Rod / Reel / Line for Worms and Jigs

[ApexAZ]

Hi all,

 

I have done some novice fly fishing for trout in the past, but want to do some lake and salt river bass fishing in Arizona and I don't necessarily want to do it on a fly rod.  So I have several questions.

 

I've been devouring YouTube content, but still a little lost when it comes to the huge array of tackle options out there, or even where to begin.  Some advice I gleaned from YouTube is to start with worms followed by jigs.  Would you experts agree?

 

If so, the next question becomes tackle to do that.  I want to keep the rod and reel around $600.  Advice seems to really vary on whether to do a MH or H rod, so I was thinking a Shimano Expride B 7'2" MHF paired with a Shimano Bantam MGL as a good mid-price setup.  Would this combination be good for worms and jigs, or should I go with the heavy?  I figure the MHF rod can cast a range of 3/8 to 1oz bait.

 

Would this be a good place to start with mid-range gear?

 

What gear ratio should I go for knowing I'm a complete newbie starting with worms followed by jigs?  I was thinking fast 8, but tackle warehouse recommended a 6.  Thoughts on speed?

 

Thanks all!  Sorry if these are knucklehead questions.  There's just such a dizzying array of options.

 

[PourMyOwn]

Great choice on the rod and reel. I'm not a Shimano guy but that's like having Miss America be your first girlfriend.  

 

For the most part, a MH rod can handle anything you would use. A heavy action for me is for power fishing in heavy grass or for big swimbaits. 

 

I also use 6.3:1 reels for the vast majority of my fishing. 

 

Best of luck!

[Jar11591]

Worms/Texas rigs and jigs are definitely a good starting point when getting into bass fishing IMO. 

 

Medium heavy vs heavy will largely depend on what type of cover you’re fishing in. Most MH and H rods will be able to handle worms and jigs. If you’re throwing into heavy cover opt for the H, if the cover is more moderate or wood, opt for the MH. 
 

Haven’t used those specific rods or reels both I know both are highly touted on here and elsewhere. 
 

For gear ratio for worms and jigs, the faster the better in my opinion. Since the rod is what moves the baits for these technique, there isn’t a reason to use a slower gear ratio. You want to be able to reel up slack as fast as possible when you feel a bite, so an 8:1 is ideal for this. 
 

Just my experience  

[PressuredFishing]

K.I.S.S, everyone here has gone down the rabbit hole, i wont overwhelm you. a soft plastic with a variety of weights and hook styles is all an angler needs to catch bass. If you have a medium action spinning rod your fine, medium heavy casting setup is nice but not ideal 

 

Get soft plastic worms of some sort, you can swim them hop them, and drag them

 

Start with monofilament no matter what they say

 

Diameter is more important than lb test

.008-.009 inch is good for spinning

 

.012-.015 is good for casting

 

Dark blues and purples are good for muddy

 

Green brown are good for clear

 

White or flashy good for active fish

 

Ewg in 3/0 worm hook size will cover all your worm sizes, if little grass invest in mosquito hooks.

 

Catch 10 bass using this technique, then let me know how it worked and we can go from there

 

Worming is core to bass fishing and is the most versatile technique, a worm can catch all types of fish in all types of inviornments all times of year, it may not be the best for every circumstance but it will be your best versatility lute

 

 

Stay far away from jigs for now

 

 

[r83srock]

25 minutes ago, PressuredFishing said:

K.I.S.S, everyone here has gone down the rabbit hole, i wont overwhelm you. a soft plastic with a variety of weights and hook styles is all an angler needs to catch bass. If you have a medium action spinning rod your fine, medium heavy casting setup is nice but not ideal 

 

Get soft plastic worms of some sort, you can swim them hop them, and drag them

 

Start with monofilament no matter what they say

 

Diameter is more important than lb test

.008-.009 inch is good for spinning

 

.012-.015 is good for casting

 

Dark blues and purples are good for muddy

 

Green brown are good for clear

 

White or flashy good for active fish

 

Ewg in 3/0 worm hook size will cover all your worm sizes, if little grass invest in mosquito hooks.

 

Catch 10 bass using this technique, then let me know how it worked and we can go from there

 

Worming is core to bass fishing and is the most versatile technique, a worm can catch all types of fish in all types of inviornments all times of year, it may not be the best for every circumstance but it will be your best versatility lute

 

 

Stay far away from jigs for now

 

 

Nailed it!

