Still a little confused..

[MDRookie]

Happy Thanksgiving all! 

After reading a boatload of threads here, meeting with fishnkamp and reading some more.. I'm still a little confused on what duties to assign my rods and reels. Mostly because.. based on what I've read.. my rods and reels may not match up for a certain technique.. such as the gear ratio, having more spinning gear than casting and maybe due to having 3 medium/moderate rods? I am also unsure of what size line would be best on each. I talked with Bob (fishnkamp) about line and possibly using braid but decided against it at this time. So I'll stick with mono for now. I need to learn how to best utilize what I have before I experiment with other line. 

Anyway, here's a list of what I have (which has grown since my previous thread here) and if anyone would advise how each would be best used and what size line to match up with it.. I'd appreciate it! I'll put what I think they would be best for in  ( )

Newest acquisition is a St, Croix Avid 6'6 MLF, Lure size - 1/8-3/8, Paired with a Sahara 2500 6.2:1 spinner (texas, small finesse, ned?)

My oldest and favorite - Berkley Scout 5'6 Medium. This rod bends a 1/3 the way down.. medium? Lure size - 1/8-3/8, Line size 4-10, Paired with and old BlackMax baitcaster - don't know the ratio (crank?)

Old.. Shakespeare Synergy 6' Medium. Bends a 1/3 the way down also. No lure size on it, Line 6-12, Paired with an Okuma StratusV 6.6:1 baitcaster (top water, jerk?)

Old.. Quantum Lite 6'6 Medium. Again bends 1/3, Lure size 1/8-5/8, Line 8-14, Pair with Sahara 3000 6.2:1 spinner (not sure)

BPS Graphite Series 6'6 MHF, Lure size 1/4-5/8, Line 6-17, Pair with Pflueger 6935 5.2:1 spinner (carolina, finesse, spinners?)

I also have a BPS Bionic Blade 6' MHF baitcast rod, Lure size 1/4-3/4, Line 6-17 that I currently do not have a reel for. Do I want a higher gear ratio here? So if someone wants to make a suggestion for one.. awesome. (not sure)

I don't want or desire to fish a heavy/punch rod.. so, no suggestions needed there.

In that past.. I have fished mainly texas rigged worms and spinner baits, at times a small frog and sometimes a crank or jerk. I just purchased a bunch of new stuff consisting of shaky head, ned, dropshot, grubs.. but not sure which rods to put what on :-( I'm not sure why.. but it's just not sinking in! 

 

[fvogel67]

Once upon a time the internet didn't exist.You figured out things by doing them.

[MDRookie]

LOL.. thanks for the help ;-)

[fishnkamp]

Lets start with your Bionic Blade 6 MHF 1/3 to 3/4. This is your stiffest rod you own. I am not talking about the rod we designated for stripers and such.  Match that with a 6.3-1 reel and 12 pound line, This is your rod for bottom contact baits like jigs, worms ets.

ST Croix 6'6 ML. This rod will cover your lighter finesse baits. These include your Ned Rigs, drop shots, tubes, unweighted plastics, lightly weighted swim baits like the Little Dippers and Skinny dippers. This can handle small finesse worms texas rigged or on slider heads in 1/8 to 1/4 

MD  Rookie hold on I am working on my response

Your two 6'6 spinning rods can handle heavier plastics like 1/4 to 5/8 ounce plastics jigs, skinny dippers on belly weighted hooks, blade baits like silver buddies etc.

Baits like spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, rattle traps and small to mid size cranks will take some experimentation.

[MDRookie]

Thanks again Bob... I think my confusion is mainly why or how  MM, MHF, MLXF, etc... works best for each technique... 

[MickD]

Don't overthink it.  Fish have been taken with many different ratios, actions, powers, lengths, etc for many many years.  They all will work, and if they are working well for you, then no problem.

As you become more proficient, and really get into different techniques, the strengths and weaknesses of your rigs will become apparent.  You can then fill the greatest need when you are in a position to do so.  When its priority becomes to you, number 1.  And it will go on from there.

Relax and enjoy your fishing.

