Bank fishing - short range bait caster set up

[MUSLENUTZ]

Guys, I’ll spend hours on the weekend at large reservoirs working my way around the water. Lots of cover, grass, logs, trees, etc. I don’t have to punch thru much in the north East. I need a light weight bait casting set up that I can cast, pitch flip and throw anything on in tight quarters.  I’m not throwing frogs, mostly light weight Texas rigging, worms, jigs, chatter bait etc. what’s a combo you would pick that has quality and strength to last along with the sensitivity that I need. This is going to be my close quarter rod 10-20ft, but I also want to use it when I’m casting far if I have open water. I carry two rods basically. I basically have a crank rod set up, 7’3 MHF so I’m looking for something to compliment that. What action, power, length rod, brand and also what model reel would you match with it? I want light weight as I’m really working the area for a while and it can be fatiguing. 

[Manifestgtr]

I do a lot of this stuff. My home lake has a couple small creeks with some really nice fish. i have three combos that I really like for short range work...

 

nrx803c/aldebaran (senkos, plastics, finesse jigs)

legend x 68mxf/aldebaran (moving plastics)

mojo bass 66mh/engetsu 100 (small frogs, everything else...)

 

The brands aren’t as important as the overall “theme”. Short rods are nice for ducking and swerving around bushes and trees, shallow reels give you the ability to throw lighter stuff if you need to. You might notice the lack of a jig rod. Jigs from shore are entirely possible and have caught me some nice fish but they aren’t my favorite unless you’re going finesse. I don’t mind working really light jigs from the shore because they don’t bury themselves down into the cover you’re always pulling them through to get them back. Standard jigs (>1/4 oz) just don’t do as well for me. You’re dragging them “uphill” into logs, branches, weeds, pads, rocks, everything.

 

Long story short...shallow reels, short rods, weedless plastics, tiny jigs and bug spray from shore = ?

[NavyVet1204]

2 hours ago, Manifestgtr said:

I do a lot of this stuff. My home lake has a couple small creeks with some really nice fish. i have three combos that I really like for short range work...

 

nrx803c/aldebaran (senkos, plastics, finesse jigs)

legend x 68mxf/aldebaran (moving plastics)

mojo bass 66mh/engetsu 100 (small frogs, everything else...)

 

The brands aren’t as important as the overall “theme”. Short rods are nice for ducking and swerving around bushes and trees, shallow reels give you the ability to throw lighter stuff if you need to. You might notice the lack of a jig rod. Jigs from shore are entirely possible and have caught me some nice fish but they aren’t my favorite unless you’re going finesse. I don’t mind working really light jigs from the shore because they don’t bury themselves down into the cover you’re always pulling them through to get them back. Standard jigs (>1/4 oz) just don’t do as well for me. You’re dragging them “uphill” into logs, branches, weeds, pads, rocks, everything.

 

Long story short...shallow reels, short rods, weedless plastics, tiny jigs and bug spray from shore = ?

Not trying to hijack the thread, but what is a shallow reel? Newer bass fisher here on a quest for knowledge.

[Manifestgtr]

Haha sorry...I guess the terminology gets kind of weird sometimes. I consider a “shallow spooled reel” to be any baitcaster that holds ~100 yards or less of 10 pound mono. I speak only in baitcaster since my spinning gear for bass is severely limited. 
 

I’m sure there are Daiwa and Abu guys who can fill in their specific models, spools, etc. but some shimano models include the curado 70, any aldebaran, slx mgl, engetsu 100, scorpion xt 1000 (dynamite reel), anything with “bfs” in its name is going to have a seriously shallow spool...they’re made for lighter line. Many Japanese market reels come stock with “shallow“ spools as well. What we consider to be “shallow”, Japanese fishermen usually consider “about average”.
 

There are quite a few options out there.

[jimmyjoe]

21 minutes ago, NavyVet1204 said:

Not trying to hijack the thread, but what is a shallow reel?

 

   "shallow' or "deep" describes the arbor size on the spool. Those reels you see with fat, perforated spools are shallow spools. They do quite well with shorter quantities of braid or monofilament, and they're lighter. Being lighter, they accelerate faster with smaller, lighter lures. Here's an extreme shallow spool:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fishing-Reel-Spool-Wire-Cup-Light-Weight-for-Baitcasting-Reel-Anti-corrosion/223781275022?_trkparms=aid%3D1110012%26algo%3DSPLICE.SOIPOST%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200122160600%26meid%3D55394b9a00774521a74868d97315c1d8%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D223567715075%26itm%3D223781275022%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DPromotedSellersOtherItemsV2%26brand%3DUnbranded%2FGeneric&_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850

 

   jj

[NavyVet1204]

Ahhhh so that’s why my lews tournament SPL doesn’t seem like it holds a lot of line then versus my Revo SX. 
 

15# FC on each and the Revo seems like it holds a mile more than the lews.

[BrianMDTX]

Bank fishing like this with a BC are where the old pistol grip rods really shined. 

