Ive got the MHF rod whats next?

[trout123]

Just like the title says I've got the all around MHF with 15 pound floro and a 6.3.1 reel and a 6 foot MF ugly stick for more finesse presentations. What should I look into getting next, Im think a HF with a faster gear ratio for flipping and frogging but if anyone has any other suggestions feel free to let me know.

[Lead Head]

If you plan to frog and pitch into heavy cover a lot then yes. If these are things you just occasionally do then you might be better served by another MH. I don't know what MH rod you currently own, but they don't all fish the same. Most either handle lures up to 3/4oz or 1oz. Maybe look into a second MH that handles a slightly different weight range than the one you currently own.

 

Just some food for thought.

 

[jimmyjoe]

   What you get next is governed by the environment you fish and what you're itching to try. If your local environment supports flipping and frogging, then it probably would support punching also. Skipping too, or not?

   My advice is to figure out where you really WANT to go with this, and then satisfy the itch. You'll probably be a better fisherman, but you will definitely be a happier one. 

   

   The only other thing that I can think of that you might find interesting is cranks. Some people go down that rabbit hole a long, long ways. Some don't.

   Good luck to you!  ?     jj

  

 

[trout123]

3 hours ago, Lead Head said:

If you plan to frog and pitch into heavy cover a lot then yes. If these are things you just occasionally do then you might be better served by another MH. I don't know what MH rod you currently own, but they don't all fish the same. Most either handle lures up to 3/4oz or 1oz. Maybe look into a second MH that handles a slightly different weight range than the one you currently own.

 

Just some food for thought.

 

Mine is rated for 3/8 to 1 1/2 oz and 20 pound line.

2 hours ago, jimmyjoe said:

   What you get next is governed by the environment you fish and what you're itching to try. If your local environment supports flipping and frogging, then it probably would support punching also. Skipping too, or not?

   My advice is to figure out where you really WANT to go with this, and then satisfy the itch. You'll probably be a better fisherman, but you will definitely be a happier one. 

   

   The only other thing that I can think of that you might find interesting is cranks. Some people go down that rabbit hole a long, long ways. Some don't.

   Good luck to you!  ?     jj

  

 

I think cranking is fun but i fish lots of heavy pressured ponds in the bay area so i dont find myself doing it a ton lol

[jimmyjoe]

1 hour ago, trout123 said:

Mine is rated for 3/8 to 1 1/2 oz and 20 pound line.

 

   That almost sounds like a frog rod!  Which brand and lineup?       JJ

[trout123]

1 minute ago, jimmyjoe said:

 

   That almost sounds like a frog rod!  Which brand and lineup?       JJ

BPS pro qualifier. 

[jimmyjoe]

6 minutes ago, trout123 said:

BPS pro qualifier. 

 

   The 7 footer, I assume.

   I don't know anything about the details of Bass Pro equipment (please don't ask why) but there are a good number of people here who use them a lot .... and like them a lot.

   Hopefully, someone who has that very rod will be along and tell you what kind of techniques they use it for and how well it works.

   Cya later ..........                      jj

[Hammer 4]

If your talking True flipping, I would never use my frog rod to flip with. True flipping does not involve casting. Getting a bait down in the thickest/heaviest cover requires a Stout rod, and generally a longer rod, although a longer rod is not always needed in certain circumstances.

My frog rod is 7'4" and is heavy mod/fast. Flipping is 7'9" and h/f, which is better to pull fish out of heavy cover.   

[trout123]

1 minute ago, Hammer 4 said:

If your talking True flipping, I would never use my frog rod to flip with. True flipping does not involve casting. Getting a bait down in the thickest/heaviest cover requires a Stout rod, and generally a longer rod, although a longer rod is not always needed in certain circumstances.

My frog rod is 7'4" and is heavy mod/fast. Flipping is 7'9" and h/f, which is better to pull fish out of heavy cover.   

Im probably thinking about pitching then. Ill be doing underhand casts into some thick nasty stuff but not the thickest of the thickest. Im fishing from the shore 95% of the time and other 5% from a kayak so i dont have the best options lol.

[Lead Head]

Wow, 3/8-1 1/2 is a more common H rating than MH. Are you sure that isn't a heavy rod?

