New Bass Boat ! so new rods needed. Pls help

[fishraptor]

Purchased a 2014 Basscat Cougar w/100 hours on her, mint.  I am not a newbi to fishing but wish to become very proficient at Bass fishing. Will list gear I have and a few questions to keep it short as I have a million questions.  Everything I have is essentially brand new. 

 

Have:

Megbass Orochi XX F4.1/2-68xx Jerbait rod 6' 8", 1/4 to 3/4oz, 8 to 18lb, Power-medium with Metanium 6.2 (2015 vintage) 30#braid

NRX 842S SJR 7' fast Medium 1/8-3/8oz, 6-12lb, with Plueger Presendential 6930 spinning w/10#braid

Wright & McGill 7'2", 1/8-3/8oz, 6-15lb, fast action "Shakey Head" rod w/Plueger Presendential 6930 spinning w/10#braid

 

The last two rod/reel spinining rigs listed above I would consider finesse so I would guess I am all set there.

Was advised by tournament fisherman to add 2 more bait casting rigs.  

 

Question:

Need rod & Reel for deep divers.  Advised go long on rod 7'6" at minimum to get the lures out far enough to dive deep and probably 10 to 12 floro to help get down. Also advised not to go to a high speed reel on this setup as too tiring. So would it be best to take the new 6.2 Metanium off the Megabass Jerkbait rod above and use that reel for my deep diving rig or is that too fast a reel speed ?

What rod brands would you recommend for my deep diving setup. Be as specific as you like.   I like very high end equipment so please don't hold back, but there is gear out there that is not expensive at all and is very nice like the two Pluegers Presidential 6930's above.  They were just too sweet for the price.

 

If I did that then I would need another reel to put back on the Megabass Jerkbait rod so was thinking a new MGL Metanium in one of the high speed versions (7.4 or 8.5) be a good choice but again I don't know if that speed is appropriate on a jerkbait rod?  I just know that a lot of top fisherman are now using very fast reels just not sure what their specific application is, what baits they would be best on. 

 

That would give me two finesse spinning rigs and two baitcasting rigs (1 Jerkbait  and 1 deep diving).   What other setups do I need.  What rod/reel and specific line do I use for all those crankbaits, topwater(spooks,frogs,poppers), and of course the spinner baits ?  I know at some point I will end up throwing  some large glide/swimmers so need to know what I will need (or have) to get that job done. 

 

Regarding topwater baits in heavy cover (lily pads, grass and such) see lots of top fishermen are using baitcasters w/65# braid. Should I go this route? Seems like a great idea. If so what rod would I match up with that 65#. If I already have two Metanium's maybe I should try another high end brand, variety is the spice of life.  

 

On the 2 finesse combos I already have listed above w/10# braid what size & length floro should I be using ?   PS. I don't know didely about copolymer. 

 

Will those 5 combos (2 spinning & 3 baitcaster) be enough ?  As you can see I am not really familiar with what rod/reel combo's go with difference types of baits. Will appreciate any help you can give.  I am sure your answered will most likely just lead to more questions but this is how I am going to get things right.  

 

 

 

   

 

[roadwarrior]

Well, my advice would be to go all custom and we have several accomplished builders on the Forum

including Mike at DVT, a sponsor. http://www.delawarevalleytackle.com/  He built a Senko rod for me

and ghoti, BassResource Moderator has built me three. Alpster, long time member of the Forum built another. Two more were built by Mr. Batson http://batsonenterprises.com/, BR sponsor.

 

Let's start with one rod for jigs to see how well you like a custom build. Starting with the blank, I will suggest the Rainshadow Eternity2 ETEC76MH-SS http://www.rainshadowrodblanks.com/product-line/eternity2-bass-casting/; Toray reel seat and Alps Titanium Guides. I like a spiral wrap and split grips (10" handle).

