RODS RODS RODS

[ikeslayer]

Looking at making some new rods before the season gets started (I like to spin my own so i need to get started early). Wanted to get some thoughts and opinions on what rods you all take in your boats with you. I heard that most hardcore bass fisherman don't have less than 6 in their boat at any time. What do you all have and recommend?

thanks for your help with a rookie.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Wow, good question.. but a hard one to answer.

For crankbaits I really like a soft rod.. Medium at best, never into med heavy. I like a 7 foot rod for open water and a 6'6" for working shallower water where casting acuracy is important. I curently use a Composit rod that is part glass part graphite.

Texas rigs my fave rod is a 6'10" Med Heavy with a very fast tip. baitcasting.

Jigs, I will flip with a 7'6 med/heavy that is pretty heavy, just a nice soft tip on it. For pitching I will use a 7" Med/heavy

Spinnerbaits-See crankbaits, I use the same rods, sometimes I will go to a 7'MEd heavy if around a lot of hard cover(IE Wood, Docks)....

Finess worm, Spinning rod... 6'6" or 7 foot Med action rod.

Dock rod-7' Med/Heavy spinning rigged with braid.

Crolina rig rod-7' or 6'10" Med heavy, XTra fast tip(makes rod almost a heavy action rod. but nice soft tip)

Drop Shot 7'2" med to maybe even Med/light... spinning.

Slop rod- 7" or 6'10" Med/Heavy rigged with braid.

Thats what I have and use... I have multiple of each. Sometimes rigged with different pound tests, sometimes with same pound tests but just different lure combinations.. Its up to you to find what works best for you... I myself have fallen in love with the 6'10" rod.. it is lighter than a 7' yet I feel I get the same leverage..and it fishes like a 6'6"... just my opinion!

[ikeslayer]

Thanks very much for your imput DD. You are a highly specialized fisherman Kudos to you. How about everyone else what are your favorite rods?

[Deitz Dittrich]

Thanks Ike.. Again, these are just what seem to work best for me. For some shorter rods may work better.. I am 6'3" tall.. so I think its easier for a tall person to get away with longer rods. Also a persons boat has a lot to do with the rod selection. High wall boats vs no wall IE bass boats...

Ike-the biggest thing to rod selection is not so much length but action.. There are 2 kinds of lures... Ones you impart the action(ie jigs, plastic worms ect) and ones that have thier own action(spinnerbiats, crankbaits)... lures that have thier own action you need a rod with a softer action... lures that you need to put the action into need a heavier action and faster tip!

[Big Ick]

Deitz - I've read lots of your posts and saw you in a few of those fishing videos promoted on this HSOforum, so I know you are a well versed fisherman. One thing that I'd like to point out though, is the misuse of terms in your description of rods. There is no such thing as a "heavier" or "softer" action rod. You're confusing terms to describe a rods action and a rods power. A rods action can be describes with terms like "extra fast", "fast", "moderate", and "slow". The action simply defines where the rod bend under load. The power of a rod can be described with terms like "ultra-light", "light", "medium-light", and so-on. The power of a rod defines the stiffness or resistance to bending under a load. I read many, many posts on this HSOforum where people are misusing these terms. In fact, I still see some manufactured rods that misuse these terms as well! I'm not looking to ruffle your feathers or anything like that, I just thought you'd be interested.

[Daze Off]

I would like to add my 2 cents to the discussion with something I have just recently discovered the value of and that is the importance of balancing whatever outfit you use - particularly with the longer rods. This will eliminate a lot of wear and tear on your arms, wrists, and elbows.

Daze Off

[Deitz Dittrich]

Very well written Big Ick- and I am not taking it personally. Most of my posts are put togeather in a very short peroid of time between classes. Or on my prep. You are correct! I will do my best to keep the terms correct, because I do know what they mean! I just get sloppy!

Kinda like cover and structure.. another couple of terms that get missused!... I am also aware that my spelling is horrible!

