Does A "do It All" Rod Exist?

[loudcherokee]

The last thing I would do is suggest a particular rod for an angler who has been fishing with a pistol grip, 2 piece Ugly stick. You are used to a one handed casting rod with a nearly parabolic action that is very easy to cast.

Changing to a modern straight handle rod will be night and day difference to how it feels and cast, so I suggest you go to a tackle store and put a reel on a rod within your budget and test cast it..

There isn't any standards for rod rating....none! Every rod maker rates them differently.

Your 6'6" pistol grip rod is about the same length from the reel seat to the rod tip as a 7" straight handle rod, the extra length is behind the reel.

You may backlash your reels more often with a stiffer fast action rod, especially using braid.

You will need to modify your casting motion and slow it down when using a fast action rod.

A 7', 3 power or Medium heavy is considered the basic bass rod today and they will vary greatly from the different rod makers.

Tom

OK, I finally got home and looked at my rods. I have 6 all together.

My baitcasters that I use are as follows:

Daiwa Procaster from like 94-95 on a Berkley Lightning Rod Pro Series straight handle medium heavy 6'6"

Abu Garcia Promax on a pistol grip Berkley IM6 Lightning rod medium action 5'6"

my spinning rods are the only ugly sticks I have, and they all have full length handles. I do have one ugly stick baitcaster rod that I picked up at a consignment shop for $10, but I've never used it. its a 6' medium action with an older quantum ultra casting reel.

the quantum reel on the 5'6" pistol grip lightning rod is what I learned baitcasting on, but I like the feel of the 6'6" lightning rod a little better, but its gotta be near 20 years old.

LC

[Hyrule Bass]

some people have made this way more difficult than it needs to be. first, i will start by saying ugly stiks work just fine for me with a variety of techniques, they are not good for jigs and carolina rigs though at all. there are two rod types i can use to cover all of my bass fishing excluding really light lures like rooster tails and small crank baits as i use a small spinning reel for these.

 

i may have read wrong, but i get youre looking for two casting rods for your baitcasters. if thats the case, i would get two different sizes of rods. i would get one 6'6 MH rod and the other i would get is a 7' M rod. this gives you a little more versatility than getting two of the same sized rods...

 

if i read wrong and you just want to replace the broken rod, go with a 7' MH as widely suggested...

 

also, 2-piece rods arent all bad as some would have you think. i only buy two piece rods because i have a small car as well, and i can break them down and put them in the trunk. so as some have suggested, i buy them because theyre convenient for me. but i also catch my share of fish on them...

[loudcherokee]

some people have made this way more difficult than it needs to be. first, i will start by saying ugly stiks work just fine for me with a variety of techniques, they are not good for jigs and carolina rigs though at all. there are two rod types i can use to cover all of my bass fishing excluding really light lures like rooster tails and small crank baits as i use a small spinning reel for these.

 

i may have read wrong, but i get youre looking for two casting rods for your baitcasters. if thats the case, i would get two different sizes of rods. i would get one 6'6 MH rod and the other i would get is a 7' M rod. this gives you a little more versatility than getting two of the same sized rods...

 

if i read wrong and you just want to replace the broken rod, go with a 7' MH as widely suggested...

 

also, 2-piece rods arent all bad as some would have you think. i only buy two piece rods because i have a small car as well, and i can break them down and put them in the trunk. so as some have suggested, i buy them because theyre convenient for me. but i also catch my share of fish on them...

I guess to sum up what I'm looking to do, is replace my 5'6" pistol grip casting rod with something more versatile and user friendly. It doesn't cast very far, and after awhile my hand starts cramping from the pistolgrip. I also had a backlash so bad this weekend when trying to sling a chatter bait across the lake that it snapped my 30# power pro at the spool, and it took me 2 hours to dig that out.

I probably shouldn't have even mentioned the ugly stiks, as I think I may have confused some people with that. I'm completely happy with them and what I use them for.

I do have the 6'6" MH lightning rod, but I just worry about its age and the reel that is on it. that's old daiwa isn't smooth at all. Dad gave it to me, and said it was top of the line way back when he bought it. I guess the newer stuff with more bearings has me spoiled. I could put the Abu on the older lightning rod I guess.

LC

[Blues19]

I have a 6'6" M rod that I have used for plastics, jigs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, topwater. Pretty much everything except big swim baits or the A-Rig.  I say medium rather than medium heavy because you can throw some smaller finesse baits on it.

