're placed on.


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## chasmo

I have seen videos of guys using spinning reels on casting rods, even one with the trigger sawed off. Usually they were not casting very far, mostly dropping lines for crappie or 'gills. 

I am just the opposite. I want to know about using older deep sea spinning reels for use as trolling rods. I have some old heavy medium 7' rods that look like they would be good trolling rods.


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## saugmon

The lower eyelets are smaller on the casting rods.That'll reduce casting distance.

Even doing the opposite didn't feel right.I use salmon casting rods for trolling. Dad picked up a cabelas bargain cave special salmon rod that was a spinning rod and I tried it on one of my linecounters. It was so awkward and harder to grip. Kinda like watching a righty using a spinning reel on top and winding it backwards because he couldn't wind it with his left hand in a normal position, LOL!.


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## chasmo

LOL my kid brother did that upside down trick for years, he's a lefty, then I showed him how to switch the handle around. Duh!


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## c. j. stone

UFM82 said:


> When assembling a rod it is critical to know where the spine of the rod is. That's the area where the joint of the material comes together. A casting rod is designed to flex with the guides on top of the rod where a spinning rod is designed to have the guides on the bottom. Is that a huge issue? To some people, maybe not but it would drive me crazy.


We did it all the time in West Virginia. But we never knew those solid steel and fiberglass rods had "spines"!


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## buckeyebowman

Why would you want to anyway? These are particular tools designed to do a particular job. Sounds like trying to turn a wrench into a hammer.


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## The Fishing Addict

Cause I like to be creative!


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## glasseyes

being creative is one thing but what you are wanting to do is completely the opposite of what the rod was created for. To me that would be VERY awkward. I think having a rod do what you want at its best and design is one of the very rewarding parts of fishing. Having a rod that works like it should feels like an extension of your arm and when it all comes together it does, and you make that perfect cast exactly where you just know its going to go, all the time without trying. Then you know that's just the way it should be.


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## 1MoreKast




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## hatteras1

I was in Bass Pro in Georgia. I bought a brand new 5.5 Med Action Ugly Stik (spinning). I took it home, gutted it and rebuilt it into a noodle baitcaster. New eyelets and a grip, nothing extravigant. Its actually really cool and i think i could cast a can of corned beef. You do have to change the eyelets because the line won't feed coming off a spinning reel. The spine is important on hookset so the rod doesn't try to twist in your hand. Its fun to experiment though. (You cannot buy a soft tipped baitcaster) and i will throw with this anywhere because i cannot hurt it..  best 60.00 i've spent in awhile


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## hatteras1

It actually looks good too....


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