Rods And Lure Weights

[hoosierbass07]

  OK, now I have two nice (to me at least) rods in my rod collection - a St. Croix Triumph seven foot medium powered fast rod.  It's rated for lures that weigh 1/4 to 5/8.  My new rod that arrived today is a Fenwick HMG six foot six inch medium powered with a lure weight of 1/4 to 3/4.

 

 I'm starting to focus on lure weights so I can match them to my new rods and any future rods I may purchase. I have some digital scales and I was weighing some of my favorite lures I like throwing.

 

  I'm wondering, how important is it to stay within the listed weights for rods?  Can using lures at the maximum limit of the rod eventually break the rod tip?  Would it be safe to use a 3/4 oz lure on a rod that's maximum is 3/4 oz?  I bought a swim jig this evening and when I put a trailer on it, the total weight is almost 3/4.  Would throwing that weight wear out the rod faster or cause it to break sooner of the rod is rated for 1/4 to 3/4?  

 

Thanks

[SirSnookalot]

Is it important to stay within rod parameters, no but with limitations not too go to high.  Not only myself but everyone I have ever been with does this everyday in saltwater with no issues, but we are dealing with freshwater.  Freshwater is different as casting is more target orientated, I don't feel it's necessary to over load a rod while bass fishing, I don't do it myself. 

[smalljaw67]

You can usually tell when you tie the bait on and hold the set up, you'll notice that before you even cast the rod is already loaded up. You can cast an over weight rig by lob casting which is basically making a cast with little to no back swing and just lobbing it a short distance. The best bet is to stay within the rods parameters, I've found that rods in the 1/4 to 3/4 weight range do pretty well across the entire spectrum but they handle weights of 3/8oz to 5/8oz the best, meaning there is no stress on the rod and the rod isn't overpowering the bait, at the low end, you can tell if a bait is too light for the rod when it doesn't load on a back swing and you lose feel on a retrieve. You don't have to weigh each bait, if you have a rod designed to use a 3/4oz bait then use a jig that is listed as 1/2oz because the head is 1/2oz, the skirt will put it at 5/8oz and the trailer will make it 3/4oz, use that rule of thumb, the same for a spinnerbait, the head is the weight so a 1/4oz spinnerbait is always going to be closer to 3/8oz than it is 1/4oz, it is just the way it is so use that guideline as to what you want to use. Once you get use to the rod you'll understand what is too heavy and too light.

[J Francho]

I don't get too scientific about it.  If a bait feels too heavy for a rod, then I switch to a heavier rod. 

[bigbill]

I try to stay within the rods limitations and specs.  Within the lure weight and the line test. I have been purchasing new rods going by the lure weight. But as we go up in the lure weight specs the upper section of  the rod becomes stiffer. We limit the rods performance to certain lures only. I been carrying 5 rod setups for over a decade++ now. People just don't get it. The lure and line test is very important on the action of the lure, the rate of fall, plus using the correct action and power rod for that lure. My buddies would make fun of me with 5 different rod setups but it works.

 

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[JWOA]

 Yea Im lookin at this too..and its weird.. Ive got a 6 foot rod and its heavy action rated for throwing 3/4oz-3oz baits...I use for my A-Rig...but I keep getting told I need to use a longer rod.

 

 SHould I???

[tomustang]

Yea Im lookin at this too..and its weird.. Ive got a 6 foot rod and its heavy action rated for throwing 3/4oz-3oz baits...I use for my A-Rig...but I keep getting told I need to use a longer rod.

 

 SHould I???

More length of the rod helps with the fight

[SirSnookalot]

I consistently over load my rods with zero ill effects, max lure of 3/4-1 oz no problem, 1 oz max-1.5 oz no problem, for example.  On the other side of the spectrum I throw lighter than rod parameters too, when the need is only to cast 10 yds into the swash or work a sea wall, because that is zone I'm working and distance doesn't matter.

Not my usual way to fish for bass, I don't see the need for it.  

[bigbill]

I leaned my lesson while trying to cast a castiac 9'' trout lure with a medium action rod.  Lets say it never got casted out. I purchased a saltwater setup for throwing it.

I like my 6' rods too but the 7' rods cast farther with less effort.

[mjseverson24]

it depends on the action of the rod. If it is a moderate to moderate fast action the stress of casting is more easily distributed throughout the rod so your chance of damaging the rod is less, but a XF action rod puts all the stress on the tip of the rod increasing the possibility of breaking it. most fast action rods I try to keep the lure weight close to the range on the rod, but if it is a jig or t-rig rod the weights really dont matter too much for me.

 

Mitch

[J Francho]

Hmmm, I pretty much load the entire rod, on most overhand casts, regardless of action/taper.  The only time the blank doesn't load is when I throw a bait that is way lighter than rod is rated for, or using a simple pitch or lob cast.  If a rod is going to snap from a cast, it certainly isn't going to handle a fish.

[michang5]

Another data point — and one from a baitcaster newbie...

 

I have a Daiwa Tatula paired with a MHF *** 7'1" rod (3/8 - 1oz. lure weight rating). I've been practicing with two sizes of jigs since I got the setup:

• I had some 1/4oz jigs with various trailers that I was using with my spinning gear. I've had tons of problems with backlashes throwing with BC, especially with wind.
• I got some 1/2oz jigs recently and things have been much smoother.

Remembering this thread, I grabbed my kitchen scale last night and weighed the various jigs. Each of the smaller, problematic jigs weighed 1/2oz with their trailers. The larger jigs weighed 7/8oz with their trailers. 

 

Not much of an "a-ha" other than how much of a difference 3/8 of an ounce can make. I suspect this will become less meaningful as I get better with the baitcaster.

[WRB]

There isn't any standards that apply to fresh water bass rods. Each rod maker differs in how they mark rods or market their rods. Today rod makers have gone to application specific rod marketing and get creative trying to come up with names, actions and lure/ line weights. What does medium mean, medium heavy, heavy mean?

Moderate, fast, extra fast combined with the power rating that doesn't have an objective difination is a combination of 2 unknowns.

Unfortunately the best way to know is pick up a rod, put a reel on it with line, a casting weight and cast it. Rods are a personal touchy feely product and each angler has a different idea how the rod should feel.

A rod should perform under the conditions you use it. If you can cast the lures you like to fish with, hook and land fish, the rod is right for you.

Yes, you can break a rod using too heavy line and damage it casting too heavy of lures. Reels have drags, use it set @ 1/3 rd the line ( mono # test) on your reel, don't cast lures exceeding the recommended lure weight and you should be OK.

Tom

[Catt]

I don't get too scientific about it. If a bait feels too heavy for a rod, then I switch to a heavier rod.

Yelp