New Rod Advice

[doyle8218]

I am looking to buy a new rod. I will be using it mainly for pitching and punching cover. Do you think I can do with a medium fast tip or will I need a med-heavy, I also plan to use it for a few other applications. Sometimes different med-heavy rods are very stiff.

 

Any advice?

[BenBassmaster]

In my opinion a MH is the most versatile rod. Since you want to pitch and punch, I definitely recommend a MH. A Medium will be too flimsy and might snap if you try to bring a fish out of cover.

[doyle8218]

In my opinion a MH is the most versatile rod. Since you want to pitch and punch, I definitely recommend a MH. A Medium will be too flimsy and might snap if you try to bring a fish out of cover.

I figured that that just afraid of a too stiff rod

 

thanks

[tbone1993]

I punch a lot lighter stuff up north so I can get away with using a mh rod. If I was down south in very heavy grass I would use something heavier to get the bass out. That being said I caught a 10lb asian carp and a 20lb+ asian carp on my dobyns 735c and had the full weight of the fish on my rod and it didnt snap. 

[doyle8218]

I punch a lot lighter stuff up north so I can get away with using a mh rod. If I was down south in very heavy grass I would use something heavier to get the bass out. That being said I caught a 10lb asian carp and a 20lb+ asian carp on my dobyns 735c and had the full weight of the fish on my rod and it didnt snap. 

wow, is it super stiff?

[Arv]

Mh would be the lightest I would go.

[tbone1993]

I figured that that just afraid of a too stiff rod

 

thanks

The blank is what makes or breaks a rod in my opinion. If I get a cheap POS rod the blank is going to suck and it is going to be stiff. The MH might feel like a H and the action might suck. I believe you are looking for a h or mh with and extra fast tip. I dont punch that often but normally that is what I use.

[doyle8218]

The blank is what makes or breaks a rod in my opinion. If I get a cheap POS rod the blank is going to suck and it is going to be stiff. The MH might feel like a H and the action might suck. I believe you are looking for a h or mh with and extra fast tip. I dont punch that often but normally that is what I use.

Does the xf tip make it feel stiffer?

[smalljaw67]

An extra fast tip will make the rod stiffer, what is your aversion to a rod with a fast action that is stiff? If you want to pitch and punch cover I would only recommend a moderate fast or moderate action rod only if you are using heavy braid or a good low stretch fluorocarbon line and those rods would be heavy power, not medium heavy and especially not medium, that is a cranking rod. I have a 7'2" casting rod I use for pitching, it is a stout MH with an xtra fast tip which makes it stiff but with a 3/8oz jig tied on it loads up just enough to  really help me get good distance and accuracy plus I can move a big bass out of cover quickly. I just want to know why a stiff rod bothers you? Are you new to bass fishing or the techniques you want to learn, I just never heard of anyone looking for something other than a cranking rod that is hung up on the stiffness of a rod before, I'm not being smart, I just want to understand so I can help find you a good match in a rod.

[doyle8218]

An extra fast tip will make the rod stiffer, what is your aversion to a rod with a fast action that is stiff? If you want to pitch and punch cover I would only recommend a moderate fast or moderate action rod only if you are using heavy braid or a good low stretch fluorocarbon line and those rods would be heavy power, not medium heavy and especially not medium, that is a cranking rod. I have a 7'2" casting rod I use for pitching, it is a stout MH with an xtra fast tip which makes it stiff but with a 3/8oz jig tied on it loads up just enough to  really help me get good distance and accuracy plus I can move a big bass out of cover quickly. I just want to know why a stiff rod bothers you? Are you new to bass fishing or the techniques you want to learn, I just never heard of anyone looking for something other than a cranking rod that is hung up on the stiffness of a rod before, I'm not being smart, I just want to understand so I can help find you a good match in a rod.

It's just I used a heavy xf rod once and it felt ile a broom stick. I have been fishing a long time. serious for about 30 years. I have caught many 3 pounders on a medium moderate tip with no problems, I just don't want a hook and pull rod.

[smalljaw67]

In order to make a good recommendation what weights are you throwing.  Based on your location in Florida, punching tells me possibly a 6 power would be what you want. Depends on the weight of your lure and how thick the cover.  I would say the dobyns champion 736 is a great all around heavy work rod, Jigs, punch and frogs.  The 766FLIP would be good too, but loses some versatility.  If your looking for a straight punch and heavy flip rod then 805 would be my choice pick.

Ron

 

These rods are all going to be stiff, and it is what you are going to get for suggestions as you are looking for something to punch with, have you ever used the technique? How about pitching? What kind of cover and what weight of lures are you talking about? These kind of specifics will help because when we hear punching, the vision that comes to mind for just about everyone here is dropping 1oz to 2oz weights with a skirt and soft plastic rigged up through thick matts of milfoil or other emergent vegetation. The same thing for pitching, we see 3/8oz to 3/4oz jigs and texas rigs being pitched to docks and under over hangs and into tight places around brush, these type of places with the lures and techniques don't work to well with medium power, moderate action rods, the rod has to have enough power to drive home a heavy wire hook, sometimes though a lot of weeds and brush, if the weeds or brush are heavy enough, with a medium moderate tip rod the rod will load up before the hook even gets close to penetrating cutting down on the actual force needed. Based on your experience, it sounds as if most of your fishing has been in moderate to light cover and open water, so when you say you want a rod to punch and pitch, are you talking about the same stuff we are, this may help.