 

My rod is matched with a Shimano Aldebaran, but you should also consider the Metanium or Conquest for this rod. I'm spooled with 40# Seaguar Smackdown http://seaguar.com/freshwater/braid.html and 15# Tatsu leader http://seaguar.com/shop-direct/shop_seaguar/tatsu.html

 

 

 

[jimf]

When it comes to fishing equipment, I really only have one brand that I am loyal to and that is St. Croix rods.  I know there are other great rods out there, but for some reason I've just settled in with these.  I am particularly fond of the Avid line,  it's not "very high end equipment" but it's not far off at a price point that I can handle.  I prefer the full cork handles, which limits my selection somewhat.    

 

 

[fishraptor]

10 minutes ago, jimf said:

When it comes to fishing equipment, I really only have one brand that I am loyal to and that is St. Croix rods.  I know there are other great rods out there, but for some reason I've just settled in with these.  I am particularly fond of the Avid line,  it's not "very high end equipment" but it's not far off at a price point that I can handle.  I prefer the full cork handles, which limits my selection somewhat.    

 

 

Well I can't argue with you there Jimf as I also have a Mako offshore boat too and on it are two St. Croix Avid Inshore spinning rods. I purchased one and liked it sooooo much i purchased the exact same thing just one weight size up for my girl friend.  They are my "go to" rods for casting off of the boat. Just love the feel. So with that said I will keep then in mind when I head out to 3 fishing expos over the next 6 weeks or so. They are always in contention. Thanks for the post. 

[mwh33]

I use a dobyns 805cb paired with a Shimano Conquest 200 for my deep diving crankbaits.

 

For topwater I just ordered a Megabass Bandersnatch and it will be paired with a 7:1 metanium. I won't  use any Frogs on this setup. I have a dedicated frog rod.

 

Dedicated Frogs setup is a Dobyns 735 champion with a Shimano Exsence DC.

 

I also have a Megabass Diablo Fast Move that I use for spinnerbaits and squarebills. It is paired with a Megabass I79.

[fishnkamp]

Here is what I usually suggest

Rod 1-   A 6'6" to 7 foot light action spinning  rod and reel

Rod 2-  A  6'8  to 7 foot medium power moderate fast to extra fast action spinning rod and reel.

These will cover baits such as Ned Rigs, shakey heads, tubes, grubs and all the other baits weighing 3/8 ounce or less.

 

My next suggestion is a 7 foot medium heavy power fast action rod. There are tons of good ones out there.  This will be your do it all rod. It will handle 1/4 to 3/4 ounce baits like texas rigs, jigs, heavy tubes,  and even small paddle tail swimbaits on a leadhead swim jig hook.

 

Your Orochi jerkbait rod, while not ideal, will allow you to fish not only jerkbaits but some spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, small wakebaits, smaller crankbaits, etc.

 

Now the following baits require very specific and different rods.  Consider the waters you fish and what opportunities present themselves. Do you have heavy lily pads and dense grass fields. If so maybe a flipping stick to handle bigger jigs in that type of cover.

Do you have fish that suspend or live out on deep river ledges tham a longer heavier rod that will allow you to fish big heavy spinnerbaits slow rolled or a heavy jig rod to throw big football jigs with a trailer.

 

Lastly do you have fish that setup deep where you need to cover big points, humps etc, if so maybe that extra long crankbait rod and crankbaits that go down 20+ feet is the right choice.  Here also a carolina rig might be your best option.  

 

I can tell you I have rods from Abu Garcia ( Ike series and Veritas) Dobyns, Irod, Powell, St Croix, G Loomis, Falcon, Berkley, Bass Pro, Okuma and Quantum.  All of these rods work. Which is best? That is impossible to say without knowing what technique you need a rod to fill.

 

I will say that I fish my two spinning rods along with at least 6 other rods on the deck most of the time. It is rare my Powell Max 683CEF is not on my deck.  They have changed the rod into a max3D so I do not know how close the new one is to my rod.  But a 6'8 to 7'3 MH fast action rod is a must in my opinion. To suggest a few I would have to make a short list.

