There's nothing really new about fishing rods with spiral guides. A fellow named Roberts 'invented' them back in 1909, but the fishing rod industry just hasn't jumped aboard the bandwagon to promote them over the years. Why should they....they're selling plenty of conventional casting rods and aren't having to educate fishermen (Who really are a pretty hard-headed bunch and not very susceptible to educating anyway!) about something new and innovative. As Billy puts it, "Why spend a million bucks trying to get folks to spend a couple of thousand when you can spend a couple of thousand bucks to get folks to spend millions?"
That's the 'big rod builder' way; not the BillyStiX way!
There's been no doubt over the years that spinning rods with their guides on the opposite side from the rod blank's spine are better than conventional casting and boat rods when it comes to "castability", sensitivity and power. It's just that some of us don't like spinning reels and all of their complicated parts and wackiness. Casting reels are just our cup of tea!
A SpiralStiX rod is better than the same blank with conventional top guides for a couple of reasons. One, the line never touches the blank on the cast or on the retrieve and the rod doesn't tend to torque left or right as the fish runs around or when you're making a sidearm cast. Two, the fact that the rod stays straight up (spine up) all the time gets the most power and sensitivity from the rod, particularly from the upper butt--the strongest part of the blank. This also means it takes less energy on the part of the angler to cast and fish the rod, a big help for those long days on the water (or for the fairer sex!). What more can we say?
A SpiralStiX rod, like any of our rods, is an investment in a quality, hand-built, one-of-a-kind custom rod. SpiralStiX rods feature a few more guides than the 'big boys' put on their limited number of spiral rods increasing the benefits of the spiral guide concept. Cost-wise, our SpiralStiX rods are only 10-15% more in cost than our conventional BillyStiX casting or boat rods--hardly an issue when you realize that you're getting a really special fishing rod.
Give us a call soon and let us build you the first of your new set of SpiralStiX rods!
"On my last trip, I was consciously watching and evaluating the rod on some pretty good size snappers. As I reeled in my biggest catch, with the rod bent like a contortionists grandmother, I opened my left hand as the right hand reeled in the big fish, I looked to see if the rod would twist. Unbelievably, not only did it NOT twist, but I reeled and pulled the entire time with an open palm, with the rod resting in my hand as I pulled. It was smoother than duck doo on a wet board--I mean, slicker than deer guts on a door knob!
This will be my primary rod for big jetty reds, and bottom fish. Heading out tomorrow to try it on big drum and convicts. I expect it to be the choice arrow in the quiver! My Ugly Sticks are gonna hang in the garage!"
After fishing with grouper guru, Tommy Hines, and watching him slay grouper with his BillyStiX, I had to try out one of these rods. It is unbelievable how light and sensitive they really are. Immediately after trying one and catching grouper, I knew I had to have a BillyStiX one-of-a-kind spiral rod!! After talking with Billy at the GOFC Oyster Roast, I placed my order with him for two rods. It was important to Billy to know what I really wanted in my rods and he asked me various questions concerning length, guides, and colors.. I just had the pleasure of picking up my new green and gold SpiralStiX rods. They are beautiful!! I was amazed and thoroughly impressed with the knowledge and craftsmanship he displayed in making these beauties. I'm looking forward to using these rods for many years, and will soon be adding to my BillyStiX spiral rod collection !!
"It was amazing that in real life the spiral rod was exactly like my mind's view in talking it over with Billy. He truly is an artist. I first had the opportunity to fish with one on Costa Rica over the 4th and was surprised by the extra feeling and control."
"I rode up to Gainesville yesterday morning with Bob Rodgers and his beautiful bride, Sandy, to pick up her surprise birthday gift at Billy's house. Billy had custom made her a Spiral Grouper Rod. The rod is awesome looking, and I know that as happy as she was, that Bob was one happy man last night.
After leaving Billy's house we went to Orlando, for the Bass Pro sale. Bob has a good friend at BP named Robbie and he wanted to take the BillyStiX rod in and show it to Robbie. The rod created a mad house. Every sales person in the fishing section gathered around to look and get a feel of that BillyStiX rod. There was a guide trying to give a talk on how to catch inshore reds and trout, but I think we got more interest (Hey man, I want one of those rods!-- Hey, do you have any of Billy's cards?-- Hey, why doesn't Bass Pro carry anything that looks and feels like this?) in the rod than he did in techniques of the how-to's! We had only planned on being at Bass Pro for an hour or so, but ended up staying over five hours. I will never again go into a place like that with a BillyStiX rod in hand, unless I am in the mood to answer endless questions and almost insults as to why we didn't have some of Billy's cards to hand out. I only had one card and Bob only had one, so we gave one to the Fishing Department Manager--and the other went to a very large demanding customer. "
-Ken Lindsey, Hernando Beach, FL
Rod in hand = Smile on face !!! "Billy, you did a GREAT JOB ! I'm VERY pleased. Turns out I was right when I picked it out from the photo of recently completed rods that you posted on the Web.
I'm not even going to let my wife 're-wrap' it. Already put a black Penn reel, with a gold spool on it and it looks ‘beautiful’. I have it sitting right next to the Christmas tree, awaiting its resting place on the wall!"
"Billy is a true artist when it comes to rods. I had ordered an offshore rod to go with a new TLD 20 and Billy came through for me big time! He matched the colors for the reel just perfect! He also worked double hard and got it to me in time for my vacation. However with my son making the All-star team I wasn't able to try out my new spiral rod--which is killing me!"
"I won a BillyStiX at meeting and have used it as my primary rod ever since. It not only looks good, but the action is great and it has lots of backbone and great sensitivity. My next one will be a little heavier offshore rod!"
