I bought a pflueger president combo from cabelas last year. The third guide from the tip got a cracked guide insert (aluminum oxide) and I removed the guide to finish the trip. Cabelas didn't seem to interested in fixing it and didn't have the guide to do it.

Will this ever really give me any problems other than it looks a little goofy?

I really like the feel of this rod for jigging and will buy a guide if it matters. I am thinking it could cause a high stress area between the guides on either side of where it should be and a hard pulling fish may break it.

You are right wtg, that guide is there for a reason. Both for proper bend when fighting fish and smoother casting. Many bait and tackle shops offer rod and reel repair. It should cost less than $20 to get that fixed. My 2 cents, I'd fix it.

That rod is worth fixing. Find someone who fixes rods or buy the stuff through Mudhole or other catalog and fix it yourself, it's kind of fun.

You stand a good chance of breaking the rod fishing it with one less guide. I'd agree that you should find somebody to fix it for you or fix it yourself. If you were closer to the twin cities I'd do it for you, it is a pretty easy/fast fix.

If you are inclined I'd suggest learning to fix it, it is a useful skill to have.

Thorne Brothers in Blaine MN can fix it.
That's where I get most my rod building supplies and they have a some really good build/repair guys there.

From what I could tell, that rod might not be worth fixing. It looks like the rod/reel combo costs about the same as the reel, $80 total.

I am not sure how you removed the guide, but cleaning that up and replacing it sounds like a tedious job that would be time consuming. Therefore, a good fix would probably cost more than replacing the rod.

I would consider that rod disposable and either replace it with a similar rod or buy a rod with a good warranty like St. Croix or Orvis. Even if their rods are off warranty, St. Croix and Orvis are very good about repairing or replacing them at a fair cost. And they do it quickly. One reason they are relatively expensive is that you are buying the warranty and customer service.