Look at the different lines Dobyns offers. I like the Fury, Sierra and Champion lines.

Powell has several nice lines.

 Look at an Irod.. Irod offers technique specific rods.  Something like an IRG 704 or 744C would be my choice from Irod for an all purpose rod.

Both St Croix and G Loomis offer full lines as well.  Lastly Falcon has some really nice rods too.

[fishraptor]

3 hours ago, mwh33 said:

I use a dobyns 805cb paired with a Shimano Conquest 200 for my deep diving crankbaits.

 

For topwater I just ordered a Megabass Bandersnatch and it will be paired with a 7:1 metanium. I won't  use any Frogs on this setup. I have a dedicated frog rod.

 

Dedicated Frogs setup is a Dobyns 735 champion with a Shimano Exsence DC.

 

I also have a Megabass Diablo Fast Move that I use for spinnerbaits and squarebills. It is paired with a Megabass I79.

 Hi, MWH33..... I have been researching for hours and hours each day for multiple days trying to put the "puzzle" together regarding rod/reel combo's needed. I did review the Dobyns 805CB for my deep diving rod and it sounds pretty sweeeeeet.  It is one that I will definitely have to put in my hands to get an "up close and personal" on.   I will also look at the GLX too, hopefully side by side. Seems like all my research for deep divers is recommending a "5" speed reel which I don't have. I like the idea of putting another Metanium on combo but they do not make it in a 5 speed only 6,7 & 8.  The combo of 8' rod and the  Metanium I think would spell nice long effortless casts. Wonder if I could get by with the 6.2 speed ?? I'm not at that level to know ..... just yet. Thanks again for the input.  

[fishnkamp]

What state do you live in?  Have you looked at what dealers some of these brands have near you? I live in MD and am very lucky to have a tackle store that carries Dobyns, Powell, Irod, Duckett, and many more so I can walk in and compare how these rods feel with a rel on them.  That helps a lot.

[fishraptor]

1 hour ago, fishnkamp said:

Here is what I usually suggest

Rod 1-   A 6'6" to 7 foot light action spinning  rod and reel

Rod 2-  A  6'8  to 7 foot medium power moderate fast to extra fast action spinning rod and reel.

These will cover baits such as Ned Rigs, shakey heads, tubes, grubs and all the other baits weighing 3/8 ounce or less.

 

My next suggestion is a 7 foot medium heavy power fast action rod. There are tons of good ones out there.  This will be your do it all rod. It will handle 1/4 to 3/4 ounce baits like texas rigs, jigs, heavy tubes,  and even small paddle tail swimbaits on a leadhead swim jig hook.

 

Your Orochi jerkbait rod, while not ideal, will allow you to fish not only jerkbaits but some spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, small wakebaits, smaller crankbaits, etc.

 

Now the following baits require very specific and different rods.  Consider the waters you fish and what opportunities present themselves. Do you have heavy lily pads and dense grass fields. If so maybe a flipping stick to handle bigger jigs in that type of cover.

Do you have fish that suspend or live out on deep river ledges tham a longer heavier rod that will allow you to fish big heavy spinnerbaits slow rolled or a heavy jig rod to throw big football jigs with a trailer.

 

Lastly do you have fish that setup deep where you need to cover big points, humps etc, if so maybe that extra long crankbait rod and crankbaits that go down 20+ feet is the right choice.  Here also a carolina rig might be your best option.  

 

I can tell you I have rods from Abu Garcia ( Ike series and Veritas) Dobyns, Irod, Powell, St Croix, G Loomis, Falcon, Berkley, Bass Pro, Okuma and Quantum.  All of these rods work. Which is best? That is impossible to say without knowing what technique you need a rod to fill.

 

I will say that I fish my two spinning rods along with at least 6 other rods on the deck most of the time. It is rare my Powell Max 683CEF is not on my deck.  They have changed the rod into a max3D so I do not know how close the new one is to my rod.  But a 6'8 to 7'3 MH fast action rod is a must in my opinion. To suggest a few I would have to make a short list.