[ChrisD46]

6'10" MF bait cast rod with a 6:3:1 reel loaded with Yozuri - Hybrid #12 lb. line would make a nice compliment to what you already have . Good for  treble hook cranks  , top water , etc. while your 7'3" rod is good for bottom contact lures and other single hook rigs along with swim jigs and chatter baits .

[new2BC4bass]

In Daiwa speak 100-103-105 is deep to shallow spool.  Tatula 100-200 is shallow to deep spool.  Make sense? 

 

No Daiwa guru.  Some Daiwa speak is probably missing.

 

Shimano 50-70-100-200-300-400 is shallow to deep.  A bit more sense than some of Daiwa's model numbers.

[MUSLENUTZ]

3 minutes ago, ChrisD46 said:

6'10" MF bait cast rod with a 6:3:1 reel loaded with Yozuri - Hybrid #12 lb. line would make a nice compliment to what you already have . Good for  treble hook cranks  , top water , etc. while your 7'3" rod is good for bottom contact lures and other single hook rigs along with swim jigs and chatter baits .

I think my reel is 7.4.1 so a little slower would help. Length I’m still trying to figure. Is it better to have longer to flip and pitch or shorter. Then again lots of branches. 

[new2BC4bass]

Better to have longer for flip and pitch.  Shorter the better for casting around brush, trees, weeds, etc.  Some places I can only use a spinning rod due to restricted casting area.

[Manifestgtr]

1 hour ago, new2BC4bass said:

In Daiwa speak 100-103-105 is deep to shallow spool.  Tatula 100-200 is shallow to deep spool.  Make sense? 

 

No Daiwa guru.  Some Daiwa speak is probably missing.

 

Shimano 50-70-100-200-300-400 is shallow to deep.  A bit more sense than some of Daiwa's model numbers.

 

Daiwa numbers also refer to the actual body size too, right?

 

One thing I envy Daiwa guys for is the STUPID amount of aftermarket stuff out there. The tat and steez have just endless numbers of aftermarket spools. 

[Bass Rutten]

Well if you want light it doesn’t get much lighter than nrx if you can get past the price tag. I use an older nrx green series 804c (6’8” Heavy) to bank fish, too stiff for any cast n crank moving baits imo so it’s not real versatile, I’ve done ok with swim jigs though. If it’s the only rod I take then I’m pretty much committed to jigs n plastics. Paired with a curado 71 it’s stupid light and accurate and the length makes it a breeze on those jungle treks through trees bushes etc

[fishwizzard]

If you want short look for a Loomis cr723 or mbr783 in which ever blank line fits your budget.  Throw a Daiwa Alphas or other small reel on there and you will have a great compact/light combo. 

[Fishes in trees]

Back in the day I was a bank fisherman and fought and argued with branches, weeds, thorn bushes, etc, ALOT.  Then it occurred to me to make a decent sharp machete an everyday part of my fishing gear.  Weeds, over head branches and so forth weren't as much of a problem after that decision.

 

 

[JediAmoeba]

I would think a Tatula SV reel on a 6'6" M, fast action rod would work well for what you are doing.    

[optimator]

For the tree lined spots I can't get a boat into I have a 6' SC Premier M/F with a Daiwa Exceler. 

[new2BC4bass]

8 hours ago, Manifestgtr said:

 

Daiwa numbers also refer to the actual body size too, right?

 

One thing I envy Daiwa guys for is the STUPID amount of aftermarket stuff out there. The tat and steez have just endless numbers of aftermarket spools. 

In the case of the Tatula 100 and 200...yes.  Not so with the Steez 100 and 103.  I don't think there is a difference in reel size with TD's such as the 103 and 105.  I have Alphas 103 and SV105.  Haven't compared them, but I doubt there is any difference in size there either.

 

Yup.  Lots of aftermarket parts

[LCG]

My do it all casting rod is a carbonlite 2.0 6'9" MH-XF paired with a curado k. I mainly fish from the bank and a kayak. Works great for accurate casting and distance, plus still maneuverable in tight quarters. 

[MUSLENUTZ]

10 hours ago, JediAmoeba said:

I would think a Tatula SV reel on a 6'6" M, fast action rod would work well for what you are doing.    

Yeah. I’m still trying to decide on size thinking 6’6 to 7. Maybe I should go in the middle. 

[MUSLENUTZ]

17 hours ago, ChrisD46 said:

6'10" MF bait cast rod with a 6:3:1 reel loaded with Yozuri - Hybrid #12 lb. line would make a nice compliment to what you already have . Good for  treble hook cranks  , top water , etc. while your 7'3" rod is good for bottom contact lures and other single hook rigs along with swim jigs and chatter baits .

 

17 hours ago, BaitFinesse said:

A Tatula SV or other SV spool reel would be good.  Hard to backlash and can being the hammer down on the spool when set to max brake.  No spool tension adjustment required ever.  Just tie on whatever bait and have at it.

6.3 retrieve better for this type of fishing right? Using my 7.4 now I actually crank it slower. Thoughts on ratios?