[delmuts]

daze. i agree. if a person matches the right reel to the rod you can help your self out. some of the the guys have taken washers/weights screwed them to the end of a rod then taped it. ( it works,sort of?) my bionic blades from BP have a cap that is designed for a weight sys. to balance out the rod and reel. it sounds strange . but it helps !

[Deitz Dittrich]

There is a product called the Rod Ballancer tht youcan buy that has lead weighht that fit in a cap that fits over the end of your rod. You can do basically the same thing by buying chair leg covers and filling them with quarters or some other weight.

[Daze Off]

delmuts and Deitz,

I actually have done a bit of what each of you suggests - just recently bought a couple of kits for the BPS Extreme Rods and also went to Home Depot and bought some covers as Deitz suggests. I added the extra weights that came with the kits into these covers and it seems to work fine. Had to get a number of widths to handle different rod thicknesses though. Covers are much bulkier than the covers that come with the kits but 25% of the price.... Would be great if you could get the end covers out of neoprene to be more conforming yet still perform the same function - like bottle/can holders.

Last season I upgraded 4 rods - from 5'6" pistol grips to 6'6" and 7' long handles - and by the end of the season my elbows were killing me and this had never happened before - hopefully this helps.

Daze Off

[ikeslayer]

I am a little lost. What are the covers from home depot and what are you getting to balance them. Also besides pain as an indicator how do you tell if your rod is balanced? thanks for your help fellas. ike

[Daze Off]

Ikes -

The covers we are talking about are chair leg covers - rubber, cup-like caps that fit over the ends of chair legs to protect floors. They can also be put on the end of rods as caps to hold small, washer-like weights that many add to the end of their rods to balance them. Sometimes you see these same caps on the ends of crutches and/or canes. You will likely need to wrap the end with electrical or another type of tape to hold a furniture cap with weights steady on the rod but taping is usually not necessary with kits designed for that purpose.

A rod that is balanced will not have the tip rise up or fall to the floor when held at the point you would normally hold a rod. Lay the rod across your finger at that point and see what the tip does. Not much to correct if it stays fairly horizontal. Have no idea how to correct it except maybe change reels if it rises rapidly. If it falls then you can add a balancing kit or the caps to the butt end along with disc-like weights, washers, quarters, etc. until the rod tip holds steady. You will feel a REMARKABLE difference when holding a balanced rod.

Hope this helps....

Daze Off

[fisher98]

This is my Spring Line-up for the rods i have in my boat:

1. 7 ft. Medium Fenglass--deeper cranks--10-12lb. flouro

2. 7ft. Medium Fenglass--medium crank--10-15 lb mono

3. 7ft. Medium Fenglass--rattle-trap--35 lb. spiderwire

4. 7ft. Medium Quantum Tour--rattle-trap--35lb. spiderwire.

5. 7ft. Medium Bass Pro Crankin Stick--jerkbait-10-12lb mono

6. 7ft. Medium Bass Pro Crankin Stick--jerkbait-10-12lb mono

7. 7'6ft. Med/heavy Quantum Flipping stick-jig-17-20lb flouro.

8. 7'6ft. Heavy Diawa Lite Flippin Stick--jig-17-20lb mono.

9. 7ft. Med/Heavy Techna Av--soft plastic--12-17lb mono.

10.7ft. Med/Heavy Techna AV--soft plastic--12-17lb mono.

11.7 ft. Medium BPS Pro-Qualifier-floating Worm--15lb mono

12.7ft.Med/Heavy Quantum Tour--spinnerbait-17lb mono

13.7ft.Med/Heavy Quantum Tour--spinnerbait-15lb mono

14.7ft.Medium St. Croix Premier--dropshot--10lb Fusion

15.7ft.Medium St. Croix Premier--Dropshot--10lb Fusion

16.7ft.Heavy Pflueger Trion--Carolina-rig--20lb.mono

17.6'6ft.Medium-Spin--BPS--tube--8-10lb mono

18.6'6ft. Medium-Spin--BPS--jig-worm--8-10lb mono

19.6'6ft. Med/Heavy-Spin BPS--fluke/Senko--10-12lb mono

20.7 ft. Medium Qunatum Tour--Pre-rig worm--8-10lb mono

21.6'6ft. Medium Berkeley Series-1--dock-rod--35lb spiderwire.