 

[MDRookie]

24 minutes ago, fishnkamp said:

Lets start with your Bionic Blade 6 MHF 1/3 to 3/4. This is your stiffest rod you own. I am not talking about the rod we designated for stripers and such.  Match that with a 6.3-1 reel and 12 pound line, This is your rod for bottom contact baits like jigs, worms ets.

Reccommendation for a reel? When I went to Connecticut, I didn't even take my two larger rods. I caught most of the stripers on my 5'6 Scout.. lol.. throwing 4" 7/16oz Storm shads. Probably to small but.. again.. my favorite and was fun.

ST Croix 6'6 ML. This rod will cover your lighter finesse baits. These include your Ned Rigs, drop shots, tubes, unweighted plastics, lightly weighted swim baits like the Little Dippers and Skinny dippers. This can handle small finesse worms texas rigged or on slider heads in 1/8 to 1/4 

Okay.. thanks. Haven't bought any dippers yet.. but will.

MD  Rookie hold on I am working on my response

Your two 6'6 spinning rods can handle heavier plastics like 1/4 to 5/8 ounce plastics jigs, skinny dippers on belly weighted hooks, blade baits like silver buddies etc.

By heavier plastics.. meaning 7-10" worms in a carolina rig with 1/2oz sinker?

Baits like spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, rattle traps and small to mid size cranks will take some experimentation.

 

 

[fishnkamp]

Think of it this way when we talk about "finesse" baits think of worms less than 7 inches in length. Lets tale the 6 inch worms you have. If I wanted to throw those worms weightless or with the 1/8 ounce Perfect Finesse Worm Hook, or texas rigged  with weights up to 1/4 to 3/8 I could do it very effectively on your new St Croix. It is a ML Fast rod. The bait really does not matter, it could be a 5 inch weightless Senco, a craw imitation, 5 inch grub even just a bait that falls into that size and weight category.. 

If I was throwing the same 6 inch worm with a 1/4 to 5/8 ounce worm weight or a smaller feather jig, jig and plastic trailer a Skinny Dipper with a larger belly weighted hook or even the 3/8 fish head jig I would use the Medium Fast of MH Fast spinning rod. It is more about how much weight the bait has and where it falls in the rods abilities. The heavier rod could throw small Rapalas just as well. A Rapala is a good example to think about.  Think about throwing the smaller ones less than 4 inches, they are light so they need a rod that has a lighter action to load up to throw them. I throw these on a 6'6 to 7' medium fast rod. If I want to throw the larger Husky Jerks or suspender minnows than I throw them on a baitcaster and a medium moderate action rod. This would be the same rod I would throw cranks and rattle traps.   

If I am throwing the 7 to 10 inch worms with 3/8 to 1 ounce weights thn that goes on your Bionic Blade.

[MDRookie]

Okay... let me see if I got this straight..

St. Croix spin reel - smaller ned, drop shot, tubes, unweighted plastics and senkos

Quantum spin reel - worms with weight, skinny dipper with belly weight or jig head

Shakespeare baitcast - jerk bait and crank

BPS spinner -  heavier ned rig 

Bionic baitcast- Carolina rig

Scout baitcast - Spinners

[MDRookie]

2 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

Lets start with your Bionic Blade 6 MHF 1/3 to 3/4. This is your stiffest rod you own. I am not talking about the rod we designated for stripers and such.  Match that with a 6.3-1 reel and 12 pound line, This is your rod for bottom contact baits like jigs, worms ets.

 

The ever so popular Tatula 100H has the 6.3:1 ratio you speak of... think I'll go this route

[cottny27]

My head is spinning we never worried about this type of stuff 15yrs ago.  Now there is a rod for every technique.  The rod will tell you what's it's able to handle.  Any Texas rigging should be on your MH rods and lures under 1/4oz on your spinning gear imo. That's simplifying it.  12# test on casting gear and 6-8# on the spinning.  

[MassYak85]

20 hours ago, fvogel67 said:

Once upon a time the internet didn't exist.You figured out things by doing them.

