Medium light for smallmouth?

[Spoons]

Hey guys I am looking to get more into smallmouth fishing. Do you guys mainly use medium lights to be able to throw the lighter lures for them? Would a walleye rod be a decent choice to double up as a smallmouth rod? I figured any big lures could be thrown on my medium setup anyways. 

[roadwarrior]

You don't need another rod, Medium Power/ Fast Action is fine. 

[GaryH]

15 minutes ago, Spoons said:

Hey guys I am looking to get more into smallmouth fishing. Do you guys mainly use medium lights to be able to throw the lighter lures for them? Would a walleye rod be a decent choice to double up as a smallmouth rod? I figured any big lures could be thrown on my medium setup anyways. 

 

It sure would be fine. Heck I use my ultra light trout rod for them sometime. It's a blast.

[Spoons]

12 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

You don't need another rod, Medium Power/ Fast Action is fine. 

I can understand that. Don't have a rod to throw under 1/4 lures and having that fishing gear fever right now lol.

[roadwarrior]

Well, more is better!

However, I don't throw anything that light for bass.

My Medium Light is just for trout and crappie.

[Bluebasser86]

I use ML and M spinning rods for smallmouth. The ML rods are Ned rig, dropshot, and small paddletail/grub rods. The M rods are for small cranks/jerks, tubes, shakyheads, wacky/soft jerkbaits. Walleye rods work just fine for smallmouth also. A friend of mine uses a St. Croix Eyecon all the time for smallies.

[PourMyOwn]

I use a ML and 6lb test for smallmouth. I've used that rod for Neds, 4" Senkos, and 2" grubs for crappies and perch. It's also my favorite rod for smaller jerkbaits like an HJ 8 Rapala. 

[Spankey]

6’9” - 7’ ML Fast or X-Fast for all variety’s of soft plastics. Have a 6’6” - 7’ Medium /w a Moderate tip (spinning or bait casting) for crankbaits, spinnerbaits and some top water baits. Just ease your way into it. Try not to absorb too much too fast. Try to keep it fun. 
 

You don’t mention the type of water you are fishing. 
 

I also have an Eyecon rod. 7’ Medium with a Moderate tip. Meant for crankbaits. Just the way I use it. I don’t like a fast or x-fast tip for those baits. But to each his own. Not a lot of Moderate tips out there. Over the years I’ve found a few. 
 

Good Luck. 

[Steelhead]

I use L, ML, M and MH for Smallies. All depends on what I'm throwing and where

 I picked up the St. Croix Eyecon 76MLXF2 last winter for a great price and was very surprised. Love that soft light tip. 

 

I also use a Loomis 822DSR, 852S and 901S.

[padon]

its more about technique than species. for neds dropshots ,light grubs and tubes etc i use a 6'10"stcroix legend tournament med lt extra fast. heavier baits i use the same rod in a 7ft medium. both spooled with 15 pound braid and whichever fluoro leader i think i need. usually anywhere from 6 to 10 pound.

[Steveo-1969]

3 hours ago, padon said:

its more about technique than species. for neds dropshots ,light grubs and tubes etc i use a 6'10"stcroix legend tournament med lt extra fast. heavier baits i use the same rod in a 7ft medium. both spooled with 15 pound braid and whichever fluoro leader i think i need. usually anywhere from 6 to 10 pound.

^^^ This

[J Francho]

It's not a requirement to have a ML, but I do like using my two ML rods when appropriate.  I'd say they get used around half the time I'm smallie fishing.  Most baits can be thrown on M power tackle.  If you get into deep, vertical drop shot fishing, a ML/XF stick will serve you well.

[Sphynx]

I mean, a MLF would work, but I have always considered that rod, line, and hook have a more important relationship than fish and rod, I can land a great big fish on ultralight tackle if I am patient and my gear is properly paired, smooth drag, correct action/power, now I might not be able to boat flip a monster on UL gear, and have to gill/lip/net him, but that's no big deal to me...any rod/reel/line/hook marketed for largemouth should work just fine for smallmouth, I fished all this year with 3-4 rods and had no need to buy anything exclusively different for smallmouth than largemouth. 