these are the outfits that i carry in the spring---it changes a bit more in the summer...i change a few up and add a few more...i have pondered this all winter long, not to mention what reels i put on which rods...this keeps me very busy over the winter...you may also note that i like to have 2 rods for the same lures, this helps when i need to try different colors, or if i break off. I think i tend to keep a lot of rods in my boat, but i feel like sometimes i may need them especially in the spring when you may need to try a lot of different lures or presenatations.

Is it May yet????

fisher98

[Juan Grande]

Fisher98, you have 21 rods in your boat? I feel like such a novice when I read some of these posts.

I have two spinning rods/reel combos, one med. action and one ultra-light, that I fish with all summer. The lake I fish is a pretty good bass lake, but all the bass seem to like is plastics or live bait. I rubber worm fish most of the summer so the med. action works okay.

I'd like to go out with an experienced bass fisherman some time just to watch and learn some new techniques.

I can't believe the bass opener isn't until May 28th. Why is it so late in MN?

[Deitz Dittrich]

Juan-believe it or not.. many of us bass dudes in MN are used to wating till June something.. so a may 28th opener is early!...

also, FYI i usually only bring about 12 rods with me on any given trip.. however I do have about 30 in the house/garadge.HOWEVER, we all started somewhere, and I can still remember the days when I had 2-3 rods!

[Juan Grande]

Deitz,

Are you a teacher? I remember reading in one of your posts that you had time "...between classes or during prep." If so, must be nice to have the whole summer off to fish.

I've been looking for an excuse to buy a nice bait caster. The bass on the lake I primarily fish won't touch topwaters, spinner baits, cranks or the usual bass lures. We catch almost all our fish on senkos and tubes. I throw other stuff just to see if I can actually catch a fish on something different, but I never do. They'll hit anything that resembles a worm (i.e. leeches, crawlers, senkos, tubes, rubber worms, etc.). Have you ever fished a lake where the fish are that picky, regardless of time of year?

[Deitz Dittrich]

Juan-

Yes I teach 1st-> 3rd grade Physical Education classes. Its a great gig! I get paid to play all day long, AND I get my summer off to fish 6-7 days a week...I'm not trading lives with anybody!

Juan-the way you describe your lake, it sounds like you are faced with a lake with ultra clear water. On lakes with clear water, they tend to be a little more picky! Mostly because they have a longer peroid of time to look at the bait before they hit it. I would love the challange to try and catch a fish on another lure! ** I bet I can do it ** Maybe we will have to hook up some day this summer when I am off and I'll take you up on your challenge!

[fisher98]

DD--

i teach as well...but i get to deal with 9th and 12th graders....i teach at a small private school in st. paul, and i too would not trade it for the world...3 months off and the chance to work with kids...its awesome!!!!

The only difficult part is right now, when the weather is starting to turn(slowly) and you know fishing is getting closer everyday!!! During the summer i tend to get up around 4:00-4:30 am to get out on the lakes during the week...maybe this summer we can hook up and get out!!!

fisher98

[ikeslayer]

Not sure how we got onto the topic of profession but i will chime in as well. I just started being a youth minister and with the exception of Sundays i can jockey my schedule to fish whenever. Now i know this isn't as potent as 3 months off in a row but i like it so far. but back to the subject DOES anyone have anything else to say about RODS?

thanks for everything so far fellas

[Deitz Dittrich]

IKe, my brother is a Youth Minster for Mount Caramel church in NE MPLS.... small world!.. ok back to rods!

[Daze Off]

Wow, churchy group - I am a church business administrator....LOL

[BigMike]

I too am a part-time youth pastor in Woodbury, MN. .