Look at the different lines Dobyns offers. I like the Fury, Sierra and Champion lines.

Powell has several nice lines.

 Look at an Irod.. Irod offers technique specific rods.  Something like an IRG 704 or 744C would be my choice from Irod for an all purpose rod.

Both St Croix and G Loomis offer full lines as well.  Lastly Falcon has some really nice rods too.

Whoa, lots to digest there, thanks Fishnkamp.  I will review all you wrote, a few times and look into the suggestions.  

 

I do have a St. Croix Avid Inshore 7', fast action, med-heavy, 10-20#, 1/2 to 1 1/4oz.  with a Penn Spinfisher 4500 w/20# Suffix 832 Braid. I use it on the Mako offshore boat for sea bass, flounder, scup.  Do you think that would be fit the bill or is it too heavy.  I wasn't planning on using a spinning reel combo other than the two light finesse setups I initially mentioned but if the shoe fits.....      It's just that I don't see and the the Tour/pro's using spinning gear other than finesse, but I am kinda new to this "bass" fishing so I may be in error....

15 minutes ago, fishnkamp said:

What state do you live in?  Have you looked at what dealers some of these brands have near you? I live in MD and am very lucky to have a tackle store that carries Dobyns, Powell, Irod, Duckett, and many more so I can walk in and compare how these rods feel with a rel on them.  That helps a lot.

 

Nothing real close..... so I investigate on line they hit the fishing expos where a lot of the dealers are there. I am doing the Sommerset show, The one at the Big E., the Rockford Suffren show and I believe their is big one on the East coast coming up too. (Rh. or Conn) ??    I live in upstate New York. 

[fishnkamp]

Your two spinning combos will handle all the finesse you will need.

My suggestion for all other techniques was using baitcasters. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

 

So I like your your Orochi for more than just jerkbaits. Use it for spinnerbaits, small crankbaits, wakebaits and other baits like rattle traps as well.  It is not the "perfect rod" for some of these baits, but it will work and you own it.  For now, use it for all you can till you identify what extra rods you want.

 

The 6'8" to 7'3 or 7'4" Medium heavy 1/4 to 3/4  rod I suggested was meant to be a baitcaster.  This will become your workhorse. It will handle all of the texas rigs and 3/8 to 5/8 jigs plus a trailer. I would throw all of my regular jigs, swimjigs, paddle tail swimbaits on a Picasso style swimjig head ( looks like the head of a fish and is dynamite in 5 to 40 feet of water) and almost any mid sized bottom bouncing bait. 

That would be the next rod I would look to purchase.  Match it up with any decent reel. The Metaniums are super nice but so is a Diawa Tatula CT, maybe CT Type R, any of the Zillions or go back to Shimano and look at a Curado I  or Chronarch.  It does not have to be a $400 reel to get a quality reel unless the cost is irrelevant.

I would definitely add that Medium heavy fast action rod before all others. It covers basic bass techniques used on almost all lakes and rivers bass swim in.

 

After that I really want you to look at the bodies of water you fish on.

 

For example I have fished for over 40 years. I have moved around a bunch and my waters changed from a fast moving clear river to lakes and reservoirs in MD & PA to larger lakes in NC and VA and now I am back to MD.  The  the water I fish is shallow off color water with heavy vegetation in some areas. I fish the Upper Chesapeake Bay, and its tidal rivers like the Potomac. Until now, I have never need a flipping stick to throw 1 to 2 ounce Punch jigs or even a frog rod.  When fishing here at home I need rods to fish mostly shallower areas. My crankbaits run from surface to maybe 15 feet down.  When I vacation I go to Tennessee and fish huge 60 mile long lakes that are gin clear and fish sit suspended 30 feet down over 100 foot flats. I never bring my frog rod or punching rod with me,they won't be needed.   Learn where the fish set up on your waters.  Do they stay in shallow cover, hang down on points, maybe 15 foot deep or do you need to pull cranks down to 25 foot. Carolina rigs help fish these areas but they need a little different rod as well.  Once you identify the fish's habits and where they live, identify the cover etc these answer the question of which equipment to get next.  Under the deck of my boat is usually 15 rods or more for me, sometimes less. I am not saying you need that many.  I am saying that I fish a lot of different conditions and in a lot of different bodies of water.  Get rods top cover the basics then consider a deep cranking rod or a flipping stick, or even a rod for BIG topwaters.  Good Luck