[T-Billy]

3 hours ago, ApexAZ said:

I was thinking a Shimano Expride B 7'2" MHF paired with a Shimano Bantam MGL as a good mid-price setup. 

This is a great place to start. You can do alot with this combo. A good low stretch mono or co-poly like Trilene XT, Sufix Siege, or Yo Zuri Hybrid around 15# is a good place to start line wise if fishing light to moderate cover. 40# Sufix 832 braid if primarily fishing heavy cover. I MUCH prefer an 8 speed reel for these techniques.

15 minutes ago, PressuredFishing said:

Stay far away from jigs for now

 

Nonsense. No harder to rig or fish than a T-rig. Both are essential IMO. May as well start gaining experience with both right from the start.

[ApexAZ]

I figured I'd get a variety of answers   Thanks all for contributing thus far.

 

Why would a spinner be better than a MH caster with a MLG spool?  Even with advances in baitcasters, are spinners still better at lighter bait?  One of the reasons the MLG was attractive to me was their claim it can cast light bait, as well as more heavy bait.  I'm genuinely curious!  I plan to get a spinner too, but then that opens a whole other can of worms (har har), because the intent was more oriented toward trout, but maybe I could use it for both?

 

Why monofilament over flurocarbon?  I remember from my fly fishing nymphing days we preferred flurocarbon because it sunk better.  Is this not true for worms?

 

Regarding the worm colors; this was a general question I was asking myself watching various videos.  Does the color vary by region, or are those pretty universal and work everywhere?

 

I don't even plan to buy any jigs initially, but I do hope I can fish them on the same rod eventually.  Hoping to find a balance of finding 3 rods that can do most techniques, rather than having 15+ separate ones.

 

Also, YouTube has been great, but I've found it to be very fragmented.  Can anyone recommend some good books or DVD's that offer comprehensive instruction from beginner to advanced?  Something that can teach all the bait types and the techniques used and when to use them, what type of line to use in various conditions, how to find fish, etc?

 

I really appreciate everyone's advice!

 

 

[Aaron_H]

4 hours ago, ApexAZ said:

What gear ratio should I go for knowing I'm a complete newbie starting with worms followed by jigs?  I was thinking fast 8, but tackle warehouse recommended a 6.  Thoughts on speed?

 

 

With jigs and worms, you are moving the bait with the rod 99% of the time. A faster reel is the way to go here IME as you want to be able to pick up that slack quickly. I use a 7.2:1 but an 8:1 would not be out of place.

[Eric 26]

I would steer you towards the med hvy rod with a 7.1:1 speed reel (Bantam mgl). Very versatile speed imho, as for line I would opt for 12-15 Suffix Advance Mono (co-polymer) just realize it’s pretty thick for it’s lb rating. I would also add some swim jigs with appropriate sized trailers as they can come through some pretty nasty environments.

[Catt]

Worm rod

Powell Inferno 703C Medium Heavy X-Fast, Lew's Team Lite TLL1SH 7.5:1 spooled with Berkley Big Game 15#.

 

Jig-n-Craw rod

Daiwa Tatula TTU711MHXB Medium Heavy X-Fast, Lew's Tournament MP TS1HMP 6.8:1 spooled with Berkley Big Game 15#.

 

Medium Heavy is supposed to be between medium and heavy. The Inferno leans more towards medium while the Tatula leans more towards heavy. 

[JackstrawIII]

18 hours ago, PourMyOwn said:

that's like having Miss America be your first girlfriend.  

Excellently said. Spinning setup is definitely the way to start and that rig is very nice. 
 

For the power, I prefer softer rods than most. I prefer the way they feel and the way that you fight fish with them. I’d absolutely go with a MH instead of the H. 
 

I’d also go with YoZuri hybrid line instead of mono. I like it more than mono in literally every way (my opinion). 14-15 lb test is great. 
 

I also second the recommendation to start with some sort of small swim baits. I love paddletails (like the Keitech swing series) on an underspin (like the owner flashy swimmer). It’s SUCH an easy bait to fish, is relatively weedless, and can be fished anywhere in the water column.  When I’m introducing someone to bass fishing, that’s what I put in their hands. And I still use it myself. Caught a nice 4lb largemouth on one last night, as a matter of fact. Just cast and reel. Simple. 

