Unlocking rod performance: The next generation of guides.

Guides on fishing rods play a crucial role in determining their overall performance. As the sport of fishing evolves and diversifies, the demand for high-performance guides continues to rise. This is especially important for rods used in delicate fishing styles, such as targeting area trout and light saltwater species, as well as for the top guides of flexible rock fishing rods. Reducing the weight of these guides can significantly enhance sensitivity and responsiveness, improving the angler's experience.

Additionally, fishing lines come in various forms, including heavy and stiff fluorocarbon, as well as light and flexible PE lines, along with specialised variants designed for specific applications. These different types and thicknesses are often used in combination to enhance performance.
The quality and design of the guides can greatly influence how these lines behave during casting, affecting resistance and the potential for tangling within the guides or tip, as well as contact with the rod blank. Therefore, the choice of guides is a critical factor that can significantly impact the overall comfort and enjoyment of your fishing experience.

Shimano has developed “X GUIDE,“ a next-generation guide that brings out the full potential of the rod.

• X GUIDE Touch Free Titanium

When fishing, using a thick shock leader with a thin main line can create an issue: the light, smooth PE line tends to advance ahead of the leader, leading to slack between the reel and the butt guide. This can result in unwanted contact with the rod blank and potential line issues.

Shimano has introduced the “X GUIDE Touch Free Titanium,” a high-frame guide designed to efficiently direct the line released from the reel. Utilising Shimano's innovative technology, the guide links have been optimised in diameter to facilitate the smooth, spiral release of the PE line while preventing contact with both the guide frame and the blank, allowing for a seamless convergence. Additionally, its tall frame effectively keeps the line away from the blank, enhancing overall performance.

This design ensures smooth convergence of stiff lines, providing exceptional performance in crosswinds and tailwinds. It reduces line damage and enhances lure casting distance.

When fishing, using a thick shock leader with a thin main line can create an issue: the light, smooth PE line tends to advance ahead of the leader, leading to slack between the reel and the butt guide. This can result in unwanted contact with the rod blank and potential line issues.

Shimano has introduced the “X GUIDE Touch Free Titanium,” a high-frame guide designed to efficiently direct the line released from the reel. Utilising Shimano's innovative technology, the guide links have been optimised in diameter to facilitate the smooth, spiral release of the PE line while preventing contact with both the guide frame and the blank, allowing for a seamless convergence. Additionally, its tall frame effectively keeps the line away from the blank, enhancing overall performance.

This design ensures smooth convergence of stiff lines, providing exceptional performance in crosswinds and tailwinds. It reduces line damage and enhances lure casting distance.

• X GUIDE Touch Free Single

The X GUIDE Touch Free Single is utilised in various rods, including bass rods, ensuring that the right guides are matched to their intended purpose.

The X Guide Touch Free Single has been completely reengineered, featuring a redesigned guide frame that ensures the released line converges smoothly without making contact with either the guide frame or the blank.

Stiff lines converge smoothly, reducing casting issues and improving distance.

Shimano's reels and rods are thoughtfully designed to optimise their angle and balance, ensuring that their combination delivers enhanced performance.

The X GUIDE Touch Free Single is utilised in various rods, including bass rods, ensuring that the right guides are matched to their intended purpose.

The X Guide Touch Free Single has been completely reengineered, featuring a redesigned guide frame that ensures the released line converges smoothly without making contact with either the guide frame or the blank.

Stiff lines converge smoothly, reducing casting issues and improving distance.

Shimano's reels and rods are thoughtfully designed to optimise their angle and balance, ensuring that their combination delivers enhanced performance.

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• Comparison of air resistance (when looking at the guide's foot from the opposite side)

The guides extending from the rod's belly to the butt are pivotal in enhancing your fishing performance. Their design directly affects air resistance during casts, and the weight of the ceramic ring can make all the difference.

Shimano's “X GUIDE Aero Titanium” and “X-Guide Aero” feature a lightweight frame paired with a thin-walled metal ring coated with a unique special finish, providing exceptional strength and wear resistance. The smooth, rounded design eliminates edges and uneven surfaces, minimizing casting issues related to line resistance. Even if the line makes contact with the frame during a cast, the design effectively reduces damage.

Additionally, incorporating a large-diameter ring onto a compact frame crafted with advanced 3D technology significantly minimises line release resistance and air resistance while casting. This optimisation enhances both the casting feel and distance performance.