There are boatloads for great information on this forum and all across the internet. You could spend more time trying to learn everything than actually fishing. I know I've learned a bunch in the past couple years just looking around online but ultimately nothing is set in stone. Make sure to test stuff out. The "ideal" setup may not be the best setup for you. I fish crankbaits on braid and a 7.1:1 reel....hardly what many would consider a good crankbait setup. Now sure, if I had more money I would choose something different. But many bass techniques can be fished on a variety of setups effectively. 

[A-Jay]

21 hours ago, fvogel67 said:

Once upon a time the internet didn't exist.You figured out things by doing them.

 

21 hours ago, MDRookie said:

LOL.. thanks for the help ;-)

Seriously - before there was place for an angler to type a question & hit Enter, Fully Expecting an Answer - how do you believe the rest of us figured this stuff out ?

The majority of your posted questions, including this one are loaded with overwhelming enthusiasm and inexperience.  This is not a bad thing however you may be focusing your enthusiasm in the wrong place.  Without some experience behind it the answers to many of your questions may end up being more confusing than helpful.   Don't get me wrong, knowledge is good, but too much in the beginning can lead to sensory overload.  

There are some basic angling concepts but there's No Rules - No Fishing tackle laws to be broken.  So do yourself a favor, take the gear you have and the baits you want to fish, along with what you know so far and Just Go Fishing.  Start out with just a few rigs & a few baits and see what happens.  I'm betting that you'll get the answers to most all of your questions in short order and the confidence & experience you gain will help answer questions that you haven't even thought of yet.  

Be safe & have fun.

A-Jay

 

[soflabasser]

On 11/24/2016 at 9:16 PM, fvogel67 said:

Once upon a time the internet didn't exist.You figured out things by doing them.

^This^

Nothing replaces time spent on the water.Go fishing,don't worry about the intricacies of bass fishing, and have a good time!

[Darren.]

Overthinking is your enemy. It will cripple you and
keep you from experimentation and building confidence.

Starting simple is the best method. Trying to progress
from "newbie" to "seasoned" too fast will lead to 
overthinking. So as said, enjoy fishing! Just get out there
and throw baits. If something doesn't feel right, change
it up. Try the lure on a different rod combo....

I've been there (overthinking) and done that. And I've
gone back to the simple because I'm interested in enjoying
the sport, not competing with others.

This doesn't mean I don't experiment! I simply cannot afford
being a technique-specific angler. Even if I could, I'm not
sure I would... .02 cents.

[MDRookie]

I appreciate the feedback.. really do. It's not about.. enthusiasm, overthinking or not having fun.  I enjoy just being on the water and get more satisfaction watching others catch fish. It's definitely not about competing with others.. my questions are about the best utilization of the equipment I currently have.. to become more proficient.  As far as... 15 years ago and before the internet was here... that was then.. this is now. I believe these sites are here to discuss and help others.. no? I would think that the repetitive posts.. which rod is better... or this reel vs that reel would make one's head spin.... just sayin. I'll figure it out... Thanks!

[Raul]

4 hours ago, cottny27 said:

My head is spinning we never worried about this type of stuff 15yrs ago.  Now there is a rod for every technique.  The rod will tell you what's it's able to handle.  Any Texas rigging should be on your MH rods and lures under 1/4oz on your spinning gear imo. That's simplifying it.  12# test on casting gear and 6-8# on the spinning.  

Yup, that pretty much says everything. Simplicity. I carry 5 rods nowadays and I could simplify more but as years have gone by I've become lazy tying knots,  1 M/F spinning and 1 M/F casting for lighter offerings, 2 MH/F for pretty much everything, 1 H/F for penetrating or close around woody cover. 

35 minutes ago, MDRookie said:

I appreciate the feedback.. really do. It's not about.. enthusiasm, overthinking or not having fun.  I enjoy just being on the water and get more satisfaction watching others catch fish. It's definitely not about competing with others.. my questions are about the best utilization of the equipment I currently have.. to become more proficient.  As far as... 15 years ago and before the internet was here... that was then.. this is now. I believe these sites are here to discuss and help others.. no? I would think that the repetitive posts.. which rod is better... or this reel vs that reel would make one's head spin.... just sayin. I'll figure it out... Thanks!

You catch fish with your head.