[PressuredFishing]

19 hours ago, ApexAZ said:

because the intent was more oriented toward trout, but maybe I could use it for both?

Monofilament is mote forgiving knot wise, manageability, cost, durability, and versatility. Medium spinning will work for both species and panfish

[T-Billy]

19 hours ago, ApexAZ said:

Why would a spinner be better than a MH caster with a MLG spool? 

It ain't. I throw a weightless senko or a 1/8oz Trig  100' on a 7' MH with a curado mgl and 20# braid.

19 hours ago, ApexAZ said:

Why monofilament over flurocarbon? 

Much better knot and shock strength.

 

19 hours ago, ApexAZ said:

Regarding the worm colors;

Black or junebug worms and green pumpkin craws and creatures are all you really need.

[ApexAZ]

You guys are awesome, thank you.  I'll look into a spinning rod, as well.

 

Thanks for clarifying the mono line benefits.  Your opinions have helped me better understand pros and cons.  I didn't realize mono was stronger; I was just thinking of it's buoyancy.  I also read in another thread some like mono because it floats better and works as an indicator.  Maybe I'll start with the YoZuri hybrid.  

 

How about leaders?  I see people talking about leaders on baitcasters and immediately found myself wondering how the knot gets through the smaller eyelets.  I assume this won't be as much of an issue with a spinner, but maybe?

 

I guess I'll try both rod / reel types and a few different line setups.  You guys have helped me narrow it down a lot, for which I am grateful!  Thanks again!

[WRB]

Just read this post and believe the OP is a shore fisherman based on fly fishing. 

Having some knowledge of Arizona Salt River reservoirs like Roosevelt, Canyon, Apache and Saguaro lakes. Phoenix Arizona area also has Lake Pleasant, San Carlos, the Mogollion trail lakes and golf ponds.

My question is spinning or casting rod, everyone suggest a casting rod based on the OP’s internet search wanting to fish jigs. Imo jigs are a poor choice for a shore angler where he fishes, finesse worms and presentations are more appropriate for a shore angler for the above lakes and River.

Tom

[ApexAZ]

11 minutes ago, WRB said:

Just read this post and believe the OP is a shore fisherman based on fly fishing. 

Having some knowledge of Arizona Salt River reservoirs like Roosevelt, Canyon, Apache and Saguaro lakes. Phoenix Arizona area also has Lake Pleasant, San Carlos, the Mogion trail lakes and golf ponds.

My question is spinning or casting rod, everyone suggest a casting rod based on the OP’s internet search wanting to fish jigs. Imo jigs are a poor choice for a shore angler where he fishes, finesse worms and presentations are more appropriate for a shore angler for the above lakes and River.

Tom

 

I will be shore casting at first, but plan to buy a kayak in Q1 or Q2 next year.  Obviously can't cover the same ground as a boat, but I do hope to be out on the water in the yak most of the time.  Currently leaning toward the NuCanoe Unlimited, but that's probably a topic for a different thread.

 

I live in Gilbert, so I'll probably be doing Canyon, Saguaro and Roosevelt lakes most often.  But, I do want to do some trips to Pleasant, as well.  Some time in the future I'd love to do some trips to Havasu and Mohave lakes.  And of course, plan to do quite a bit of fishing up in Rim country in the summer months, but I haven't really researched what species exist in those lakes other than trout.  I figured I'd cross that bridge when I get to it.

 

Either way, this region specific info is super helpful!

[dodgeguy]

I'd buy a Dobyns 7 foot heavy fast Champion XP . It's really a MH but Dobyns rates 1 power to heavy. It's line and lure ratings are the same as others MH. I would then pair it with a Lew's Custom Lite SLP at 4.9 oz. You will be in heaven when you feel how lite and we'll balanced it is. As far as line I would put 40 to 50 lb Sufix 832 braid on it with no leaders.

[WRB]

To clarify desert lakes in your area are not shore friendly do to terrain and rattlesnakes. 

Close to you is San Carlos lake on a Indian reservation* and fishable terrain from shore. Good spinnerbait lake, top water and/ small swimbaits from shore, not sure if you can use a kayak, check 1st.

