Senko/ fluke rod

[RippinLips2t]

So i’m sure this has been talked about before but i’m hoping someone could be some help. I’m in the market for an all purpose medium spinning rod, mostly for flukes and wacky senkos. other uses would be an occasional ned, shakyhead, in-line spinners/ 1/4oz spinnerbaits and small crankbaits. I had a st.croix triumph 7’mf  and didn’t care for the lack of sensitivity, moved on to a mojo bass 6’8 mxf and the tip snapped putting line on… I decided to switch to a dobyns fury 7’mf and it also snapped 2/3 way up on a hookset. I like sixgills but find them heavy. any suggestions for something versatile with a little backbone that isn’t fragile?  i prefer a medium under 7’1. getting tired of wasting money. 

[MN Fisher]

3 minutes ago, RippinLips2t said:

moved on to a mojo bass 6’8 mxf and the tip snapped putting line on… I decided to switch to a dobyns fury 7’mf and it also snapped 2/3 way up on a hookset.

Have you done the warranty claims on those?

 

I have the Fury 703SF and it's been a great rod for weightless plastics and weighted wacky.

[PhishLI]

I've had a $100 Tatula XT 7' MF for nearly 5 years and haven't been especially kind to it. Caught plenty of fish using it, and few legit tanks too. Zero problems. I have the 6'6" also. Same thing.

[N Florida Mike]

 My fluke / senko rod is a 6.6 medium ugly stik. I hav caught a few thousand bass on my 25 year old one. It is virtually indestructible, inexpensive, moderate sensitivity, and has what I feel is good backbone… It doesn’t have prestige but it works for me…

[RippinLips2t]

9 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Have you done the warranty claims on those?

 

I have the Fury 703SF and it's been a great rod for weightless plastics and weighted wacky.

i returned both rods to bass pro and got my cash back. that 703sf is what snapped on a hookset.

10 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

I've had a $100 Tatula XT 7' MF for nearly 5 years and haven't been especially kind to it. Caught plenty of fish using it, and few legit tanks too. Zero problems. I have the 6'6" also. Same thing.

i’ve heard those are good rods. you don’t find yourself having to be especially mindful of angle. i think that’s one of my biggest issues with higher-end blanks.

3 minutes ago, RippinLips2t said:

i returned both rods to bass pro and got my cash back. that 703sf is what snapped on a hookset.

i’ve heard those are good rods. you don’t find yourself having to be especially mindful of angle. i think that’s one of my biggest issues with higher-end blanks.

that was meant to be a question with angle haha 

[Big Hands]

I think there are differences in the way some of us fish with wacky Senkos. I tend to want all the casting distance I can get for this technique. I don't think everyone else has this as a high priority for this technique. There could be other factors that make it so my favorite rod for wacky senko fishing might be different from somebody else's.

 

I can't imagine setting the hook hard enough to break a rod while fishing a wacky rigged senko with the rod I use, even if I tried.

 

I use hooks that I also use for nose hooking dropshot baits. Small hooks that are more apt to be pulled completely out of the basses mouth using a Chuck Norris style hookset. I set the hook similarly to how I do with a dropshot as well. Reel up into them and pull up (or back) firmly when I feel the weight of the fish. My reel has 10 lb braid to 7 lb fluoro. I don't think I'll be breaking a rod on a hookset. 

 

Then I looked at your profile, and it clicked for me. You're fishing in Florida. I'm fishing a deep relatively open water highland reservoir in California. So, I will just sit back and try to learn how others do this in other conditions than I am usually fishing in.

[Jar11591]

Fenwick Elite. The 7’ MF makes a great senko rod. It’s more sensitive in my hands than other rods at similar or slightly higher price points.

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/catpage-FENWIK.html?from=basres

[RippinLips2t]

1 hour ago, PhishLI said:

I've had a $100 Tatula XT 7' MF for nearly 5 years and haven't been especially kind to it. Caught plenty of fish using it, and few legit tanks too. Zero problems. I have the 6'6" also. Same thing.

highly debating ordering one right now for $100, nervous it’s going to be less tough than i need though. can you say with confidence it won’t pull a st.croix on me? ?