As for the rods situation here is my suggestion. A lot of guys don't have the opportunity (or $$) to have a lot of rods and you have to make your $$ go farther. If this is the situation sounds familiar, these are the rods I would suggest getting as "essentials":

6'6'' medium spinning rod for finesse situations and is an all around multipurpose rod

6'6'' or 7'0'' medium heavy spinning rod, good for senkos, most plastics, and if you are like me and can't skip docks with a baitcaster yet...this is a perfect alternative

1 or 2 of this rod: 6'6'' medium heavy casting rod with a fast/extra fast tip. This is a multi-purpose rod setup and can handle spinnerbaits, cranks, weighed worms, topwater, etc.

7'0'' or 7'6'' heavy flipping rod. This is for the thick stuff when you fish tubes, jigs, creature baits, frogs, etc.

6'6'' or 7'0'' medium casting rod for crankbaits and spinnerbaits in open cover. This is more of an optional rod for me, if you have the money to get one do it, if you don't you can use cranks & spinnerbaits on your 6'6'' or 7'0'' med.heavy rod and be ok

I think if you had these 4-5 rods you would have all of your presentations covered. They may not be specifically tuned for each presentation, like "spinnerbait", "drop shot", "carolina" rods...but these essential rods would provide a strong base for 95% of all presentations. The biggest difference you will notice between having multiple rods and only a few is the frequency you change lures. As you start to accumulate more rods you'll be able to buy rods for specific presentations, but these are the basics in my opinion.

When it comes to buying rods (and reels to match), it would all depend on your budget and current rod setups. I have always been a proponent of buying quality gear, however, there are ways to budget and stretch your dollar. One of the easiest ways is to look for great deals/sales. Another is to head to cabelas bargain cave and search their rod bins... there are always a few jewels in their. I would also suggest buying a gander or Dick's fka galyans (not sure if Dick's will have their own "brand"), they offer a quality rod for less $ and will replace them usually without charge if they break. As for reels everyone has their opinions, but if you are looking for a quality spinning reel for cheap, the Gander Guide Series is the best buy for the money... I think they are made by Pfleuger (if not, they look EXACTLY like them...the pfleuger president is also a great reel for a little more $$) but the gander GS reels cost 60-70% less. I personally have quantum spinning reels (catalyst's & energy's) and really like them. As for baitcasting reels, I would go for a Shimano Curado or Quantum Accurist PT (or better, I have both curados and quantum energy PT baitcasting reels and love them). A quality baitcasting reel is an essential.

If money isn't an issue, I would suggest Fenwick Techna or HMG, Shimano Compre or Crucial, or Quantum PT tour...or if you are a Loomis/St. Crois kinda guy they have good rods as well, but I have had good experiences with my fenwick & shimano rods (and my gander/galyans ones too ). I will say this though, the better the rod (not necessarily the more expensive rod), the better the sensitivity...and you WILL feel the difference!

I wish you the best in your youth ministry and hope some of this advice helps.

[Wayne Ek]

Daze Off- I would not give up that pistol grip. I use a PG 5'2'' around docks when tossing cranks, you do not get the hook setting power that can be obtained with a straight grip longer rod, but you can not beat a pistol grip for accuracy. It is a churchy group... my guide company "Agape Fishing Guides" churchy ain't bad.

[Daze Off]

Wayne,

Your absolutely right - will keep my little 5'6" PG's for exactly that purpose - fished with nothing else until a year or so ago. Always that that was a good name you had for the guide service...

Daze Off

[Juan Grande]

Deitz,

Sorry to get off the subject again guys, last one, I promise.

The lake isn't super clear, the secchi disk reading is only 5 feet. We probably caught 95% of our fish last year on Senkos. The bass seem to love that slow fall. We Texas rig (or wacky rig) them with no weight, cast them out and jerk them back in.

Topwater bass fishing is my favorite, specifically buzz baits, but I didn't even get a strike on one last summer. It gets old using the same thing all the time, but that's all that seems to put fish in the boat.

If you do some guiding, maybe we could set up a mid week outing this summer. I'm not a teacher, but I can take a day off whenever.

Shoot me an email at [YouNeedAuthorization]@aol.com if you're interested.

Despite my latino screen name, I'm actually quite Polish...

John