[Gerry Zagorski]

I'm no rod expert by any stretch but I found this on AI which seems to make sense on the argument.

For spiral-wrapped rods, the general consensus leans towards orienting the blank so the spine is on the bottom (guides facing down), similar to a spinning rod, to counteract torque and keep guides aligned under load; this means the stiffer part (spine) is on the outside of the bend, allowing the rod to flex smoothly without twisting, preventing the line from touching the blank and improving performance.


I have conventional and spiral wrapped 701 Mediums. About the only benefit I see on the spiral is when the rod is under heavy load, its easier to keep the reel upright. Having said all this I think spinning rods have a lot more versatility inshore but the conventionals have their place when fishing heavy weight bottom fishing. For this reason I'd do one spinner and one conventional with a spiral so you can see if you like it.