How important is rod weight to you?

[zelmo]

One of my best producing baits is a Kut Tail worm on a Spider head.  Since this is very similar to a shaky head presentation I got a Dobyns DX842C-SH and put a Steez  CT on it. 
 

I have only had it on the water a few times but something just didn’t seem right.  I put the rod on a scale and found that it weighs better than an ounce more than my NRX+ or Zbone rods.  
 

I am not giving up on it yet but I have some concerns about using it for hours on end.  How much do you let a rod’s weight influence how much you use it?

[ATA]

For me it is very important, Thats the reason I buy high end rods. This injury I have effecting my fishing a lot. I need to go as light as possible.

[JustJames]

It is really depends on techniques if one fish a lot for just reel in (swimbait type) or just dragging jig weight might not effect much but if one fish a lot like shakey head, Neko rig or any techniques that require a lot of popping, shaking twisting, light weight setup might help prolong from uncomfortable.

Me I fish a lot finesse and a lot of shaking popping Neko Rig or even Fat Ika so weight is very important, the lighter the better.

Just like @ATAi just started playing golf and my wrist, arm shoulder get a lot of beating. I cant even fish longer than a few hours and the more un comfortable, I found myself changing the way, holding the rod, jerking popping the lure, the more I change the less bite detection I got.

[WRB]

Dobyns rods are counter weighted for ideal balance 1st and overall weight 2nd.

If lightest possible rod weight is your preference then shop by rod weight. ST Croix Victory series rods are some of the lightest weight on the market regardless of price.

Tom

[bulldog1935]

I have Valleyhill rods that have adjustable counterweights in the butt, and they're still the lightest rods I own for their length and power.  They're at the top of my rotation for the whole package, but the light weight makes them stand out. 

 

My go-to ML baitcaster is 13Fishing Omen Green, its light weight has floored me from day one.  It's half the cost of the rod above, but isn't going anywhere, except out on my kayak Every trip. 

 

A rod that I've loved the action from day one is my IM6 MM Crowder.  It's a beautiful rod, powerful fish handling, and action perfectly matches my presentation with 1/4 oz TSL grasswalker neutral density walking bait, also 3/8 oz jigheads.  But because of the weight, it's become second-tier to the Valleyhill I show above, which also fishes a wider weight range (1/4 to 1 oz). 

 

@zelmo something alluded to above is torsion of the rod because of tip weight.  This is where counterweights can help.  Whether 1 ounce is a big deal is going to depend on how it's balanced on the rod.   A big tip-heavy rod is more work to cast, and it can also dampen feel of the bait.   One thing I've mentioned about my Omen is that I feel every blade of grass through it. 

[zelmo]

Thanks for the responses.  
 

Do you think 1 ounce is a big difference on a 7’+ rod or am I over reacting?

[WRB]

1 oz is a big difference; 3.5 oz vs 4.5 oz covers multiple MHF 7’ or 4 power rod brands.

Rods being tip heavy with the reel bothers me more then overall light weight.

For reference my custom ALX JWR with fore grip weighed 3.8 oz.

Tom

 

[Chris Catignani]

Typically, I will build a rod as light as I can...but fishing a "top heavy" rod for a "tip up" technique just doesn't work well with me.

Often, I find myself resorting back to a 6'6" or 6' rod...especially if you fish it all day. Usually this happens with spinning rods.

[casts_by_fly]

44 minutes ago, WRB said:

1 oz is a big difference; 3.5 oz vs 4.5 oz covers multiple MHF 7’ or 4 power rod brands.

Rods being tip heavy with the reel bothers me more then overall light weight.

For reference my custom ALX JWR with fore grip weighed 3.8 oz.

Tom

 

this is where I am. A tip heavy rod, especially when you start longer than 7’, gets tiring to fish. I find the sweet spot for me is in the 6’6”-7’ and as light as possible. If it’s as light as possible the it’s hard to get tip heavy on those lengths. 

[QED]

Rod weight is a major decision factor for me in purchasing any rod (but not in and of itself dispositive), so the question of how much I use heavier rods never arises.

[Mike L]

I don’t care how sensitive it is. 
If it’s not balanced and light enough to effectively use all day for the technique I bought it for, it does me no good. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[T-Billy]

Balance matters more to me than weight. I prefer rods in the 7' - 7'6" range for most things, and add weight to the butt so they balance on my middle finger while palming them. It gives me better feel and makes them less fatiguing to fish. I've found those rubber furniture feet work great. I buy them in the appropriate size to slip on the rod butt tightly, and pour the needed amount of lead in them from my lee pot to balance the rod. Call it right, wrong, or otherwise, I don't care. It works for me.

[JustJames]

2 hours ago, Chris Catignani said:

Typically, I will build a rod as light as I can...but fishing a "top heavy" rod for a "tip up" technique just doesn't work well with me.

Often, I find myself resorting back to a 6'6" or 6' rod...especially if you fish it all day. Usually this happens with spinning rods.

I like that “tip up technique” explain better how I fish in such a short word. I’m gonna steal that words from now on lol. 
Longer rod alway tip heavy? It might be true but there are a lot longer rod out there that balance very well and not heavy at all. Original Tatula 7’1” MH/XF. 2020 Zodiac 7’2” M/F, there are not high end rod at all.

[new2BC4bass]

From what I've been able to discover from my reading is that Dobyns aren't the lightest rods on the market, but are some of the best balanced.   I'm with T-Billy.  I'd rather fish a balanced rod all day than one that is an ounce lighter, but tip heavy.