 

[Airman4754]

Mag cranking is one of the few techniques where I think a dedicated setup is a must and I say that for fatigue reasons. An XD10 will ruin your day in a hurry if you don't have a setup to really tame it a little. For everything not big bait related a 7' MH/F will do the job. 

 

I run a 13 Crankenstein rod, Lew's Super Duty 5:4.1 reel, and 8lb CXX line for the true deep divers and really like it.

[mwh33]

10 hours ago, fishraptor said:

 Hi, MWH33..... I have been researching for hours and hours each day for multiple days trying to put the "puzzle" together regarding rod/reel combo's needed. I did review the Dobyns 805CB for my deep diving rod and it sounds pretty sweeeeeet.  It is one that I will definitely have to put in my hands to get an "up close and personal" on.   I will also look at the GLX too, hopefully side by side. Seems like all my research for deep divers is recommending a "5" speed reel which I don't have. I like the idea of putting another Metanium on combo but they do not make it in a 5 speed only 6,7 & 8.  The combo of 8' rod and the  Metanium I think would spell nice long effortless casts. Wonder if I could get by with the 6.2 speed ?? I'm not at that level to know ..... just yet. Thanks again for the input.  

I actually use the 6:1 gear conquest for my deep cranking and it does great. If I need to slow down I can force myself to do it, but I have no problems getting the deep divers down with a 6:1 ratio reel.

[fishraptor]

20 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

So I like your your Orochi for more than just jerkbaits. Use it for spinnerbaits, small crankbaits, wakebaits and other baits like rattle traps as well.  It is not the "perfect rod" for some of these baits, but it will work and you own it.  For now, use it for all you can till you identify what extra rods you want.

 

The 6'8" to 7'3 or 7'4" Medium heavy 1/4 to 3/4  rod I suggested was meant to be a baitcaster.  This will become your workhorse. It will handle all of the texas rigs and 3/8 to 5/8 jigs plus a trailer. I would throw all of my regular jigs, swimjigs, paddle tail swimbaits on a Picasso style swimjig head ( looks like the head of a fish and is dynamite in 5 to 40 feet of water) and almost any mid sized bottom bouncing bait. 

That would be the next rod I would look to purchase.  Match it up with any decent reel.

Hi Fishnkamp...... have a question or more of a "clarification"....   twice you have stated you like my Megabass Orochi listed/stamped as a "jerkbait" rod and can use in on spnnerbaits, small cranks, wakebaits, Rattle traps. But they you further state "not the "perfect rod" for some of these baits. Since I am a newbie I can't understand why it work work these baits successfully. Even in it's own literature/write up it states can be used for medium-running crankbaits, top waters and light jigs and worms as well. So not sure what or where it lacks ?    Next question: In 2nd paragraph above you state my next rod should be a 6'8" to 7'4" med heavy 1/4 to 3/4 baitcaster road as it will become your workhorse. The Megabass Orochi is a 6'8", medium, 1/4 to 3/4oz. (action is listed as your typical fast, or mod.... it is listed as "regular" what ever that means).

 

Considering we all know a shorter rod can cast more accurately and this is my shortest rod at  6'8" rod it would be perfect for all my "close to shore" casting where accuracy is imperative. (ie. spooks, frogs, jitterbugs, poppers, square bills, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and so on. ) nothing here is too heavy for that rod not to handle so that was my thinking.