"I opened up a long package from Florida with the prettiest fishing rod I have ever seen inside. Billy you are an artisan, my friend. This rod is so pretty that I tried and tried to get a good picture to show off your handiwork to my other Texas friends. If it fishes even half as nice as it looks, I will be sold for life! It even has my name on it-- and a gorgeous speckled trout decal."
"I HAVE a BillyStiX Spiral Rod and can tell you, it is my bread and butter! Custom rod building is an art, as we all know. There are basic components that anyone can assemble into a functional unit if they want to take the time, just like anyone can buy canvas and tubes of paint and paint a picture. The resulting product, however, is a function of talent, care, time, and dedication to detail.
Billy doesn't want to have somebody fill out a form on the net and build a rod from that info; he wants to talk to the individual and find out what his specific needs and requirements are. He wants to have the personal touch with the guy who is going to be fishing with his rod. It may sound corny, but it's a personal thing with him--and that's what makes a BillyStiX special!"
"The concept of spiral rod technology is actually to KEEP the rod from twisting in your hands under a load. Imagine a rod with a bait-cast type reel, with the eyes facing up as you work the reel. Now picture that rod under a load where there may be a significant arc in the rod between two or three eyes. Since the eyes are on top and the arc is away from the eyes, the line goes to the bottom of the eye and may actually lay next to the shaft as it proceeds to the next eye. If this happens across 3-5 eyes on the same side of the shaft, THAT is what causes the rod to want to twist in that direction. What the spiral does, is take that line out of your reel, and brings it around the shaft within 4 eyes from the reel, and now your line is beneath the rod and away from the shaft. Voila! no twist! I have one of these and tested this concept early on, when I had a big snapper on, pulling it outa the rocks on the bottom. I fought this heavy fish the entire time with my right hand winding, and my left hand at the top of the cork WITH MY LEFT PALM OPEN the entire time. In other words, I did not grip the rod with my left hand, the rod just lay across my open palm...NO ROD TWIST! That's what the spiral does, it takes that twist out of the rod under a big load. If you are fighting a big fish for over 20 minutes, there is a fatigue factor with the fisherman (as well as the fish). This concept takes part of that fatigue factor out of the formula. Everyone I know who has fished one is amazed! It's a simple thing, but most effective!!"
"The concept of spiral rod technology is actually to KEEP the rod from twisting in your hands under a load. Imagine a rod with a bait-cast type reel, with the eyes facing up as you work the reel. Now picture that rod under a load where there may be a significant arc in the rod between two or three eyes. Since the eyes are on top and the arc is away from the eyes, the line goes to the bottom of the eye and may actually lay next to the shaft as it proceeds to the next eye. If this happens across 3-5 eyes on the same side of the shaft, THAT is what causes the rod to want to twist in that direction. What the spiral does, is take that line out of your reel, and brings it around the shaft within 4 eyes from the reel, and now your line is beneath the rod and away from the shaft. Voila! no twist! I have one of these and tested this concept early on, when I had a big snapper on, pulling it outa the rocks on the bottom. I fought this heavy fish the entire time with my right hand winding, and my left hand at the top of the cork WITH MY LEFT PALM OPEN the entire time. In other words, I did not grip the rod with my left hand, the rod just lay across my open palm...NO ROD TWIST! That's what the spiral does, it takes that twist out of the rod under a big load. If you are fighting a big fish for over 20 minutes, there is a fatigue factor with the fisherman (as well as the fish). This concept takes part of that fatigue factor out of the formula. Everyone I know who has fished one is amazed!
It's a simple thing, but most effective!!"
"My new grouper rod far exceeded my thoughts and expectations. I caught the first grouper with it yesterday. A nice red one at that. I know that you must get thanks from all the women you make these rods for. It certainly relieves the strain and shortening the butt was the icing on the cake. Of course, the "Gator Orange and Blue" played its' part too. Again I thank you for making the rod and Gary, my husband, for ordering from "BillyStix"" Karen Bonner
"I know I'm prejudiced (Because I'm the Webmaster for the BillyStiX website and I do fish with some very nice BillyStiX and SpiralStiX inshore rods in my charter business!) but I just wanted to publish my 2-cents worth:
'I fished the other day with Billy McDaniel and Tommy Hines out of Cedar Key. Tommy is the FishBites Pro Team guy, and Billy's now on the FishBites Pro Team. I'd been wanting to do some offshore fishing with the FishBites bait and Billy had been wanting to put his SpiralStiX rods to the test, so we put Tommy to work. We ran to 50' and pretty much began catching fish right away. My impression with the big SpiralStiX rods is that they really handle nicely and don't flop left and right when you're working a fish. Billy also pays very careful attention to aligning the rod blank's spine or backbone to the guides, thus giving a very true and centered action to the rod. FishBites, by the way, were certainly the ticket for bottom fishing...we just let the Grunts and Black Sea Bass peck away until a Gag or Red came along and ate the bait. We used mostly strips or chunks of the Crab-flavored product. We ended the bottom-fishing part of the day with five nice Gags, the largest to 10#, and lost several fish, including what we think was a Jewfish, to the rocks.We then went to a spot that had less floating grass and put the SpiralStiX to the test---5kt trolling with Stretch 30 Loud plugs! At that speed the rods really looked nice (see the photos above) and really slammed the fish when they took the plugs. We caught a 19.8# and a 20.6# Gag on the first two passes at one rock, then got a 12# Gag and lost a bigger one on pass #4! I just can't imagine how many fish were really down there! We ended the day with ten for the freezer and friends!
Anyway, I'm sold on Billy's offshore product and hope I get to go along on another offshore trip soon!' "