The “X GUIDE Aero Titanium” and “X GUIDE Aero” represent Shimano's innovative high-performance guides that seamlessly blend lightweight design with effortless operation, elevating casting performance to new heights.

The guides extending from the rod's belly to the butt are pivotal in enhancing your fishing performance. Their design directly affects air resistance during casts, and the weight of the ceramic ring can make all the difference.

Shimano's “X GUIDE Aero Titanium” and “X-Guide Aero” feature a lightweight frame paired with a thin-walled metal ring coated with a unique special finish, providing exceptional strength and wear resistance. The smooth, rounded design eliminates edges and uneven surfaces, minimizing casting issues related to line resistance. Even if the line makes contact with the frame during a cast, the design effectively reduces damage.

Comparison of air resistance (when looking at the guide's foot from the opposite side)

Additionally, incorporating a large-diameter ring onto a compact frame crafted with advanced 3D technology significantly minimises line release resistance and air resistance while casting. This optimisation enhances both the casting feel and distance performance.

The “X GUIDE Aero Titanium” and “X GUIDE Aero” represent Shimano's innovative high-performance guides that seamlessly blend lightweight design with effortless operation, elevating casting performance to new heights.

It is essential for the tip section guide of the rod to be lightweight and designed to prevent line entanglement.

Shimano has introduced the “X GUIDE 3D Titanium Top” and “X GUIDE 3D Titanium,” both crafted from strong yet lightweight titanium through advanced cold-forging techniques. Utilising 3D technology, the precisely calculated inclination angle and the seamlessly moulded three-dimensional frame, devoid of steps or sharp edges, effectively minimise line entanglement and guarantee a smooth line release.

The X GUIDE minimises stress for anglers using PE lines and lightweight rigs in strong winds, allowing swift responses to fish bites.

The compact design reduces the distance between the line and the blank, enabling anglers to distinctly sense even the faintest bites from fish.

It is essential for the tip section guide of the rod to be lightweight and designed to prevent line entanglement.

Shimano has introduced the “X GUIDE 3D Titanium Top” and “X GUIDE 3D Titanium,” both crafted from strong yet lightweight titanium through advanced cold-forging techniques. Utilising 3D technology, the precisely calculated inclination angle and the seamlessly moulded three-dimensional frame, devoid of steps or sharp edges, effectively minimise line entanglement and guarantee a smooth line release.

The X GUIDE minimises stress for anglers using PE lines and lightweight rigs in strong winds, allowing swift responses to fish bites.

The compact design reduces the distance between the line and the blank, enabling anglers to distinctly sense even the faintest bites from fish.

Shimano has introduced the “X GUIDE 3D-CI4+,” a free-moving guide specifically engineered for rock fishing rods, crafted from their proprietary carbon fiber reinforced resin, “CI4+.” This guide features a one-piece construction that utilises advanced 3D technology, blending the ideal shape, lightweight design, and robust strength essential for rock fishing.

The inclination angle is meticulously crafted to minimise height differences with the blank, ensuring the line passes smoothly and significantly reducing line entanglement. Furthermore, the extensive weight reduction enhances the rod tip's lightness and responsiveness, enabling more delicate maneuvers while operating the rod.

Additionally, this guide swiftly tracks the movement of the line, enabling you to visually detect bites while searching for fish in three dimensions, even in scenarios where the float is not visible.

Shimano has introduced the “X GUIDE 3D-CI4+,” a free-moving guide specifically engineered for rock fishing rods, crafted from their proprietary carbon fiber reinforced resin, “CI4+.” This guide features a one-piece construction that utilises advanced 3D technology, blending the ideal shape, lightweight design, and robust strength essential for rock fishing.

The inclination angle is meticulously crafted to minimise height differences with the blank, ensuring the line passes smoothly and significantly reducing line entanglement. Furthermore, the extensive weight reduction enhances the rod tip's lightness and responsiveness, enabling more delicate maneuvers while operating the rod.

Additionally, this guide swiftly tracks the movement of the line, enabling you to visually detect bites while searching for fish in three dimensions, even in scenarios where the float is not visible.

The lineup features guides engineered to optimize casting distance and minimise line issues, including the “X Guide Cast Titanium,” specifically crafted for casting rods.

The “X GUIDE“ products, which were developed from the perspective of a rod manufacturer, are Shimano's original high performance guides that fuse lightness and trouble-free operation, and take cast-performance to a higher level.