Correct Rod for pitching, bottom contact. help me decide.

[inferiorfisherman]

I have only been bass fishing for a year now.  So far I have mostly fished moving baits and some finesse rigs.  Cranking, frogging, topwaters, swim jigs, neds, dropshot, spinners.  I have rods that I am pretty happy with for these techniques. I have been spending time each evening pitching in my back yard, buying jigs and rods to match.  How should I use my rods to match the technique and what weights would you recommend for each?  where I fish has almost zero vegetation due to being pretty muddy, but has a ton of fallen timber and wood piles on the bottom and shoreline.

 

Here are the techniques I would like to start fishing:

jig pitching

T-rig pitching

football jigs

dragging T-rigs

 

Rods I have purchased for these techniques:

Dobyns Champion 734C
Dobyns extreme  703C

Shimano Expride 7'3" extra heavy

MB orochi XX Braillist

MB orochi XX perfect pitch

[Dens228]

The Braillist is what I use for jigs........so in your list

Jig pitching, 

jig dragging

 

I use a Tour Versatile for the others

[softwateronly]

 

I think you have great options with what you already own.  I'd tie on what you want to use and pick the Braillist, perfect pitch, or expride for jigs based on weight.  T rigs, I'd start with the 703.  If you need to go heavier on your T rig, braillist probably.

 

If you ever get to dragging a 3/4oz or 1oz jig, I can definitely say that your expride 7'3" XH will do it well.  I feel like the 734 is better suited to reaction baits, but does have enough "feel" to be usable for bottom contact.

 

I think all these rods will pitch fine.

 

These are my slightly informed opinions.

 

scott

 

[Deleted account]

Inferior Fisherman is a superior shopper! Let me know when you get into cycling, got one more nephew to put through college...  

 

[inferiorfisherman]

5 minutes ago, BassWhole! said:

Inferior Fisherman is a superior shopper! Let me know when you get into cycling, got one more nephew to put through college...  

 

yes, I have a problem! I am already into mountain biking.  That hobby got expensive quickly too.  I'm all set on bikes for myself, but now my son is getting old enough to ride with me a little, so I am sure I'll have to run him through the same progression from aluminum to carbon fiber and fox factory suspensions.  Too much down time away from my actual hobbies leads me to spending money on these hobbies.  This is why i spend way less money in the summer.  

part of the reason i joined here is because it seems like a lot of you are afflicted with the same thing as I am! ?

[inferiorfisherman]

10 hours ago, softwateronly said:

 

I think you have great options with what you already own.  I'd tie on what you want to use and pick the Braillist, perfect pitch, or expride for jigs based on weight.  T rigs, I'd start with the 703.  If you need to go heavier on your T rig, braillist probably.

 

If you ever get to dragging a 3/4oz or 1oz jig, I can definitely say that your expride 7'3" XH will do it well.  I feel like the 734 is better suited to reaction baits, but does have enough "feel" to be usable for bottom contact.

 

I think all these rods will pitch fine.

 

These are my slightly informed opinions.

 

scott

 

Thanks,  I spent my evening in the backyard with some casting weights and each rod.  practicing my pitching and trying to find the right weights for each rod.  i also performed a little unscientific sensitivity test by dragging tungsten weights across my stamped concrete patio with my eyes closed.  I struggled with the expride in the pitching test.  it seems as though 1/2oz is just not enough for that rod.  I got a lot of overrun and i just couldn't pitch very far or accurately with it.  The braillist and 734 both pitched the 1/2oz very well and i was finally able to start focusing on landing the bait softly.  the 703 could pitch down to 1/4, but 3/8 seemed to work best for me.  

 

The sensitivity test was interesting.  with a 15lb seagaur gold leader I could not tell a huge difference in any of the rods.  However, when I used straight braid i could tell more of a difference in the rods.  The expride seemed to be the most sensitive, but due to power and action I will probably end up using it far less than the others.  

 

I think the braillist and 703 will be my most used bottom contact rods, with the 734 being my main moving bait rod/general purpose rod.  

 

20 hours ago, Dens228 said:

The Braillist is what I use for jigs........so in your list

Jig pitching, 

jig dragging

 

I use a Tour Versatile for the others

How do you like the tour versatile?  i looked at it as well.  One thing that caught me off guard was that MB claims the diablo spec R was the most versatile despite the tour versatile having the word versatile in the name.  It sounded like it was probably very similar to the 734 as far as uses go.  

