Uses of a sensitive baitcasting rod

[Fishydishy]

Maybe I just needed some reasons to upgrade my casting rods. what techniques require a sensitive casting rod?  I have some decent spinning rods like the st croix avid 7MF, dobyns Sierra 700sf, 702sf, and Daiwa Tatula elite 7’3mxf for sensitivity.

 

The casting rod I use the most is the dobyns fury 705cb for all my moving baits. 

 

After I listed my spinning rods, i realized maybe I am a finesse guy myself.

 

 

 

 

[The Maestro]

Jigs, Texas rigs, senkos. Any presentation where you're presenting the bait vertically on a semi slack line.

[jbsoonerfan]

You will hear people say you don't need a sensitive rod for moving baits, but I tend to disagree to an extent. In fact, on two different occasions this year I was throwing a chatterbait and it felt like the chatterbait blade just stopped moving but I was still reeling. Thinking I had hit some grass I jerked and both times it was a fish. I had never felt this before so maybe this was just the first time it had happened. But since switching to an Expride for chatterbaits I feel like I can tell what is going on with the bait better than I could before. Could just be me though. 

 

As far as bottom contact, I want to use the most sensitive rod available to me. In my case, that is the Expride and Poison Adrena. 

[jimmyjoe]

   Sensitivity is different things to different people. To me, sensitivity is for contact fishing. I don't need it for semi-slack and I no longer fish slack line presentations. When I did, I used hi-viz line and "watched" rather than "felt."

   As in all things, .......... YMMV.        jj

[Fishydishy]

29 minutes ago, jimmyjoe said:

   Sensitivity is different things to different people. To me, sensitivity is for contact fishing. I don't need it for semi-slack and I no longer fish slack line presentations. When I did, I used hi-viz line and "watched" rather than "felt."

   As in all things, .......... YMMV.        jj

Why don’t you fish slack line presentations anymore? 

[jimmyjoe]

37 minutes ago, Fishydishy said:

Why don’t you fish slack line presentations anymore? 

 

   I never fished slack line in the rivers. Once I came to the lakes, I was interested in slack line, soft plastics, deadsticking et. al.  But I think it was a phase, because I've slowly gravitated back to my good ol' reliables: spoons, spinnerbaits and squarebills.

 

   Once a tight line man, always a tight line man.  ???             jj

[Fishydishy]

1 hour ago, jbsoonerfan said:

You will hear people say you don't need a sensitive rod for moving baits, but I tend to disagree to an extent. In fact, on two different occasions this year I was throwing a chatterbait and it felt like the chatterbait blade just stopped moving but I was still reeling. Thinking I had hit some grass I jerked and both times it was a fish. I had never felt this before so maybe this was just the first time it had happened. But since switching to an Expride for chatterbaits I feel like I can tell what is going on with the bait better than I could before. Could just be me though. 

 

As far as bottom contact, I want to use the most sensitive rod available to me. In my case, that is the Expride and Poison Adrena. 

I know expride is the solution. Wish I could do it all over again and expride everything.

[RDB]

As others have said, bottom contact, and it’s not just about the bite.  Having the ability to feel what is going on is important...same reason people use tungsten.  I use sensitive rods for longer presentations like Carolina rigs or dragging football jig as well.  For moving baits, high sensitivity is not really needed and can lead to pulling the bait away from the fish (premature hook sets).  That’s why many use more moderate or parabolic rods.

[Manifestgtr]

I use my most sensitive rods for jigs, bottom contact and moving plastics. Moving plastics might seem a little weird for sensitive rods but sometimes those bites can be a little funny to detect unless you’re working it near the surface. 

[Catt]

9 hours ago, jbsoonerfan said:

Thinking I had hit some grass I jerked and both times it was a fish. I had never felt this before

 

Operator Error!

 

FYI: Ya can't buy sensitivity 

 

The biggest part of "feeling" bottom contact techniques is interpretation. Most anglers don't understand what they are feeling.

[Dens228]

My jig success went way up when I upgraded to a more sensitive rod.   Not only that but I also had less hook sets on weeds and rocks.   
 

[J Francho]

12 hours ago, Fishydishy said:

what techniques require a sensitive casting rod?

Fishing is better with a sensitive rod.

[roadwarrior]

12 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Fishing is better with a sensitive rod.

 

"ALL"  fishing is better with a sensitive rod.

 

[FryDog62]

Where sensitivity in baitcasters comes in handy for me are:

• Medium action b/c: Shaky head, got to feel that bottom for contact, composition, etc. I prefer a baitcaster once hooked to pull the fish away from cover. 
• Medium action b/c: Neko rigging - having the nail weight exposed slightly helps detect the rock pile you are targeting.
• Medium Heavy b/c: Texas Rig when bouncing off cover and maneuvering around the "junk"
• Medium Heavy b/c: Dragging a Biffle Bug, Dark Sleeper, Football jig, or Carolina rig across flats, gravel, chunk rock... Heavier lines are better on baitcasting set ups IMO.

I tend to favor extra fast rods in those situations, but at least a quality fast action rod. Finesse and sensitivity can definitely come into play with baitcasters too.  Much is personal preference and confidence, so if you prefer spinning ok to stay that way too ~

[ATA]

for me, the most important lure that depends on rod sensitivity is jig(skirted jig).

[CrankFate]

I agree @jimmyjoe sensitivity means different things to different people. I take “sensitivity” among bass fishermen to mean a rod made of very rigid, very thin and very light graphite.

[WRB]

I don’t use any so sensitive can't swear at it.

Tom