 

The only thing about my last paragraph is lots of guys use big braid (ie. 65#) on frogs and lures cast into heavy cover to be able to "pull them out" so if that were the cast I would have to spool that rod up with that. Do you agree I should have a "heavy" setup for that application ?   If so should I consider that rod or think something else.   I read that you best not run braid on a "jerkbait" rod as you have a good chance on Hooksets with double & triple trebles.  It that is the case then the above scenario falls apart. 

 

One other question while I got you on the phone...

 

Once I get my long deep diving rod, (that Dolbyns 805cb looks awefully nice at 8', 10-20, 3/8 to 1 1/2oz., med/heavy, mod/fast) is there ANY other application that I could use this rod for other than big deep divers.  Just trying to see if it can be multitasked.  Other than being very long would that work as a flipping/pitching as you noted previously for heavy cover with big jigs. It would have the backbone. 

 

If I sound a bit confused I am but I know it will all come together eventually.

 

Any high end recomendations on that 6'8 to 7'4" med/heavy 1/4 to 3/8 you wish me to pursue next ?  

 

Just so you know, on my offshore boat I use a Temple Fork (ie. G. Loomis designed) spinning rod that is 8' 6" to reach those lures out to False Albacore and Bonito so I am a bit fan of longer rods and use them well.   I am sure any answers will just lead to more questions but that is a good thing, that means I am moving forward. Thank you.  

 

   

[A-Jay]

On ‎2‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 2:18 PM, fishraptor said:

Purchased a 2014 Basscat Cougar w/100 hours on her, mint.   

 

 

Congrats on the boat purchase ~

Have fun getting to know your new rig.

A-Jay

[Angry John]

crankbaits dobyns 764rm or 805rm depending on how big a bait your throw.  Paired with a zillion hlc with 12lb sniper.

 

rod two mb xxperfect pitch or daiwa steez xbd for frogs jigs punching and small swim baits up to 2oz.  I would run a zillion 7.9 j dream and have a slower reel for swimbaits.

 

third option would be a dobyns 806 or 807 swimbait rod  for over 2 oz.  Do you throw soft single jig hook baits or a lot of trebbles.  I love my luna 253 but you may want a Calcutta te gt.

[fishnkamp]

I do not mean to be confusing. You stated that the Orochi rod listed as a medium power and I assume it is also a medium action since this is usually how "jerkbait" rods are often designed (probably what they meant by regular action).  Power and action are different. Action in general has more to do with how forgiving the tip is.  The power is related more to the backbone of the rod. I fish an Abu Garcia Ike "delay series" jerkbait rod. That rod has a very forgiving tip, it bends down as far as the 6th or 7th guide (out of 11 guides and that includes the tip top guide)  so say 40% of the rod is softer tip action  That means about 60% of the rod is backbone.  Both our rods are designed to allow you to impart the correct jerking action but not move the bait more than a few inches. A stiffer rod won't work like this.  Also in general most rods designed to fish baits with trebles have the more medium or moderate actions or tapers. This more moderate action (softer top section) protects the treble hooks from tearing out of a fish's mouth. It also adds a delay as we hook the fish allowing the fish to get the bait deeper in its mouth thus adding to your hookup ratio. I said it will work for spinnerbaits, smaller crankbaits etc because it will do that. I can do the same with my rod. I can throw some topwaters but not big bodied ones. If you compare the load a Pop R puts on a rod compared to a big Zara Spook, then you may understand my saying it may not be my preferred rod.  So I can throw a Jitterbug, Pop R, Torpeedo, maybe even a prop Bait on my jerkbait rod, especially if I am fishing closer to targets like a dock, or a rip rap bank.  If however, I am fishing a big wide open area with grass on the bottom and I want to throw a big buzzbait ( has a lot of resistance to water) or a big Spook, then I would choose a rod  over 7 foot and with a stiffer action.  Maybe that makes it a little clearer.  But understand, you are just getting started and I have been collecting rods for 40 years.  I have the luxury to choosing between 2 dozen rods to use.  I was not being negative, instead I was trying to sing the praises or making that rod be more multi functional.  If I was working rattle traps or cranks across a wide open point, covering lots of water, a longer rod would give me a longer casting range. That is all!  It might help with my hookset out on the end of a longer cast also.

