What should I add to my arsenal?

[hokiehunter373]

Growing up I loved fishing but was basically given a spinning rod and told to cast and retrieve. That was it. Then I got caught up in girls, sports, school and didn’t fish for the better part of 12 years or so. Last year I picked up a rod again basically to get my kid into it and my passion is reignited. 
 

I still have my trusty ol ugly stick spinning rod from back in the day. It’s a 6’0” medium action that states it’s good for 6-15# line and 1/8-5/8 oz lures. Doesn’t say the powe. It certainly needs to be respooled. 
 

Since then I also acquired the following two setups:
 

- Cadence CR5 6’6” light, moderate fast spinning rod. 4-8# line, 1/16-3/8 oz lures. Paired with a

-Daiwa BG 2500 spinning reel, 5.6:1. I’ve got 6# fluro on it currently

AND

 

-Berkley Lightning Casting Rod, 7’0”, medium heavy, fast. 10-20# line, 1/2-1 oz lures. Paired with a

-Shimano SLX DC baitcasting reel, 7.2:1  I’ve got 12# mono on it currently

 

I’ve watched a TON of videos the last 9 months and read as much as I can. I want to get back into the sport doing things right and teaching my kids correctly, if they’d like to learn.  I primarily bank fish ponds. I don’t have a boat or kayak. 1 or 2 times a year, maybe 3 if I’m lucky, I’ll be able to get out to Western MD to fish deep creek lake and the Youghiogheny River.  My questions for everyone are:

 

1) how would you use the 3 setups mentioned above? What lures would you throw on which? What would you change?

 

2) what rigs would you add to my arsenal? 
 

Thanks in advance for any input! Been lurking on the site for a while soaking in all I can. 

[hokiehunter373]

Anyone have some input?

[Deleted account]

12 minutes ago, hokiehunter373 said:

Anyone have some input?

Input:  Stop doing this:  "...watched a TON of videos....and read as much as I can."

And do this: Go fishing.

 

Where in MD are you fishing? It's getting better by the day, and the next few weeks are a great time to learn on the water. PM me your # if you want and I can get you pointed in the right direction. I fish mostly in Southern MD, but am familiar with most spots between here and north. 

 

 

 

[hokiehunter373]

18 minutes ago, BassWhole! said:

Input:  Stop doing this:  "...watched a TON of videos....and read as much as I can."

And do this: Go fishing.

 

Where in MD are you fishing? It's getting better by the day, and the next few weeks are a great time to learn on the water. PM me your # if you want and I can get you pointed in the right direction. I fish mostly in Southern MD, but am familiar with most spots between here and north. 

 

 

 

Trust me I'd love to do exactly that but between work and 2 kids under 4 with short daylight hours time is limited.  I'm in Carroll County.  Let me know if you think you can still be of help.

[InfantryMP]

The 7' MH can be your all purpose setup. You have a nice reel with it so you should be able to cast a lot of great baits with it. T-rigs, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits etc. 

 

Your spinning setup, will be nice for your shaky heads, ned rigs, and drop shot applications. 

 

If you cannot cast light weight lures with the casting setup, use them on the spinning rod. Like 1/4oz squarebills etc. 

 

If I were going to add anything to what you have. I would add a 7'3 or larger, heavy action rod for big jigs, frogs, punching if you have that type of fishing near you. 

 

[Dens228]

As stated a MH/Fast is the most versatile.  

If I had only three it would be

2 MH/Fast rods for anything and evverything, mainly jigs, spinnerbaits, t-rigs

1 M/Mod rod mainly treble bait hook lures like cranks, jerks, poppers

1 H/Fast rod for the slop, hollow body frogs, punching, ripping a swim jig through the weeds

[garroyo130]

6 minutes ago, InfantryMP said:

The 7' MH can be your all purpose setup. You have a nice reel with it so you should be able to cast a lot of great baits with it. T-rigs, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits etc. 

 

Your spinning setup, will be nice for your shaky heads, ned rigs, and drop shot applications. 

 

If you cannot cast light weight lures with the casting setup, use them on the spinning rod. Like 1/4oz squarebills etc. 

 

If I were going to add anything to what you have. I would add a 7'3 or larger, heavy action rod for big jigs, frogs, punching if you have that type of fishing near you. 

 

 

Agree with this assessment. Only thing I would add is that in addition to the Heavy action rod, give yourself a Medium/Mod casting rod as an option. For me that Med/Mod rod is used for smaller crankbaits and gets a good amount of use. 

 

As far as rods, if you go with the Heavy action I recommend the Lews Carbon Fire casting rod.

Medium/moderate the lightning casting rod is great. 