[WRB]

Most of us learn to bass fish with 1 outfit that we can cast easily , retrieve the lure, set the hook when bass strike and catch the bass.

My 1st outfit was a baitcasting reel and 5'3" pistol grip bass rod and used this outfit for about 5 years. During that time I learned to bass fish.

Suggestion is put the baitcasting reel on the 6'6" MHF rod, 12 lb to 15 lb Big Gsme mono and use that outfit for a year with all your standard bass lures and presentations. Use you Newer MLF spinning outfit for all you finesse presentations. 2 outfits for a year before any other purchases.

After the year is over you will no longer be confused and know exactly what you need.

Tom

[Fishin' Fool]

And MDRookie realize there are no right or wrong answers to your questions it's all based on preference.  What works for A-Jay may not work for Darren. For example, everyone and their mother seems to think you have to drop shot with a 6'10" ML rod. Personally I use a 7'3" M rod that works great for me. Others may like to use 6'6" casting rods. Personally I like 7'6" rod or longer. As others have mentioned just get out there and see what works for you. 

[MDRookie]

9 hours ago, WRB said:

Suggestion is put the baitcasting reel on the 6'6" MHF rod, 12 lb to 15 lb Big Gsme mono and use that outfit for a year with all your standard bass lures and presentations. Use you Newer MLF spinning outfit for all you finesse presentations. 2 outfits for a year before any other purchases.

After the year is over you will no longer be confused and know exactly what you need.

Tom

That's a good idea.. I had the Okuma on the Bionic blade.. but when I went up to Connecticut.. I had a difficult time casting with this combo. I believe it was the stiffness of the rod that gave me a hard time.. as I am so used to my other rods having more flex to them. I definitely need to practice with this combo and I believe I'm going to dedicate it to Carolina rig. After watching a few videos... I'm going to try using the BPS/Pflueger with 15# as a pitching and flipping stick. St Croix/Sahara with 8# for ned and drop shot. The Scout/Maxx with 8# for texas rig. The Quantum/Sahara with 10# for ned and shaky head. And lastly.. the Shakespeare/Tatula with 10#  for spinners and cranks. 

[Fishin' Fool]

Also, if you are truly a rookie you are getting in way over your head. Just pick up one or two new techniques each season and try to master them. For example if you want to increase your confidence in finesse fishing only bring two rods to the lake, a Ned rig and a drop shot. It seems more overwhelming trying to learn everything at once like you are.

[fishnkamp]

Well I know he has been asking bass fishing questions,  lots of  "the whats best on this gear type stuff" . He is no rookie to fishing, he has been tearing up on MD trout for sure. The fish he and his wife have caught are big and beautiful. I was jealous when I saw the pictures.   Your confidence will come with time on the water. That I am sure of.  Piney Run Lake,  when it reopens next season, will become a learning center for you.  Lots of good bass and panfish, there is even a good population of stripers in it.  Just be patient. 

[MDRookie]

I am a 50 year old rookie when it comes to bass fishing. Most of my fishing experiences have come on the bay.. when I had my boat.. 

[Fishin' Fool]

31 minutes ago, fishnkamp said:

Well I know he has been asking bass fishing questions,  lots of  "the whats best on this gear type stuff" . He is no rookie to fishing, he has been tearing up on MD trout for sure. The fish he and his wife have caught are big and beautiful. I was jealous when I saw the pictures.   Your confidence will come with time on the water. That I am sure of.  Piney Run Lake,  when it reopens next season, will become a learning center for you.  Lots of good bass and panfish, there is even a good population of stripers in it.  Just be patient. 

I think bass fishing has gotten confusing with this ideal that there is one best rod for a certain technique. When we were young we threw spinning gear for everything not only, senkos/worms, tubes, but crankbaits, spinnerbaits, top water. Maybe not ideal they still caught lots of fish in Michigan.

[Raul]

Let's put it this way, other than trying to fish those 3+ oz swimbaits that really require special gear I can really do some butt whupping with a MH/F rod and to make it more versatile ---> spinning reel.

Hmmmmmm, now that I come and think about it, I fished with only one spinning combo for a little bit more than 20 years cos that's the only thing I had.