 

As for jigs I could throw jigs on my Ike rod, but it has less backbone and too soft an action to make me confident I will get a solid hookset using a jig ( bigger heavier hook) and fishing even 10 feet or more of water. If I kook it I want to land it.

 

As for frogs, a bait like a Stanley  Ribbit would be fine on the Orochi in open water. If there is heavy vegetation than my rod of choice would be more like a 7'4 to 7'11 heavy power fast action frog rod. This is especially true if I am throwing the hollow bodied frogs like a Spro frog, Scum Frog or even live Target. That rod has a soft but quick tip and lots of beef. This is where I fish my 65 pound braid.  A soft plastic frog like the Ribbit is usually fished with one thinner style hook and often tossed over open water or skipped under docks.  It would be fine on your jerkbait rod. In fact it will load that rod up well in order to cast it.  

 

Look at a Dobyns Champion XP or Extreme Hp series rods. They are top notch and I think you will find them very sweet. The Dobyns I own are Champion XP.  They go by DC....  By the way many of the same rod models are available in each series. Dobyns has 5 series and similar to the way  G Loomis does it, as you go from the bottom series up to IMX to GLX to NRX the blanks are made of better quality graphite. This results in a thinner, lighter, more sensitive, better rod. For a higher end rod look at a Champion XP series model DC 806CB.

 

As for the all around MH rod for jigs, texas rigs and more look at either a Champion XP model DC 734C or 735C.

 

 

[fishraptor]

4 hours ago, A-Jay said:

 

Congrats on the boat purchase ~

Have fun getting to know your new rig.

A-Jay

2 10' black Blade power poles, Minn Kota Fortrex 112 52" 36 volt, Humminbird 959c wGPS on bow, Humminbird 1199 SI w/GPS on console, sunbrella strapless cover with motor hood, Mercury smartcraft monitor gauge, 4 bank battery charger, hotfoot w/slider, Transducer savers bow and stern, lighted handrails, Hamby Bow protector, Mercury 250 Pro XS with 100 hours,  w/warranty till 6/2021.   It's my first Bass boat. Previous owner taking me out this spring to show me the rig and fish. Just have to fill it with all the new Bass rigging. Last pic is of my offshore Mako which I take to Cape Cod every three weeks for the weekend. Fishing in the ocean is such a rush as you never really know what your going to pull up .  Got some nice rigging on her to fish with.... Stella's, Talica trolling reels, Saragosa spinning reels...... I am a big Shimano fan...

[bigfruits]

The XX Diablo Spec R would be great for larger moving baits.

For jigs and plastics id take a hard look at the NRX 893c.

 

I'd save the deep crank rod for later unless you plan on deep cranking often. To me that is a very technique specific setup. I hear the Loomis GLX 845 CBR is an excellent choice.

 

 

 

 

[fishraptor]

On February 13, 2017 at 9:36 PM, Angry John said:

crankbaits dobyns 764rm or 805rm depending on how big a bait your throw.  Paired with a zillion hlc with 12lb sniper.

 

rod two mb xxperfect pitch or daiwa steez xbd for frogs jigs punching and small swim baits up to 2oz.  I would run a zillion 7.9 j dream and have a slower reel for swimbaits.

 

third option would be a dobyns 806 or 807 swimbait rod  for over 2 oz.  Do you throw soft single jig hook baits or a lot of trebbles.  I love my luna 253 but you may want a Calcutta te gt.

There was a LOT of info from the beginning of this thread that everyone thru at me and it took me several days to look things over and such, I did not leave you. After I started with this forum topic I realized I opened too many cans of worms and too much info on too many rods.  I should have just started with one or two at a time. Hind sight is 20/20.