[hokiehunter373]

Thanks for the responses.  I feel a little more confident I'm on the right track as my note to myself for what I thought I need to add is:

 

"Add a frog rod (7.5' fast heavy)

Add a treble hook rod (7' medium moderate - 5.4 gear ratio)"

 

Does anyone have input on the best use for my light, moderate fast spinning rod?  Is it too light for bass?  Can I get away with it for bass by tossing lightweight lures?  Is moderate fast going to be enough strength to punch ned rig/plastic/drop shot hooks through or would it be best to stick to top water and small/shallow cranks?  Thanks!

30 minutes ago, InfantryMP said:

The 7' MH can be your all purpose setup. You have a nice reel with it so you should be able to cast a lot of great baits with it. T-rigs, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits etc. 

 

Your spinning setup, will be nice for your shaky heads, ned rigs, and drop shot applications. 

 

If you cannot cast light weight lures with the casting setup, use them on the spinning rod. Like 1/4oz squarebills etc. 

 

If I were going to add anything to what you have. I would add a 7'3 or larger, heavy action rod for big jigs, frogs, punching if you have that type of fishing near you. 

 

Which spinning rod are you referring to?

[garroyo130]

3 minutes ago, hokiehunter373 said:

Does anyone have input on the best use for my light, moderate fast spinning rod?  Is it too light for bass?  Can I get away with it for bass by tossing lightweight lures?  Is moderate fast going to be enough strength to punch ned rig/plastic/drop shot hooks through or would it be best to stick to top water and small/shallow cranks?  Thanks!

 

A lot of people prefer light, moderate fast for drop shot, myself included. My light, mod fast gets used for dropshot and on occasion split shot rigs.

[InfantryMP]

4 minutes ago, hokiehunter373 said:

Thanks for the responses.  I feel a little more confident I'm on the right track as my note to myself for what I thought I need to add is:

 

"Add a frog rod (7.5' fast heavy)

Add a treble hook rod (7' medium moderate - 5.4 gear ratio)"

 

Does anyone have input on the best use for my light, moderate fast spinning rod?  Is it too light for bass?  Can I get away with it for bass by tossing lightweight lures?  Is moderate fast going to be enough strength to punch ned rig/plastic/drop shot hooks through or would it be best to stick to top water and small/shallow cranks?  Thanks!

Which spinning rod are you referring to?

You could use either of them for those applications. 

 

The light rod will probably be just fine for smaller bass, It will be a fun fight for sure. 

I like 6'8-6'10 for my finesse setups. That being said I do have a large 7'6 I think Medium spinning setup that can really sling some worms around. 

[new2BC4bass]

I am going to assume since you fish mostly from ponds that any crankbait you would use would be either a shallow or medium depth crankbait.  In that case I would suggest a reel in the low 6 gear ratio and save the 5.4 for a deep crankbait rod.  The 5.4 will work fine, but you may need to crank a bit faster than you think.

 

I started out the first few years fishing with worms and the few crabs or small leeches we could find under stones wading the shore line.  Started at five.  Also your children most likely will catch more fish on worms or nightcrawlers.  Most kids won't stick with it if they don't have the excitement of catching fish on a regular basis.

 

The Cadence CR5 for light crankbaits and worms, night crawlers, etc. with light  wire hooks should you want to fish live bait.  Know that is blasphemy on here. 

 

I'm guessing the Ugly Stik is a Medium power.  Normally such rods will list the power but not the action.  So if it only says 'Medium Action' on the rod, I feel confident that is the rod's power rating.  It's action is probably Moderate.  A guess on my part as I've never handled one.

 

The Daiwa Aird X is said to be a fantastic rod for the money.  About $55 normal price.  Several on here have said Dick's exclusive Lew's Carbon Fire rod is another that fishes above its price point.  Currently on sale $20 off (now $60).  If you want to spend $100 per rod, I like my Fenwick HMGs.  Definitely check out the Falcon BuCoo.  Ark has 2 models at that price and are getting a good reputation for quality.  I'd also take a serious look at the Daiwa Procyon at the $80 mark.  A nice rod that almost never gets mentioned.

 

I don't have any new Berkley Lightning rods, but love the old 6' ML spinning model I have.

 

As already stated a MHF is very versatile.  I probably have more of those than any other power.  I agree with a M-Moderate for crankbaits bigger than you'd use on the spinning rod.  A Heavy power may come in handy depending on the cover you fish and the weight of the lure.  I seldom use one even in slop.  I normally use a MHF with 40# braid.  I haven't been using lures requiring a Heavy power either.  BUT I now have a couple Heavy rods that I plan on using this season. 

 

And continues to read and watch videos.  A great way to spend time when there isn't enough of it for actually going fishing.

 

 

[hokiehunter373]

1 hour ago, new2BC4bass said:

I am going to assume since you fish mostly from ponds that any crankbait you would use would be either a shallow or medium depth crankbait.  In that case I would suggest a reel in the low 6 gear ratio and save the 5.4 for a deep crankbait rod.  The 5.4 will work fine, but you may need to crank a bit faster than you think.