[LMB ANGLER]

my advise is, being that you live in Miami, get the heaviest, extra fast and longest broomstick you can find on the market.

[new2BC4bass]

my advise is, being that you live in Miami, get the heaviest, extra fast and longest broomstick you can find on the market.

Got to agree.  You might not need it for fishing, but it would be very beneficial beating off the muggers. 

[camovan]

Well if your planning on punching with normal punching class weights your going to need a rod rated for 2oz. I prefer a mh rod with a moderate fast taper for this. I use a okuma guide select 7'6" mh for this application. It is my swimbait/umbrella rod but the only thing I have rated for over 2oz and it doesnt feel like a broomstick, it really excels as a heavy bait pitching rod IMHO.

[LMB ANGLER]

Got to agree.  You might not need it for fishing, but it would be very beneficial beating off the muggers. 

not really, it would be very good for flip & pitch punch. if not then good luck getting a 10+ bass out of heavy cover with a mh rod

[new2BC4bass]

not really, it would be very good for flip & pitch punch. if not then good luck getting a 10+ bass out of heavy cover with a mh rod

Mostly I was having a bit of fun.  I have 4 Heavy rods (and an older MH rated to 2 oz., which is Heavy...for me).  None are broomsticks, and I enjoy using the Heavies on occasion even tho they are overkill for the most part up here.  My PB is a 7+ on a Falcon Original MH that was pulled out of the slop in Florida.

[LMB ANGLER]

Mostly I was having a bit of fun.  I have 4 Heavy rods (and an older MH rated to 2 oz., which is Heavy...for me).  None are broomsticks, and I enjoy using the Heavies on occasion even tho they are overkill for the most part up here.  My PB is a 7+ on a Falcon Original MH that was pulled out of the slop in Florida.

im guessing you took a trip down here because your tag says you live in PA. what alot of people dont understand is that a heavy rod is not overkill. i notice that people upnorth that catches 8 or maybe 10 pound or not even, think that a heavy rod is over kill and i understand why. its all about location. people in california, texas and florida fish with heavy rods because it just wont happened catching a bass that is over 10 to 15 pounds. bass fishermen in california where 20 pounders are common, use heavy rods and alot of swimbait rods witch are heavy as well, but for northern fishermen it might be overkill. location is the confusion here.

[camovan]

im guessing you took a trip down here because your tag says you live in PA. what alot of people dont understand is that a heavy rod is not overkill. i notice that people upnorth that catches 8 or maybe 10 pound or not even, think that a heavy rod is over kill and i understand why. its all about location. people in california, texas and florida fish with heavy rods because it just wont happened catching a bass that is over 10 to 15 pounds. bass fishermen in california where 20 pounders are common, use heavy rods and alot of swimbait rods witch are heavy as well, but for northern fishermen it might be overkill. location is the confusion here.

Im guessing you missed the fact that the OP doesnt want a heavy rod, yet still go on to suggest he get the heaviest rod he can find. Seems to be a pattern with your post that you feel every one should fish like you. He doesnt want a heavy rod, get over it, if you have no helpful suggestions on a lighter rod or how to fish heavy cover with a lighter rod simply move to the next thread.

[LMB ANGLER]

Im guessing you missed the fact that the OP doesnt want a heavy rod, yet still go on to suggest he get the heaviest rod he can find. Seems to be a pattern with your post that you feel every one should fish like you. He doesnt want a heavy rod, get over it, if you have no helpful suggestions on a lighter rod or how to fish heavy cover with a lighter rod simply move to the next thread.

did you felt hurt because i said that.?? everything will be ok buddy i promise. besides im just stating my opinion and trying to help. but i understand scooby doo van boy.

[camovan]

did you felt hurt because i said that.?? everything will be ok buddy i promise. besides im just stating my opinion and trying to help. but i understand scooby doo van boy.

Lol, yeah you hurt my feeling you pompous bass.

[iabass8]

my advise is, being that you live in Miami, get the heaviest, extra fast and longest broomstick you can find on the market.

If you're punching heavy vegetation into mats, grass, etc, an exfast tip is not ideal and something that is counterproductive when punching grass.  A moderate fast is the ideal tip for punching heavy weights into heavy vegetation.

 

location of the country you are in isn't what dictates the type of rod used. The type of bait or cover you are fishing does this. People use the same DS set ups in california that they do in upper michigan where the fish aren't even half the size. you don't start using MH DS rods because you are fishing for much larger fish.  Anglers generally do use  6 power over 5 power rods in certain parts of the country not because of the size of the fish but because of the areas you have to get the fish out of.

 

20 pound bass aren't common anywhere.

[LMB ANGLER]

Lol, yeah you hurt my feeling you pompous bass.

lol, it ok....