[FishTank]

I have a Med Fast St.Croix Mojo yak and it has sort of been my beater rod when I am kayak fishing.  It can stand up to some abuse, the sensitivity is ok, the tip is soft which makes it versatile,  and it has plenty of backbone to land fish.

[PhishLI]

38 minutes ago, RippinLips2t said:

highly debating ordering one right now for $100, nervous it’s going to be less tough than i need though. can you say with confidence it won’t pull a st.croix on me?

I'm confident in saying that I've caught plenty of fish including a 7lb bass on each rod plus several monster pickerel in quite choked out conditions, and neither has broken yet in over 5 years. The last thing I'm thinking about when I hook into something with some weight is proper rod etiquette, and I'm nearly always dragging them back in through something thick. No lost inserts. Nothing. I'm not worried about it.

 

Here's what my waters look like.

 

 

 

[RippinLips2t]

19 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

I'm confident in saying that I've caught plenty of fish including a 7lb bass on each rod plus several monster pickerel in quite choked out conditions, and neither has broken yet in over 5 years. The last thing I'm thinking about when I hook into something with some weight is proper rod etiquette, and I'm nearly always dragging them back in through something thick. No lost inserts. Nothing. I'm not worried about it.

 

Here's what my waters look like.

 

 

 

looks like i may be ordering one tonight.

[PhishLI]

1 minute ago, RippinLips2t said:

looks like i may be ordering one tonight.

Use Tactical Bassin's Tackle Warehouse code for 20% off. https://bit.ly/3yIhTdM Buy something small to get you over $100. Good til the 24th.

[RippinLips2t]

12 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Use Tactical Bassin's Tackle Warehouse code for 20% off. https://bit.ly/3yIhTdM Buy something small to get you over $100. Good til the 24th.

will do, thanks!

[JackstrawIII]

I’ve always been very pleased with the St Croix Premier 7’ MF that I use for weightless (and some Texas rigged) plastics. 
 

As far as breaking rods… I’m pretty surprised at your experience. Sorry man. 

[RippinLips2t]

20 hours ago, JackstrawIII said:

I’ve always been very pleased with the St Croix Premier 7’ MF that I use for weightless (and some Texas rigged) plastics. 
 

As far as breaking rods… I’m pretty surprised at your experience. Sorry man. 

maybe it’s just bad luck, i know some will get damaged while on the way to the store/ being stocked. i’m not too hard on my rods i don’t think.

[Boomstick]

On 10/21/2022 at 1:08 PM, RippinLips2t said:

mojo bass 6’8 mxf and the tip snapped putting line on

I have the 6'8" M/XF casting rod. My kid broke mine on a weed when I let him use it and St Croix replaced it under warranty pretty quickly and no issues since.

 

My #1 rod for this is my Daiwa Tatula Elite 7' M/F Brent Ehrler dropshot rod. It's a finesse-style medium and generally throws anything I normally throw on spinning gear pretty well.

 

My second is a now discontinued St Croix Avid X 6'9" ML/XF which has slightly less power but it's pretty close.

[NYWayfarer]

St Croix Triumph would be my recommendation.

 

 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

It sounds like you are going to have a hard time finding a rod that wont break.  The early mojo and mojo inshore with the SC2 blanks aren't easy to break.  I preordered a gen 1 DS rod and beat it to death until last March before retiring it.  There's a video on YT of a guy that was testing the lifting power a ML Mojo Inshore.  I wouldn't have believed it if I didnt see it, but it took like 15lb to fold it.  

You have a couple options.  Either get an ugly stick or go with a company that has excelent customer service and replacement plans.  Both SC and Dobyns are really good about replacements even if it is your fault.  I would recommend contacting SC to see if you couldn't get a new Mojo as that 6'8 XF is ideal.  13 fishing has excellent customer service as well.  I know 2 people who have gotten free replacements after breaking rods, which in both cases were 100% user error.