Regarding jigs in AZ shaky head and  finesse jigs work OK, 3/8 oz Football jig with 4” Yamamoto Hula DT Hula grub is OK.

Smaller size spinnerbaits 1/4 to 3/8 oz in shad colors, Threadfin Shad are the primary baitfish in AZ lakes.

The Rim lakes vary regarding bass fishing, Black and Willow lakes, as I recall, does but check with local tackle shops near you.

My suggestion is start with both a finesse MF spinning rod/reel and a traditional MHF bait casting rod/reel, very doable within your budget of $600.

Line is always a debate. My suggestion is start with a premium mono. Spinning finesse 5 lb to 8 lb, bait casting 12 lb.

Tom

* San Carlos water level varies during drought years and not a tourist friendly area.

PS, look at Site articles and Glenn’s video’s.   

 

 

 

[JackstrawIII]

5 hours ago, T-Billy said:

Why would a spinner be better than a MH caster with a MLG spool? 

 

I recommended a spinning setup for the following reasons:

1. Ease of use. For a beginner, a spinning rod is much easier to operate, allowing him to focus on learning to fish these techniques, instead of spending all his time picking out backlashes. 

2. Flexibility. If this is his only bass fishing setup, a MH spinning rod can cover almost every single base, including the two techniques listed, but also many others. 

 

These two factors might not matter to you, but that was my thought process. 

[T-Billy]

6 hours ago, JackstrawIII said:

 

I recommended a spinning setup for the following reasons:

1. Ease of use. For a beginner, a spinning rod is much easier to operate, allowing him to focus on learning to fish these techniques, instead of spending all his time picking out backlashes. 

2. Flexibility. If this is his only bass fishing setup, a MH spinning rod can cover almost every single base, including the two techniques listed, but also many others. 

 

These two factors might not matter to you, but that was my thought process. 

The braking systems on modern baitcasters have flattened the learning curve a great deal. I taught my wife and niece to use one this year, and they both figured it out in a matter of minutes. I think baitcasters are actually easier to use, and more efficient once you get the hang of them, which doesn't take long.

The combo the OP mentioned in his first post also covers alot of bases, and is better than spinning for alot of them including the ones he mentioned.

[JackstrawIII]

4 hours ago, T-Billy said:

I taught my wife and niece to use one this year, and they both figured it out in a matter of minutes. I think baitcasters are actually easier to use, and more efficient once you get the hang of them, which doesn't take long.

I must just be a super slow learner then haha. I’ve been using baitcasters a ton for the last few months and still get backlashes all the time… tho admittedly many fewer than I used to ?

[ApexAZ]

10 hours ago, T-Billy said:

The braking systems on modern baitcasters have flattened the learning curve a great deal. I taught my wife and niece to use one this year, and they both figured it out in a matter of minutes. I think baitcasters are actually easier to use, and more efficient once you get the hang of them, which doesn't take long.

The combo the OP mentioned in his first post also covers alot of bases, and is better than spinning for alot of them including the ones he mentioned.

 

Yeah, while I wasn't ever a great fly angler, I was able to cast fairly well.  I can't imagine baitcaster is that much harder to learn.  Just that the knots end up in the spool instead of the leader.   I also plan to get a left hand retrieve, simply because that's what I'm used to with fly rods and spinners and I haven't formed any hand switching habits.

 

But I do like spinners too!  I want both types!  I've already committed to the baitcaster for now, but I'll plan to buy a spinner soon too and probably create a new post looking for some confirmation on combination when I have done some research and closer to being ready to buy.

[T-Billy]

38 minutes ago, ApexAZ said:

I also plan to get a left hand retrieve, simply because that's what I'm used to with fly rods and spinners and I haven't formed any hand switching habits.

That's how I roll. Switching hands never made a lick of sense to me.

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, T-Billy said:

That's how I roll. Switching hands never made a lick of sense to me.

Same reason - but RH casting and switch the handles on my spinning to the right side...cast with my left.

[WRB]

The US Open just finished at lake Mojave NV and won by Josh Bertum with 61.78 lbs of Smallmouth bass caught using “spinning tackle” w/ 6 lb FC line and Berkley Flatworms, 20’-40’ of water.

All the top finishers were using spinning tackle and drop shot rigs.

Spinning tackle rules finesse bass fishing in deep rocky clear water desert lakes.

Tom