[Mbirdsley]

Ha, I don’t think I’ve ever caught a smallie on my ML wait, I did loose like an 17incher on it wading a river.  I use mainly MH when not in a wad able river. If I’m in a smaller river than I’d use the ML. I’ve got a MH spinning rod that acts like a medium.  Mainly, though my casting set ups are all MH that I use LMB and SMB. I am actually looking for another ML/M spinning set up though This winter 

 

any how, any rod works just depends on what your doing.  Main concern would be length.  As long as your not trying to use your shorter walleye jigging set ups.  You will be fine 

 

 

[J Francho]

10 hours ago, Mbirdsley said:

As long as your not trying to use your shorter walleye jigging set ups.  You will be fine 

 

You mean like the 6'3" MLXF I used to catch this, and around 50 others that day?

 

[Spankey]

I fish a few lengths of ML rods. Primarily St. Croix Rods. My 6’3” ML X-fast Avid. I believe that will handle smallmouths anywhere in the country. 

[J Francho]

43 minutes ago, Spankey said:

6’3” ML X-fast Avid

I like this rod so much, I have two of them   The MXF version is good too, and I have a pair of them as well.,

[Spankey]

16 minutes ago, J Francho said:

I like this rod so much, I have two of them   The MXF version is good too, and I have a pair of them as well.,

When I bought that I bought it untouched. But I was fishing other Avids and sort of knew what to expect. It was as I expected. Just shorter. Works great great fishing tighter to shore lines and less casting distances. 

Nice smallie!

[ww2farmer]

I personally like a ML power spinning rod for not only most all of finesse smallmouth fishing, but for largemouth as well. I carry a minimum of 3 ML spinning rods with me at all times, as opposed to just one M. Getting hooks in them is no problem with light wire hooks, and braid to leader combo's, and the ML power better protects light 6+ 8lb leaders. I catch a ton of 4-6lb fish every year, both green and brown, on ML rods and light leaders, and I have an exceptionally high success rate with this system. 

[Mbirdsley]

7 hours ago, J Francho said:

 

You mean like the 6'3" MLXF I used to catch this, and around 50 others that day?

 

I mean that’s not what I would use and no I was talking like 5ft5-6ft

[Mat_ski]

I once told a bass I caught him with a walleye rod. He was not too happy.

 

Anyway, most of my smallmouth fishing is done with a ML spinning rod, but not exclusively.

[Steveo-1969]

19 hours ago, Mat_ski said:

I once told a bass I caught him with a walleye rod. He was not too happy.

 

Anyway, most of my smallmouth fishing is done with a ML spinning rod, but not exclusively.

Most of my smallmouth fishing is done with a ML WALLEYE spinning rod. ?

[roadwarrior]

On 11/19/2020 at 10:15 AM, ww2farmer said:

I personally like a ML power spinning rod for not only most all of finesse smallmouth fishing, but for largemouth as well. I carry a minimum of 3 ML spinning rods with me at all times, as opposed to just one M. Getting hooks in them is no problem with light wire hooks, and braid to leader combo's, and the ML power better protects light 6+ 8lb leaders. I catch a ton of 4-6lb fish every year, both green and brown, on ML rods and light leaders, and I have an exceptionally high success rate with this system. 

 

This is an example of why we have so many options. I'm not comfortable

with the hook-set from a ML, but that's just me.  Obviously it works great

for ww2farmer and I suspect a lot of other  guys, too.

 

[Robert829]

From where I fished (Castaic lake) light line is a must for me so ML works fine for smallmouth here. It depends what plastic or lure or weight I'm using..Ill go medium if I will use bit heavy plastics or lure..

[NYWayfarer]

I have plenty of ML rods for Smallmouth finesse fishing. They are great for dropshot, Ned and in-line spinners.