topwater rods

[Toad_Hunter]

I'm thinking of purchasing a top water rod a 6'6" and was wondering if you can use a top water rod with baits like chatter baits and buzz baits  

[Captain Phil]

Anything will work, but I prefer shorter rods for top water lures and longer rods for buzz baits.  I work top water plugs fast.  A shorter rod is easier to manipulate, especially when walking the dog.  My favorite top water plugging rods are the old style pistol grip handle rods.  My casting seems more accurate too.  Longer rods for buzz baits are desirable because you can keep your line higher above the water.  I find this helps me to guide the lure around pads and slows down the hook set.  Longer rods also increase casting distance.

[Muddy wolf]

I’ve pick up a 6 foot 7 in on clearance it is rated as a medium heavy it’s a weightless worm rod. It works well  as an all a round rod. I’ve used it for top water a lot. 

[Big Rick]

You'll get many differing opinions on this subject. You can use the same rod for topwater plugs with trebles and single hook baits like vibrating jigs and buzz baits, but one of the applications will suffer. You'll either have your combo set up for treble hooks and lose single hook fish or catch the single hook fish while straightening your treble hooks. The compromise could be costly in lost fish. Here's why:

 

You need a parabolic bend in your rod to keep treble hooked fish pinned while having a fishing line, like mono or braid with a long mono leader, with enough stretch to prevent tearing the hooks out of the fishes mouth or straightening them out. 

 

While that same rod can be used for single hook applications you'll need to be fishing braid so you can drive the hook home and prevent the fish from throwing the bait at you. 

 

So, long story short, you can use the same rod in a pinch but you'll catch more fish and be much happier when you can have a dedicated top water plug rod and another combo for vibrating jigs, buzz baits, and spinnerbaits. 

 

As always, YMMV

[Dens228]

Like already mentioned.   For topwater baits, which I am assuming you mean poppers and other treble hook applications I use a M/Mod rod. 

For chatterbaits I use a MH/Fast.  I also used to use a MH/Fast for buzzbaits but accidently found I prefer a H/Fast for them now.  

If I could only use one rod for all three it would be the MH/Fast.   I wouldn't want to rely on a M/Mod to set the hook on single hook baits.  

[MN Fisher]

Most of my topwaters are tossed on a MH/M rod. Only the Super Spooks and WP-110s are tossed on my H/F - but I've put 3x hooks on those so they can take the 'abuse' of a fast rod.

 

Spinners, chatters, buzz - all go on the MH/F rod.

 

Like Dens said - if you have to pick only one - get the MH/F...and upgrade the stock hooks on any treble lure you'd be tossing with it.