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Picture Of The Month



SD2OR with a trophy fall walleye

Topic: Spinning Rod Suggestion for lightweight bass plastics  (Read 3861 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Shin09

  • Salmon
  • ******
  • Location: Portland
  • Date Registered: Oct 2015
  • Posts: 549
So earlier this week I neglected one of my main rules  when kayak fishing which is if you dont want to lose it, tie it down.  I caught a rod in the vertical holder on a back cast and saw my Shimano Sellus/okuma ceymar combo go over the edge and sink past my range of reach (side note, a soaking wet arm is cold on a 37 degree morning...thank god the sun came out).  The rod I lost was a 6-8' M (6-12lb) rated fast action rod that I used for light weight plastics fishing - Ned rigs, lightweight drop shots, etc.  Overall I liked the setup and dont feel the need to spend more on the reel, but there are definitely a lot of options out there for the rod.  Sellus rods seem to be bad luck for me since both rods I have lost overboard have been Sellus rods with Okuma reels.    Anyone have a favorite recommendation for a 7'-ish, medium-light or medium spinning rod with fast or extra fast action for bass plastics?  I would like to keep it under 100 for the rod preferably. 


KillerBeaver

  • Perch
  • ***
  • Location: KIRKLAND
  • Date Registered: Sep 2018
  • Posts: 53
I started with this Rod but tend to lean more towards the Mojo model since it's a little more high end. This will get the job done.
2022 Hobie PA 14 360 Ike Edition
2020 Hobie Outback (Sold)
2018 Feel Free Lure 11.5 w/Overdrive (Sold)


Larry_MayII_HR

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Location: Corvallis, OR
  • Date Registered: Jun 2017
  • Posts: 150
I don't have a specific suggestion, but I would lean towards a moderate action rod if you're fishing those sorts of baits.  Usually you'd be using a lighter mono line for finesse presentations, so I'd shy away from fast or extra fast action rods.  I'd get something that bends about half way down the cork so you don't break off on the hookset... 


Matt M

  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Location: Tigard
  • Date Registered: Mar 2016
  • Posts: 1236
The Dobyns line of rods have always served me well for the most part, been running them for the last three years. I really like the https://dobynsrods.com/product/cl-692sf/  Rod or the equivalent in the "Fury" lineup if you can find a sale. On the cheaper side I really like the Ugly Stik Elite USESP701M rod that you can find at Cabelas or Bass Pro. I have found particularly with deeper water drop shop presentations that a 1 piece rod is significantly better and more sensitive.
-Matt

Old Town Sportsman 120 PDL


Shin09

  • Salmon
  • ******
  • Location: Portland
  • Date Registered: Oct 2015
  • Posts: 549
Thanks for suggestions.  I was actually in bimart the other day and was handling one of the US elite rods, it seemed a bit soft though.   Fishermans has the Shimano SLX series in stock.  The Medium seemed like a decent action and was super light.    Cabelas has bare shelves these days with regards to rods it seems (outside of Lami)...maybe that will improve soon.

Regarding the action, and Larry's comment, I was under the impression a fast or extra fast action was preferable for finesse presentations?


Matt M

  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Location: Tigard
  • Date Registered: Mar 2016
  • Posts: 1236
I am not sure whether or not there's truly a "standard" when it comes to the actions aside from just a comparison within the lines of the same manufacturer. Since they likely all use a separate blank manufacturer then it's the wild west in that regard. Hard to say which rod you had at Bi-mart, it could have been a lighter trout type rod, but no way of knowing without checking the specs. I personally like a fast action with a finesse rod, but that's a preference thing.

I have heard good things about the SLX series rods, and Fisherman's has been known to make me a good deal on bass rods in the past so it's worth asking if they can give you a discount too if you're so inclined, normally a "Is this guy going on sale anytime soon?" question leads to a decent little discount if you were planning to buy it anyway.
-Matt

Old Town Sportsman 120 PDL


Shin09

  • Salmon
  • ******
  • Location: Portland
  • Date Registered: Oct 2015
  • Posts: 549
The US was the one you mentioned, 701M.  I have liked my other uglystiks, but more in trolling applications. I just feel they aren't quite sensitive enough for finesse casting.  The Elite line is a little pricy too, at least at MSRP, when you start looking at other options. 

Good call on the asking for a discount.  I got the rod/reel setup I lost from there on the "friends and family" promotion 2 years back.  They didnt run it last year, but kind of hoping it comes up again. 


Tinker

  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Kevin
  • Location: 42.74°N 124.5°W
  • Date Registered: May 2013
  • Posts: 3304
Fast or X-Fast does tend to work better with the finesse presentations you mentioned.  At the risk of repeating something you may already know, the action refers to the rod profile under load.  Slow rods will bend to the handle, medium/moderate rods will bend along 2/3rds of their length, fast rods bend in the upper 1/3.

(All of them should be able to bend to the handle before they break, but that's pushing them well beyond their design limitations).

BUT... As Matt said, no one enforces those standards, although they usually match up fairly closely between the makers of more popular and (or) expensive rods.  A "fast" Shimano is going to be very similar to a "fast" Loomis or a "fast" Daiwa or a "fast" Lamiglas, and so on.  Ugly Stiks are going to be different because of their unique tips.