This is what I am leaning toward regarding a frog rod.  

 

Frog Rod: After doing a fair amount of research my top choice fell into my lap at the very end and from it's reviews it "appears" it might be a good choice. This rod will also do double duty for flippin, pitchin, small swimbaits, 

 

Steez SVF XBD 7'4", 1/2 - 2oz, 55-80#, Ext/heavy  / Fast  $479

Its write ups were impressive to say the least and I don't think I read one bad report about it which is very very important in my opinion. Love the length, it's claims of sensitivity, and Titanium SIC guides (big fan). Will probably match is up with the Steez SV TWS 7.1.  This way I can go broke really fast. Having a fast reel was pretty unanimous by most. 

 

others to look at at the shows prior to getting the above if that is the case are below. One reason I am looking into the Dolbyns is there is a lot of great write ups on these rods and it would appears they are real quality. 

 

Doblyns 735c (graphite), 7'3", 12-25#, 1/4 - 1 1/2 oz, med/Hvy   ext fast tip.  Like this rod also but it appears the general consensus considers it a rod for only "sparsely dense / open water". Not super thick which would be a problem for me.  so...next rod is...

 

Doblyns 736c (graphite) 7'3" 15-30#, 3/8 - 2oz, Heavy, Xfast. $260 

 

Powell 735max (looked at the write ups and many stated too stiff a tip).....

 

If anyone has any other specific rods they think I should consider I would love to see what you suggest. 

 

Once I get one of the above (or something else) should it pop up I will need to choose line. I am a huge fan of braid

and know anything from 50 to 65# is used. I do have a LOT of the bright Yellow Suffix 832 left over (new) from the surfcasting rig and was thinking of using that but all write ups state 50 to 65. They said the braid will cut through the grass and lily pads when horsing out the fish. So my question is I am assuming I would put a leader on this braid, was thinking floro but a fish friend stated no, mono as it floats but if that were the case then you would loose all the "cutting" ability of the braid as a leader would be on..... and you would most likely go with a pretty stout size leader to "match" strength of the braid and wouldn't that kill the action of a soft body frog ?  The write up on the Steez frog reel had the guy color his bright yellow line with green marker as he felt "too bright & offensive" so this is what I would do for a good 20 or 30'.  

 

What leader style (mono, floro, copoly) , length and pound might I consider. I have lots of Seaguar floro from 10 to 80 if it will work but friend said "no", it sinks. 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Angry John]

No leader with frogs tie direct!!!

[crypt]

On 2/12/2017 at 3:36 PM, roadwarrior said:

Well, my advice would be to go all custom and we have several accomplished builders on the Forum

including Mike at DVT, a sponsor. http://www.delawarevalleytackle.com/  He built a Senko rod for me

and ghoti, BassResource Moderator has built me three. Alpster, long time member of the Forum built another. Two more were built by Mr. Batson http://batsonenterprises.com/, BR sponsor.

 

Let's start with one rod for jigs to see how well you like a custom build. Starting with the blank, I will suggest the Rainshadow Eternity2 ETEC76MH-SS http://www.rainshadowrodblanks.com/product-line/eternity2-bass-casting/; Toray reel seat and Alps Titanium Guides. I like a spiral wrap and split grips (10" handle).

 

My rod is matched with a Shimano Aldebaran, but you should also consider the Metanium or Conquest for this rod. I'm spooled with 40# Seaguar Smackdown http://seaguar.com/freshwater/braid.html and 15# Tatsu leader http://seaguar.com/shop-direct/shop_seaguar/tatsu.html

 

 

 

this is the best advice your gonna get.

[fishnkamp]

Take a look at an Irod Genesis II Fred's magic stick too  It is the IRG 754C.

The most popular braid for frogging is 65 pound Power Pro. Next popular is probably 50 PP.  I usually fill my reels half way with good quality mono first and then fill it up the rest of the way with the braid. It is fine to tie direct to the frog.