[Dens228]

15 minutes ago, inferiorfisherman said:

 

 

How do you like the tour versatile?  i looked at it as well.  One thing that caught me off guard was that MB claims the diablo spec R was the most versatile despite the tour versatile having the word versatile in the name.  It sounded like it was probably very similar to the 734 as far as uses go.  

The Versatile is a bit better at casting the lighter t-rigs with a softer tip.   I also have two Spec R's which I use for swim jig, chatterbaits, underspins, spinnerbaits, and also deep diving crankbaits. In my opinion I do think the Spec R is their most versatile rod of that lineup. 

[inferiorfisherman]

30 minutes ago, Dens228 said:

The Versatile is a bit better at casting the lighter t-rigs with a softer tip.   I also have two Spec R's which I use for swim jig, chatterbaits, underspins, spinnerbaits, and also deep diving crankbaits. In my opinion I do think the Spec R is their most versatile rod of that lineup. 

I really like these orochi rods.  They have special "character" to them like dobyns do.  aimed clearly at certain techniques.  The expride rods (I have 3 now) are great and super sensitive, but they are a bit "sterile" for lack of a better term.  They are very predictable in action and power, just don't have the same targeted purpose built feel to them that dobyns or MB has IMO.  I like how MB isn't afraid to combine a soft tip with a stout backbone.  

[kingmotorboat]

I’m gonna suggest a dobyns champion 735. I’ve been able to pitch 3/16 oz creatures and craws very well. Soft tip for a stout rod. I still use mine often even though I’ve went to a dx. If not that I would look at possibly a st croix victory h xf 

[softwateronly]

6 hours ago, inferiorfisherman said:

I struggled with the expride in the pitching test.  it seems as though 1/2oz is just not enough for that rod.  I got a lot of overrun and i just couldn't pitch very far or accurately with it.  The braillist and 734 both pitched the 1/2oz very well and i was finally able to start focusing on landing the bait softly.  the 703 could pitch down to 1/4, but 3/8 seemed to work best for me.  

 

  You're probably aware, but 1/2 oz jig with a trailer is probably over 24 grams.  Just so you have an apples to apples comparison when you get on the water.

 

scott

[inferiorfisherman]

53 minutes ago, kingmotorboat said:

I’m gonna suggest a dobyns champion 735. I’ve been able to pitch 3/16 oz creatures and craws very well. Soft tip for a stout rod. I still use mine often even though I’ve went to a dx. If not that I would look at possibly a st croix victory h xf 

I have it already.  It might be my favorite rod.  It is my frog rod, with 65 lb braid spooled on.  It is on my boat in storage right now.  I was not able to let it compete is my backyard pitching experiment last night.  I have only caught 1 fish on it, but walking frogs is my favorite technique so far as far as fun goes. The perfect pitch seems to have a pretty similar action, but I have not been able to touch them side by side yet.  I love the soft top and the huge backbone.  I can walk frogs all day without even thinking about it.  originally I considered getting a 2nd one to use for pitching, but got intrigued by others recommending the orochi and exprides and wanted to try something non-dobyns, because I had several of them already.

 

i even recently converted to dobyns panfish rods which easily replaced my st croix panfish series rods as my favorites.  They have this incredibly thin, soft, solid graphite tips that lets me toss 1/32 jigs but I can still nice small mouth and nice 12lb drum on them.  Not many rods i can catch my limit of crappie throwing mini-mites and still horse a 12lb drum with that i have tried.  

11 minutes ago, softwateronly said:

 

  You're probably aware, but 1/2 oz jig with a trailer is probably over 24 grams.  Just so you have an apples to apples comparison when you get on the water.

 

scott

good point.  I'm a total nerd and bought myself a digital scale to keep on the boat so I can weigh the baits to help match the right rod.  i was recently shocked by how much a yamamota senko weighed.  weighed more than most of the creature baits i have.  not that i am trying to throw weightless senkos on any of these rods, just opened my eyes a bit about total weight.  

[inferiorfisherman]

1 hour ago, kingmotorboat said:

I’m gonna suggest a dobyns champion 735. I’ve been able to pitch 3/16 oz creatures and craws very well. Soft tip for a stout rod. I still use mine often even though I’ve went to a dx. If not that I would look at possibly a st croix victory h xf 

Also, i forgot to mention i really want to try the victory series.  I have seen a gentlemen named Tom who is very active here recommending them a couple of times on here, and he seems to know what he is talking about.  I might have to pick one up.  My next rod is either going to be a BFS rod or a skipping rod under 7'. 

[kingmotorboat]

I finally got to put the full contact finesse model in my hands man just to get a feel while I was in dsg. I was pretty impressed and decided it’s my next rod purchase