 

I will agree that a balanced light rod/reel combo is a pleasure to fish all day.  One reason I love my Aetos 6'6" MLM / PXL Type R combo.  Not that I've ever fished it all day, but this rod is the reason I started to use a 6'6" rod instead of longer ones (which I prefer).  An absolute pleasure to use.

 

My Dobyns 704CB is listed at 4.6 oz. which is .2 ounce less than the graphite version according to TackleTour's review.  My 7' MF Helios weighs 1.2 oz. less.  I enjoy fishing both.

[zelmo]

5 minutes ago, new2BC4bass said:

From what I've been able to discover from my reading is that Dobyns aren't the lightest rods on the market, but are some of the best balanced.   I'm with T-Billy.  I'd rather fish a balanced rod all day than one that is an ounce lighter, but tip heavy.

 

I will agree that a balanced light rod/reel combo is a pleasure to fish all day.  One reason I love my Aetos 6'6" MLM / PXL Type R combo.  Not that I've ever fished it all day, but this rod is the reason I started to use a 6'6" rod instead of longer ones (which I prefer).  An absolute pleasure to use.

 

My Dobyns 704CB is listed at 4.6 oz. which is .2 ounce less than the graphite version according to TackleTour's review.  My 7' MF Helios weighs 1.2 oz. less.  I enjoy fishing both.

Before I bought the rod I had also read about the weight and balance aspects of Dobyns, but I wasn’t able to get the actual weight of the rod.  I already had a DX701C and liked it so I decided to give it a try.  
 

As I said earlier I haven’t given up on it yet but I may switch it to a different application.   I should know what I want to do after a few more times on the water.  

[Chris Catignani]

5 hours ago, Bass_Fishing_SoCal said:

I like that “tip up technique” explain better how I fish in such a short word. I’m gonna steal that words from now on lol. 
Longer rod alway tip heavy? It might be true but there are a lot longer rod out there that balance very well and not heavy at all. Original Tatula 7’1” MH/XF. 2020 Zodiac 7’2” M/F, there are not high end rod at all.

Longer rods aren't always tip heavy. Most of the bait casters I have will have a little bit longer handle and the reel will have heaver line...all adding up to a little more weight , getting it close(r) to balance. I start running into problems when I put an ultra light reel on a seven foot spinning rod with split grip...its a dance at times.

[jbsoonerfan]

To be honest, I don't think I could tell the difference in 1 oz. 

[Hammer 4]

I prefer the lightest rod, but more important is that it balanced.

[Yuddzy]

It only matters how it feels to you. Weight aside, if it feels good, keep it around. If not, move on. Fish whatever feels right to you, regardless of how subjective that may be.

 

1 ounce wouldn't bother me personally, but an off balance rod surely would. 

[Columbia Craw]

Balance is the criteria. Neutral in the hand comes first.  An ounce means little to me.  It’s not like I’m swinging a framing hammer all day.

[Captain Phil]

I remember when real bass fishermen fished with broomsticks. A worm rod was a long heavy thing with zero action.  We needed those rods because the hooks we used were so bad.  Setting the hook was a martial art.  We reeled down as we stretched toward the fish and put our backs into each hook set.   One of my biggest problems back then was elbow pain.  Once you get it, it can take a long time to recover.

 

Modern hooks changed all that.  Today's hooks hook most fish from weight alone.  I resisted buying new rods for a long time.  About six months ago, I purchased a 6' 6" MH Shimano Zodias rod.  The lightness and sensitivity is amazing.  I use it to throw weightless worms, flukes and Senkos.  I liked it so much, I bought a 7' 2" MH Zodias.  There is a significant between these two rods. Both are as light as any rod I have ever used.  The longer rod is much larger in diameter.  I have been experimenting by using the longer rod as a flipping stick.  My old flipping stick was a collapsible 7' 6" Bass Pro Shop graphite rod.  Not only is the Zodias lighter, but it seems to catch more fish.   With my old rod, I would sometimes miss a fish as I lifted the bait.  Not so with my Zodias.  It's so sensitive, I feel the strike immediately.   $200 is a lot of money for a fishing rod, especially in these times.  These rods are worth the price.

 

[Bankc]

It makes no difference to me.  However, lighter rods do tend to be more sensitive, and THAT makes a difference.  But if we're talking weight alone, then I don't care.  They're not that heavy to begin with.  I'll even fish with an old fiberglass rod from the 70's from time to time, and that rod heavy!  But it's still not heavy enough to bother me.  

 

Same with balance.  In theory, a balanced rod is better.  But in reality, I've yet to use a rod that made me think "the balance on this is terrible".  And the reel, where you grab the rod, what angle you hold the rod, etc., will all effect its balance.  So even a perfectly balanced rod is never really balanced.  

 

Then again, if I'm paying top money for a rod, I do expect it to be lighter and better balanced than my other rods.  I probably won't notice the difference on the water, but I'll notice it in the store, and want some kind of value for my money.

[Randy Price]

If I'm on the water all day then the weight of the rig is important.

[OkobojiEagle]

After thinking about this question for a short while I've come to my conclusion that rod weight is about 5th in order of important characteristics in a rod.  Balance with reel is #1, tip action that will properly load the intended weight range is #2,  #3 is proper mid-section stiffness to easily set the anticipated hooks with all of the techniques and baits intended, #4 is price... bass fishing is a hobby for me and I try to keep that in mind when I spend money for fishing gear.  Then WEIGHT gets rolled into "over-all comfort" when fishing with this rod at #5.

 

oe

[FishTank]

Years ago, I could have cared less but today I want it all when it comes to rods.... balance, power,  light weight, sensitivity,  ect.  In the end, the rod and reel should feel like a magic wand.