Setup for light/finesse baits in heavy cover?

[Dirtyeggroll]

I am wanting to throw weightless baits (senkos, texas rigs) into heavy cover (thick reeds, lily pads and brush piles). It seems it would be hard to throw super light baits with casting gear, but it seems necessary for heavy gear because I am targeting 5-6 lb fish and heavy gear would be needed to get them out of the cover. I was thinking heavier action spinning gear would be easier to cast, but I haven't heard much of people using heavy spinning gear.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions? Would a heavier action spinning rod be easier to cast than with a casting rod?

[Yudo1]

Senkos are heavy enough to cast with casting gear. I use a medium/heavy or heavy power casting combo to pitch and cast senko and fat ika into heavy cover all of the time. I prefer casting gear in this situation because I'm more accurate casting and pitching into holes and openings and I can set the hook and start cranking quicker which is important to get them up out of the cover. A lot of the time, they bite as soon as it hits the water and I don't want them digging into the weeds. YMMV.

[Dirtyeggroll]

I haven’t had a lot of success casting weightless senkos on casting gear. I better start practicing.

[TylerT123]

3 minutes ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

I haven’t had a lot of success casting weightless senkos on casting gear. I better start practicing.

What rod/reel do you use?

[Dirtyeggroll]

7ft Abu Garcia Veritas 2.0 Medium Heavy with a Daiwa Tatula SV 7.2 and 50-lb sufix 832 braid.

[Yudo1]

1 hour ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

7ft Abu Garcia Veritas 2.0 Medium Heavy with a Daiwa Tatula SV 7.2 and 50-lb sufix 832 braid.

You have the right reel for sure. I'm not familiar with the new veritas, but I remember hearing the previous generation veritas had a stiff tip. Are you throwing 5" senkos?

[CroakHunter]

I believe @fishnkamp s wife has a dobyns 705 spinning rod that she used for frogs and heavier jigs and really enjoys it. Maybe he can chime in on the specifics.  

[fishnkamp]

Hello My ears were twitching! LOL

My wife indeed does use a Dobyns Sierra SA705SF. The blank does act very similar to my Champion XP 705C. Both of us love these rods. We use them for jigs fished deeper but primarily for fishing hollow bodied frogs and Strike King Poppin Perch.  These are pretty light baits and require a good tip but plenty of backbone

Her SA 705SF rates as follows:   12 to 20# line, 3/8 to 1 1/4 oz. baits. They list it as a Heavy Fast action rod and suggest bait as  Carolina Rigs / Frogs / Jigs / Buzzbaits / Spinnerbaits / Walking Top Water Baits. Since Dobyns sorta run a bit light I think it would work okay, but I would call out to Dobyns and discuss this rod and the SA704SF as well. The "heavy cover" tends to make me suggest the 705 but let them give you their opinion.

Mt many rod companies offer a lot of good choices in heavier spinning rods that still handle lighter baits like these.

I would not hesitate to pull the trigger on one of them and then match it up with a Pflueger Supreme reel like a 30 or 35 size. Hers has been spooled with Power Pro Spectra in 40# test I believe.

[Bluebasser86]

A 5" senko is plenty heavy to cast "weightless" on casting gear, even heavy gear. I was fishing one on a 7' H/F with 50lb braid and a Pflueger Supreme XT a couple weeks ago and it was no problem to launch a cast or make short pitches with the spool tension set right. 

[ChrisD46]

8 hours ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

7ft Abu Garcia Veritas 2.0 Medium Heavy with a Daiwa Tatula SV 7.2 and 50-lb sufix 832 braid.

*Setup should work great ... The Veritas MH is still closer to a H in other lines and should work well horsing out a bass from cover .