Either way I personally wouldn't go heavier than that for my 3rd rod. I would get far more use and versatility from more of a traditional MH (topping out at 3/4-1oz) rated rod.

 

Keep in mind this is just my personal opinion based on my waters and how I fish.

 

I would have straight braid on the 3/4-1 1/2oz rated rod (for frogs and heavy jigs), and probably 12-15lb mono on the new one. I say mono instead of floro because I would use it for smaller topwater, spinnerbaits/chatterbaits, lighter t-rig and pretty much anything else I wanted to try.

[the reel ess]

16 hours ago, trout123 said:

Just like the title says I've got the all around MHF with 15 pound floro and a 6.3.1 reel and a 6 foot MF ugly stick for more finesse presentations. What should I look into getting next, Im think a HF with a faster gear ratio for flipping and frogging but if anyone has any other suggestions feel free to let me know.

That's is what I'd do next. Or I might get a Med BC combo for topwaters since I love them so much. This combo is also useful for cranks, lipless cranks, jerkbaits, anything with trebles that isn't very heavy. I actually have a 6-6 Med for lighter lures like a Pop R and a 7' MH I use for walking baits, Whopper Plopper and lipless cranks.

[jimmyjoe]

7 hours ago, trout123 said:

. Im fishing from the shore 95% of the time

 

   Well, that's a game-changer.

   I'm a shorecaster, too. To me, shorecasting is all about versatility, not specialization. With that in mind, I think you're set up pretty well.

   My advice is to not jump too fast and too far, too soon. Fish with what you have right now, and the gaps in your equipment and techniques will become obvious to you over time. Who knows - a year from now, you might be telling us that you fish from a kayak 95% of the time and walk the shore 5%. It happens. Kayaking is addictive fun. And you said you fish pressured water. Kayaks are a more productive method for attacking pressured situations than shorewalking.

   And if that happens for you, you'll probably want a cranking or topwater setup, like @the reel ess said.

 

   Whatever you decide, I hope you have good luck and I hope you have fun!   ?    jj

[Bankc]

I have a MH/F BPS Pro Qualifier 2 rod.  I use it primarily for pitching, jigging, and frogging in cover.  But I've also used it for spinnerbaits, bottom contact stuff, blade baits, swim jigs... pretty much anything.  It's a great all around rod, though I do find that at it doesn't cast so great at the lower end of it's rating.  It is a bit heavier than a "true" MH, but not quite to the level of heavy.  To be honest, I'd just stick with that unless you find yourself actually needing an even more heavy rod.

 

A lighter MH/F might be worth a look.  You can't discount their versatility.  Though, you really need to figure out what you plan to fish often first, and then get a rod designed for that.  You say you fish a lot of heavily pressured waters.  A cranking stick with a moderate speed (in medium or medium heavy) can still be excellent, though you might look for silent crankbaits to combat some of the pressure.  Or you might look for a ML/F spinning setup to throw ned rigs and wacky worms.  They tend to work well in heavy pressure situations.  

 

It's best if you define your need first, and then make your purchase based on that need.  Everyone's fishing requirements will be different, so everyone will have a different order of importance for rod selection.  Me, I don't even own a heavy rod.  I probably never will unless in get into throwing large swimbaits.  That BPS PQ2 MH does everything I need from a heavy rod just fine, and covers double duty for some other MH applications, which is a real plus in my book.  But for me, a good moderate action cranking stick is my second most used rod.  You can throw just about anything with a treble hook on one, including blade baits, flutter spoons, jerkbaits, topwaters, etc.  

[trout123]

Thanks for all the advice everyone, I guess I just gotta go fishing more and see what Im missing lol

 

[Stasher1]

On 1/26/2021 at 4:04 PM, trout123 said:

Just like the title says I've got the all around MHF with 15 pound floro and a 6.3.1 reel and a 6 foot MF ugly stick for more finesse presentations. What should I look into getting next, Im think a HF with a faster gear ratio for flipping and frogging but if anyone has any other suggestions feel free to let me know.

 

If your finesse rod is a 6' Ugly Stik, that's where I'd be looking to upgrade. A longer, lighter, and more sensitive rod will help you with all of your finesse techniques. 

 

 

[Boomstick]

If you have a lot of cover, a H/F would make sense. If you don't, then a M/F for weightless soft plastics would be the way to go.