 

I started out the first few years fishing with worms and the few crabs or small leeches we could find under stones wading the shore line.  Started at five.  Also your children most likely will catch more fish on worms or nightcrawlers.  Most kids won't stick with it if they don't have the excitement of catching fish on a regular basis.

 

The Cadence CR5 for light crankbaits and worms, night crawlers, etc. with light  wire hooks should you want to fish live bait.  Know that is blasphemy on here. 

 

I'm guessing the Ugly Stik is a Medium power.  Normally such rods will list the power but not the action.  So if it only says 'Medium Action' on the rod, I feel confident that is the rod's power rating.  It's action is probably Moderate.  A guess on my part as I've never handled one.

 

The Daiwa Aird X is said to be a fantastic rod for the money.  About $55 normal price.  Several on here have said Dick's exclusive Lew's Carbon Fire rod is another that fishes above its price point.  Currently on sale $20 off (now $60).  If you want to spend $100 per rod, I like my Fenwick HMGs.  Definitely check out the Falcon BuCoo.  Ark has 2 models at that price and are getting a good reputation for quality.  I'd also take a serious look at the Daiwa Procyon at the $80 mark.  A nice rod that almost never gets mentioned.

 

I don't have any new Berkley Lightning rods, but love the old 6' ML spinning model I have.

 

As already stated a MHF is very versatile.  I probably have more of those than any other power.  I agree with a M-Moderate for crankbaits bigger than you'd use on the spinning rod.  A Heavy power may come in handy depending on the cover you fish and the weight of the lure.  I seldom use one even in slop.  I normally use a MHF with 40# braid.  I haven't been using lures requiring a Heavy power either.  BUT I now have a couple Heavy rods that I plan on using this season. 

 

And continues to read and watch videos.  A great way to spend time when there isn't enough of it for actually going fishing.

 

 

I really appreciate this response and thanks for touching on the Cadence rod.  I try to stick with worms for my boy (for now) for the exact reason you mention but sometimes he wants to fish like dad.  He loves to bring fish home to eat so we try to hammer some bluegills that way.  I'll definitely check out the rods you mentioned.

[Big Hands]

Based on the information at hand: For a lot of pond fishing from the bank, I think I would add a spinning rod that would be a medium power fast action rod that is at least 7' and maybe up around 7'4" to 7'7" so you can launch some of those finesse type baits at long distance targets . . . . if you have room to cast them without trees and bushes posing a problem. That can also let you have two different finesse rigs at the ready without having to re-rig to fish in ways that you use often enough that it would be a PITA to have to retie back and forth. Example: ned rig and a dropshot rig.

[Boomstick]

If I could have 3 rods for bank fishing, most of the time it would be a 7' MH/F casting rod a 7' M/F casting rod and a 7'M/F or ML/F or ML/XF spinning rod.

 

If there's thick weeds, replace the spinning rod with a H/F casting rod.

 

It's hard to generally recommend something without knowing more about the specific areas you fish.

[hokiehunter373]

1 hour ago, Boomstick said:

If I could have 3 rods for bank fishing, most of the time it would be a 7' MH/F casting rod a 7' M/F casting rod and a 7'M/F or ML/F or ML/XF spinning rod.

 

If there's thick weeds, replace the spinning rod with a H/F casting rod.

 

It's hard to generally recommend something without knowing more about the specific areas you fish.

And I’m assuming you’re just running lighter line on your spinning rod?

[Boomstick]

10 hours ago, hokiehunter373 said:

And I’m assuming you’re just running lighter line on your spinning rod?

Yeah, 10-15lb braid to 6 or 8lb fluorocarbon leader.

[hokiehunter373]

16 minutes ago, Boomstick said:

Yeah, 10-15lb braid to 6 or 8lb fluorocarbon leader.

Appreciate your input

[BrianMDTX]

hokiehunter373, hopefully you hang around this site and are not "just passin' thru", as you will learn a lot here. And I mean a lot! ?

On 3/10/2021 at 11:57 AM, new2BC4bass said:

The Daiwa Aird X is said to be a fantastic rod for the money.  About $55 normal price.  Several on here have said Dick's exclusive Lew's Carbon Fire rod is another that fishes above its price point.  Currently on sale $20 off (now $60).  If you want to spend $100 per rod, I like my Fenwick HMGs.  Definitely check out the Falcon BuCoo.  Ark has 2 models at that price and are getting a good reputation for quality.  I'd also take a serious look at the Daiwa Procyon at the $80 mark.  A nice rod that almost never gets mentioned.

 

I'm in agreement here, especially as I own two Daiwa Aird-X's and a Procyon, and two Fenwick HMX's. The Procyon is a M/XF and is a great rod for weightless Senkos (WR or TR), weightless Zoom Tricks, etc. 

[the reel ess]

Fill in the blanks in your current arsenal with these. If you like a particular specialty, go that direction first. I take 7 or even 8 combos with me now. But 5 is usually plenty.