What style rod for whopper plopper?

[Matt_3479]

Exactly what title reads. Looking to try out the whopper plopper this season and wondering what style rods you guys throw them on?

[PAbasser927]

From the boat I throw them on a 7’2 MH moderate.  On the bank when I only have one rod with me, I use a 6’8 MXF spinning.  It does just fine as well.

[webertime]

I used a 130 wp on the same rod I toss small swimbaits (like S-waver 168).  A 735 Dobyns or Lamiglas in the model you can afford. 

Tried it on a 7ft MHM St Croix and thought it was overloaded. 

[SirWoogie]

It also depends on which one. Are you talking about the 75, 90, 110, or 130?

[Matt_3479]

2 hours ago, sirwoogie said:

It also depends on which one. Are you talking about the 75, 90, 110, or 130?

I’d like to try the 75, 90, and 110. If I remember I only have the 90 and 110.

[Glaucus]

75: MH/MF or MH/F, the MF if I have a few rods with me and the F when I'm carrying light. Both do fine. 3/5oz bait

 

90: M/MF, same setups I use for squarebills and lipless. 3/8oz bait

 

110: H/F, it's a 1oz bait and it's a bait you chuck. A lot of MH rods can technically handle it but you max it out and that's just not something I'm willing to do. 

 

Don't throw bigger than that

 

 

[Matt_3479]

Okay perfect.

 

i have an imx Pro 845c that I was debating on trying, or a Sierra 734c or even a kistler helium medium heavy fast 

[MickD]

It really doesn't matter.  You cast it.  You retrieve it.  Even the line doesn't matter.  I'd say use whatever setup gives you the longest casts.

[Dens228]

I throw the 110 on a H/Fast but have used a MH/Fast.

I throw the 75 on a MH/Fast

 

I don't have the 90's.

[MN Fisher]

I have a 90 and 110 - throw them both on my H/F rig.

[long island basser]

I only throw the 110 and use my Powell inferno 7’6”  mh fast swimbait rod. Works perfectly.

[jbrew73]

I only have the 130 size and use a heavy power rod.  

[5by3]

Dobyns 736cb glass (preferred) or 734 for the 110

[LxVE Bassin]

7’ MH Tatula XT Glass Rod

[Bluebasser86]

I throw the 75, 90, and 110 all on the same 7' M/F with an 8:1 reel and 20lb straight braid.

[CountryboyinDC]

I threw the 130 and non-rattle type 110 on my frog rod 7'3 H/F) a couple of years ago.  I stopped throwing them - the river smallmouth for some reason would end up with the rear treble in their eye about 1 in 3 fish.  I felt like I wanted a heavy rod - even though we're talking trebles, they're very very thick-wired hooks.  But I don't know what another rod would do.  I didn't miss a lot of fish, so that's what I stuck with.

[GeekOutdoors]

On 6/10/2019 at 2:50 PM, webertime said:

I used a 130 wp on the same rod I toss small swimbaits (like S-waver 168).  A 735 Dobyns or Lamiglas in the model you can afford. 

Tried it on a 7ft MHM St Croix and thought it was overloaded. 

Out of curiosity, was the St.Croix a Mojo Bass ?

[webertime]

7 minutes ago, GeekFisher said:

Out of curiosity, was the St.Croix a Mojo Bass ?

Yes

[GeekOutdoors]

1 hour ago, webertime said:

Yes

I hesitated for a while between that St.Croix and an Okuma Scott Martin TCS APC. I found the St.Croix too whippy even for Spinnerbaits/chatterbaits. Thats what I'll likely use with the Berkley Choppo 90s that are very similar to the WP ! They are lighter than the 130 though...

[FishingGeekTX]

That's around 3/8oz to 1 oz for the 110 plopper.

 

So MH or Heavy.  I would personally get a fast tip to be versatile and because I don't yet enjoy any softer tips.  I know the marketing and arguments about treble hooks and give (be it from mono or rod tip or both), but it hasn't been an issue for me and I definitely have not enjoyed soft tip rods.

 

A Dobyn's 734C for example is rated 1/4 to 1 oz, heavy/fast, and mentions buzzbaits as a design consideration, making it technically meet those needs.  Casting a heavy rod with lighter lures though, can be annoying, so I'd still consider a MH also, if you don't really think you'll be casting 1 oz all that often. I put a plopper on a Dobyns 705CB (moderate-fast tip), and it felt overloaded to me personally.  I like it on the fast tip.

 

Take at look at your current rod lineup, if you need another heavy to round it out, go heavy.  If you could use another all-around versatile MH/fast, go that route IMO.

 

Since it's topwater, other concerns like sensitivity won't matter.

[bunz559]

I throw my 90's and 110's on a Dobyn's 735 with 65lb braid. It's also my frog rod. 

[FishTank]

For the smaller ones I use a St. Croix Avid 7' MH Fast with a Shimano Curado.  For the big ones I use a Fenwick Elite Tech 7'2'' H Fast with a Shimano Calcutta 251 (reeling very fast).