[Maxximus Redneckus]

All jokes aside.. one rod can do it all I did it when I was younger bluegill to bass to catfish to croaker

[Maxximus Redneckus]

Btw would you trade your pisthol grip or sell it I collect them

[retiredbosn]

IMO, yes out would be a 7' or 6'6" MH MF

I would like to clarify or explain my suggestion. A do it all rod that will work for the examples the OP provided, exists but it will not excel at any technique. I suggested a MH MF being a Medium Heavy power and Moderate Fast action. Limber enough for trebles and stiff enough for plastics, within reason.

[loudcherokee]

Maximus, I would still keep it. being a bank fisherman, it does have its uses in tight spots being so short. I just get fatigued easily with using it trying to cast farther than the rod wants me to.

LC

[BassinB]

nope

[Fishwhittler]

I'm going to go a little different than most and suggest a 7' medium-power, fast-action rod.  It loads better than a MH for lighter baits and has enough backbone for bigger baits.  The 7' length isn't the best for short-range casting accuracy, but it gives you more distance than a 6'6" rod and more accuracy than a longer rod.

 

Whatever rod you go with, practice will drastically increase your ability to handle a wide range of lures.  I can't claim to be an expert, but I can cast weightless 4" flukes 30' - 40'on a 7' MH/X-Fast rod, which is definitely too much rod for such a small bait.  If I'd tried to do that a year ago, my reel would have made an eagle's nest look simple in comparison.  Get your setup put together and then go out in the yard and practice casting with a normal lure weight—don't try to go too light or too heavy.  Making 30 or 40 practice casts a couple days a week will help a lot, and more practice will only be better. 

[Sam]

One piece rod 7' medium heavy fast action tip.

[DogBone_384]

The reason 2 piece rods are perceived as lower quality is that by and large, they are marketed to individuals more concerned with convenience than performance and are built on cheap blanks. If built on a quality 2 piece blank with built in ferrules, sensitivity and casting are not negatively affected.The 7' MH/F is no doubt the most versatile for common bass fishing techniques but I would not go as far as calling it "Do it all". There will be compromises as you expand your fishing.

I'm no expert by any means, but I have a Abu Garcia Veritas 6'6" M/F 2-piece holding a BPS Pro Qualifier spooled with 8 lb Trilene XL and could use it as a 'do it all' set up. I'll admit I've used it mostly for soft baits because I'm re-learning them along with bait casting, but I've tossed some spinners & crank baits pretty well too.

I guess it's like asking 10 mechanics about the same job: you'll get 7 different answers.

Best of luck with your choice.

[Khong]

I think you can slide through this with a 6'10" spinning rod.  This is not too long and probably not to short.  It will give you a good enough accuracy to cast.  Action has to be fast.  Why fast, it will give you a better hook set if you are using plastic or single hook.  I would go with med/heavy rod type just for the power too.  The heavier the rod, the better back bone to pull it out from heavy weed.  It just doesn't make sense to go lighter unless you want to go finest.  Even though you can still finest on a heavier rod too as long as the action is there.

 

As far as spinning reel, I would go with a reel in the $150-200 price range for smoother casting.  Probably order 2 extra spool for mono top water, FLC clear water, and braid for Rest.

[SirSnookalot]

If I could keep only one of my set ups the choice is an easy one to make.  All purpose means to me all the different places I fish and all the different species.  Freshwater from bank, beaches, jetties sea walls and the flats, a 7'6 med 8/17 with a 4000 reel with 15# braided line.  This combo has been doing it for me for the last 6 or 7 years, light baits to well over an ounce with a variety of lure types, fish from bluegill to tarpon, at times it feels like I'm fishing too heavy. 

[The Young Gun]

A cheap but excellent rod is the 723 powel diesel! The rod does it all!! I have 3 and I have yet to find something thing it doesn't do well

[Capt.Bob]

Years ago as a kid, I learned how to do everything on a 6' MH, wasn't near as efficient as today with rig's for everything, but I caught everything from bluegill to Pike and catfish, from bobber to crankbait and everything in between. If I could only own one rod today, it would be my custom 7' Avid MH/XF spinning rod with my Stradic FJ4000, or my 7'2" MH/M Legend Extreme casting rod with my Team Gold, light saltwater to panfish I could do it, but I assure you I won't have to,,,,,,Thank GOD!!!!   

[J Francho]

There's a lot of "do alot" rods, but no "do it all" rods.  A MH/F and M/F casting rig, and a M/F spinning rig will cover just about 99% of the bases.