[Ogandrews]

Now I generally like longer rods but For what your talking about I’d probably stay in the 7’ range, still gives enough length for good hooksets and flipping but gives you clearance for stuff on the shore. If I had to bring only one rod to do everything with I’d probably grab my dobyns champion 734. It’s a 7’3” medium heavyish and half way between moderate fast and fast, also comes in a 7’ version. I’d pair it with a curado, or whatever reel you like, and 40lbs maxcuatro braid and tie on whatever pound mono leader you want for that bait. This rod also comes in the Sierra line which is cheaper, might also come in the fury I’m not sure. If you have a little more to spend, then the rod that can throw the absolute most different kinds of baits I’ve ever seen is a G loomis MBR series. I really like the IMX pro line which is mid 300’s, such a high quality rod. It also comes in the e6x line which is low 200’s but I think a dobyns champion is way better, and a Sierra is pretty much just as good so I wouldn’t buy one of those. The mbr rods have a very soft tip and a really strong backbone so you can get away with throwing pretty much any bait you own on it, super universal taper. I’d get the 843, 7’ medium heavy, or the 804, 7’ heavy, depending on what kinds of baits you want to throw more often.

[PhishLI]

If I'm working from the bank on a tree lined lake with overhanging branches then I'm bringing a 6'7" MHF. Makes pitching easier too when the shore's the same level with the water. Open shoreline, or when I can wade in to avoid tree branches, I'll have a 7'3" MHF. Insert any reel you like for either rig.

[ChrisD46]

3 hours ago, Ogandrews said:

Now I generally like longer rods but For what your talking about I’d probably stay in the 7’ range, still gives enough length for good hooksets and flipping but gives you clearance for stuff on the shore. If I had to bring only one rod to do everything with I’d probably grab my dobyns champion 734. It’s a 7’3” medium heavyish and half way between moderate fast and fast, also comes in a 7’ version. I’d pair it with a curado, or whatever reel you like, and 40lbs maxcuatro braid and tie on whatever pound mono leader you want for that bait. This rod also comes in the Sierra line which is cheaper, might also come in the fury I’m not sure. If you have a little more to spend, then the rod that can throw the absolute most different kinds of baits I’ve ever seen is a G loomis MBR series. I really like the IMX pro line which is mid 300’s, such a high quality rod. It also comes in the e6x line which is low 200’s but I think a dobyns champion is way better, and a Sierra is pretty much just as good so I wouldn’t buy one of those. The mbr rods have a very soft tip and a really strong backbone so you can get away with throwing pretty much any bait you own on it, super universal taper. I’d get the 843, 7’ medium heavy, or the 804, 7’ heavy, depending on what kinds of baits you want to throw more often.

Good comments Ogandrews : I use  Sierra 734c. with a similar set up but my reservoir is wide open with few obstacles on shore to hamper casting a longer rod .  If I had tree limbs or brush to maneuver, I would use a shorter rod in the 6'6" to 7' range .

[MUSLENUTZ]

10 hours ago, Ogandrews said:

Now I generally like longer rods but For what your talking about I’d probably stay in the 7’ range, still gives enough length for good hooksets and flipping but gives you clearance for stuff on the shore. If I had to bring only one rod to do everything with I’d probably grab my dobyns champion 734. It’s a 7’3” medium heavyish and half way between moderate fast and fast, also comes in a 7’ version. I’d pair it with a curado, or whatever reel you like, and 40lbs maxcuatro braid and tie on whatever pound mono leader you want for that bait. This rod also comes in the Sierra line which is cheaper, might also come in the fury I’m not sure. If you have a little more to spend, then the rod that can throw the absolute most different kinds of baits I’ve ever seen is a G loomis MBR series. I really like the IMX pro line which is mid 300’s, such a high quality rod. It also comes in the e6x line which is low 200’s but I think a dobyns champion is way better, and a Sierra is pretty much just as good so I wouldn’t buy one of those. The mbr rods have a very soft tip and a really strong backbone so you can get away with throwing pretty much any bait you own on it, super universal taper. I’d get the 843, 7’ medium heavy, or the 804, 7’ heavy, depending on what kinds of baits you want to throw more often.

I have a 734c Heavy champion with a Curado dc now. So I need something more medium as that is pretty much their MH rod. Also, thinking I have to try out a daiwa. Just don’t know the differences yet. I’m still open...

8 hours ago, PhishLI said:

If I'm working from the bank on a tree lined lake with overhanging branches then I'm bringing a 6'7" MHF. Makes pitching easier too when the shore's the same level with the water. Open shoreline, or when I can wade in to avoid tree branches, I'll have a 7'3" MHF. Insert any reel you like for either rig.

I’m thinking I have a 734c Heavy, more like a MH. So Id like to have two rods that are versatile. I feel since I’m going to use a lot of senkos on it as I bring into shore I’ll have some better presentation with a medium fast. I can always put my dc reel on the new stick and put a non dc reel on the 734 for pitching.