Try looking at the rods designed for side-drifting for steelhead if you can find them.  Tthe last time I bought one, they were designed to have a progressive-fast action to protect the leader but still have enough power turn a hot fish.
I expected the worst, but it was worse than I expected...


Larry_MayII_HR

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Location: Corvallis, OR
  • Date Registered: Jun 2017
  • Posts: 150
Fast or X-Fast does tend to work better with the finesse presentations you mentioned.  At the risk of repeating something you may already know, the action refers to the rod profile under load.  Slow rods will bend to the handle, medium/moderate rods will bend along 2/3rds of their length, fast rods bend in the upper 1/3.

(All of them should be able to bend to the handle before they break, but that's pushing them well beyond their design limitations).

BUT... As Matt said, no one enforces those standards, although they usually match up fairly closely between the makers of more popular and (or) expensive rods.  A "fast" Shimano is going to be very similar to a "fast" Loomis or a "fast" Daiwa or a "fast" Lamiglas, and so on.  Ugly Stiks are going to be different because of their unique tips.

Try looking at the rods designed for side-drifting for steelhead if you can find them.  Tthe last time I bought one, they were designed to have a progressive-fast action to protect the leader but still have enough power turn a hot fish.

Right, but the force you will exert on the line on a faster rod will be much higher than that of a slower rod for the same bend.  So if you're using 8 or 10 lb test and you yank really hard with a fast stick you're really at risk of snapping it.  If you do the same thing on a slower rod you will have more shock absorption and more time to take that feedback into consideration and reduce force on the hookset.  If you watch the pros fishing drop shots they use very slow rods for that reason...


Matt M

  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Location: Tigard
  • Date Registered: Mar 2016
  • Posts: 1236

Right, but the force you will exert on the line on a faster rod will be much higher than that of a slower rod for the same bend.  So if you're using 8 or 10 lb test and you yank really hard with a fast stick you're really at risk of snapping it.  If you do the same thing on a slower rod you will have more shock absorption and more time to take that feedback into consideration and reduce force on the hookset.  If you watch the pros fishing drop shots they use very slow rods for that reason...

We're in the PNW and talking generally speaking 2-4lb fish on average for bass, these are not hard fighting steelhead. I don't think I've ever heard a pro recommend a slow or very slow drop shot or finesse rod ever and I have watched an embarrassing amount of youtube videos discussing setups and technique. Just double checking myself I can't find a "Finesse" spinning setup with anything other than a Fast or Extra Fast action in the brands I checked. I want a softer tip for the sensitivity, and fast action to be able to work the bait effectively and set the hook on fish that are sometimes 40-50ft deep.
-Matt

Old Town Sportsman 120 PDL


Tinker

  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Kevin
  • Location: 42.74°N 124.5°W
  • Date Registered: May 2013
  • Posts: 3304
Right, but the force you will exert on the line on a faster rod will be much higher than that of a slower rod for the same bend.  So if you're using 8 or 10 lb test and you yank really hard with a fast stick you're really at risk of snapping it.  If you do the same thing on a slower rod you will have more shock absorption and more time to take that feedback into consideration and reduce force on the hookset.  If you watch the pros fishing drop shots they use very slow rods for that reason...

You're confusing rod action with rod power.  Action is where a rod bends, power is the rod's resistance to deflection.

There are slow-, moderate-, and fast-action rods in every class of rods, from ultralight through ultra-heavy, but a fast (action) rod rated for 6-10# test line (power) is still a rod rated for 6-10# test.  Action doesn't change the rod's power, and if you're breaking 8# leaders with that rod, it's operator technique.
I expected the worst, but it was worse than I expected...


Shin09

  • Salmon
  • ******
  • Location: Portland
  • Date Registered: Oct 2015
  • Posts: 549
Yeah pretty much all modern bass rods I have seen are fast or extra fast action except for crankbait specific rods that are moderate or slow


Larry_MayII_HR

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Location: Corvallis, OR
  • Date Registered: Jun 2017
  • Posts: 150
Tinker - The assumption is medium power (power is not in debate here), and the question is about action - slow, moderate, fast, x-fast. We're talking about tip flex or deep flex, or someplace in between.  At the risk of further talking past each other and missing the point of this thread - rod selection - let's can this discussion and move on.

If Shin wants an fast or x-fast rod for this application please by all means go for it...If that's the case and you're interested in quality and economy, I have really liked the St. Croix Triumph series of rods.  $110 - the 7'0" Medium power fast action rod is the TSR70MF2 model.  Maybe that suits...



SD2OR

  • Salmon
  • ******
  • Location: Eugene, OR
  • Date Registered: Jul 2020
  • Posts: 619
My favorite, and go to for most smallie situations, is by far my 7' Daiwa Presso.

It's no doubt lighter than many like to use, but it has an amazing feel to it, and has caught some really big fish for me, despite it being almost an ultra light.

They run about $65.
A day without fishing probably wouldn't kill me,
but why risk it?

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BasinYakGuy

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Location: Klamath Falls, OR
  • Date Registered: Mar 2016
  • Posts: 116
I have really enjoyed the Fenwick HMG rods... i like the reel seat they use and I feel like its a decent price point for the beating it takes.
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