Recommend my next Fishing Rod

[Shadowx]

I have been getting back into bass fishing over the last year. I recently bought two new rods, a Dobyns baitcaster and a Tatula drop shot rod. I also have a couple older cheaper rods. I was wondering if you had the set ups I have, what would be your next purchase? I went out yesterday and the bass were around the shallow weeds. I didn't have any luck with frogs on the Dobyns so switched to 1/4 oz texas rigged worm on it and 1/4oz dropshot on the Tatula. I got some fish with each, but the fish were really hitting the weightless superflukes. I had the flukes on the Star rod, which is a long handled surf rod so that wasn't working out for me very well (I was in a kayak). Now that I can actually tell the difference between rods, I want to leave my Star surf rod home and get something else to bring in addition to the Dobyns, the Tatula and the cheap medium rod.  Would you recommend a rod for fluke, or could I use one of the rods I have now for that and you'd recommend I get something else for another application? The rods I have are below. Thanks! 

 

Tatula 7' Drop shot rod, 20lb braid.

Dobyns Sierra 735c Rod with a Tatula 100 BC reel and 50lb suffix 832 braid 
A two piece  7'6" medium action Star Stellar spinning rod rated for 10-20lb line 1/2-1 1/2 oz lures with a Diawa BG 3000 reel and 20lb powerpro braid.

A cheap 6' Medium spinning combo
A cheap 5' light spinning combo

[Pogues2300]

I personally would get something in the 7’-7’3”ish range in medium heavy fast casting. If I knew your budget could recommend some or if you already like Dobyns pick one from whatever price range you want although I’ve never personally owned one. 

[Shadowx]

36 minutes ago, Pogues2300 said:

I personally would get something in the 7’-7’3”ish range in medium heavy fast casting. If I knew your budget could recommend some or if you already like Dobyns pick one from whatever price range you want although I’ve never personally owned one. 

Why would you buy that? What would you use it for? Im looking to figure out what the biggest ‘hole’ in my setups are and buy a new rod to give me the ability to fish baits I can’t effectively fish now. I’m probably not going to spend more that $150 for the rod itself. 

[Pogues2300]

Because it is such a versatile rod. I fish weightless flukes on my nrx 873 crr although I do use a super line ewg which is just a bit heavier than standard hook. It’s a  7’3” medium heavy fast rod. They have Dobyns series just below or above your price point or there’s Daiwa Tatula . Tons of techniques you can do with those rods that would fill holes. 

[garroyo130]

13 minutes ago, Shadowx said:

Why would you buy that? What would you use it for? Im looking to figure out what the biggest ‘hole’ in my setups are and buy a new rod to give me the ability to fish baits I can’t effectively fish now. I’m probably not going to spend more that $150 for the rod itself. 

 

When I first started I too wanted to have rods and reels to effectively fish as many baits as possible. If I were to do it all over again, I would focus on what I like to throw and upgrade those rods and reels vs buying more stuff for a specific technique that I wont use often (frogs for me).

[Shadowx]

25 minutes ago, garroyo130 said:

 

When I first started I too wanted to have rods and reels to effectively fish as many baits as possible. If I were to do it all over again, I would focus on what I like to throw and upgrade those rods and reels vs buying more stuff for a specific technique that I wont use often (frogs for me).

That’s originally why I started the topic. I’m curious to know what rod would best round out my setups but also think I need something geared for fluke. Would one of the rods I have now work well for fluke, or would you get something else? I ask because I’ve had a lot of hits on the fluke and since it’s totally weedlees I feel like it’s going to be one of the main presentations I use.

31 minutes ago, Pogues2300 said:

Because it is such a versatile rod. I fish weightless flukes on my nrx 873 crr although I do use a super line ewg which is just a bit heavier than standard hook. It’s a  7’3” medium heavy fast rod. They have Dobyns series just below or above your price point or there’s Daiwa Tatula . Tons of techniques you can do with those rods that would fill holes. 

Oh ok. I had no idea you were talking about fluke fishing because I was under the impression most people used spinning in M or ML for throwing flukes. Thanks.

[Pogues2300]

20 minutes ago, Shadowx said:

That’s originally why I started the topic. I’m curious to know what rod would best round out my setups but also think I need something geared for fluke. Would one of the rods I have now work well for fluke, or would you get something else? I ask because I’ve had a lot of hits on the fluke and since it’s totally weedlees I feel like it’s going to be one of the main presentations I use.

Oh ok. I had no idea you were talking about fluke fishing because I was under the impression most people used spinning in M or ML for throwing flukes. Thanks.

I’m sure plenty do depending on how they have it rigged. I just wanted to identify a rod you didn’t already own that could be used for a fluke as well as many other techniques. Personally if I had to only pick three rods a medium heavy fast casting rod would be one. I probably use that the most now that I think of it along with a crank bait rod and a medium spinning rod.

[TOXIC]

Do you stand or sit in your yak? My brother in law asked me to outfit him and I did, just like fishing from my boat.  He had trouble with DShads (flukes) setting the hook.  Had to drop down to a 6’8” or shorter to give him the ability to get a good hookset while sitting in his yak.  Same with a Senko.  

[dodgeguy]

If you stand I would get a sierra microguide7-3 735 flipping stick. Can't beat the quality of the warranty for that price. Some  50 LB. Vicious No Fade Braid and away you go 

[Pogues2300]

6 minutes ago, dodgeguy said:

If you stand I would get a sierra microguide7-3 735 flipping stick. Can't beat the quality of the warranty for that price. Some  50 LB. Vicious No Fade Braid and away you go 

He stated he already owns a Sierra 735. also I fish from a kayak and do a mix of standing and sitting and all my rods are 7’ and over longest being 7’6” and have zero issues with those lengths setting the hook or working the bait standing or sitting but suppose everyone is different. 

[Shadowx]

1 hour ago, TOXIC said:

Do you stand or sit in your yak? My brother in law asked me to outfit him and I did, just like fishing from my boat.  He had trouble with DShads (flukes) setting the hook.  Had to drop down to a 6’8” or shorter to give him the ability to get a good hookset while sitting in his yak.  Same with a Senko.  

I sit in the kayak. Why would a shorter rod be better for hooksets? I would think the opposite. The issue I had wasn’t the length of the rod it was the length of the handle between the reel and the butt of the rod. It’s so long it bumps into my body.

1 hour ago, dodgeguy said:

If you stand I would get a sierra microguide7-3 735 flipping stick. Can't beat the quality of the warranty for that price. Some  50 LB. Vicious No Fade Braid and away you go 

Like the next poster said that is one rod I own. Would you use that for fluke? I’ve done it and it works fine but I don’t know if it’s ideal.

[dodgeguy]

If you stand I would get a sierra microguide7-3 735 flipping stick. Can't beat the quality of the warranty for that price. Some  50 LB. Vicious No Fade Braid . Do yns run soft so I'd use a 734 for a fluke. By judging by the rods you have I think you could use a stiffer one in your lineup.

[Shadowx]

2 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

If you stand I would get a sierra microguide7-3 735 flipping stick. Can't beat the quality of the warranty for that price. Some  50 LB. Vicious No Fade Braid . Do yns run soft so I'd use a 734 for a fluke. By judging by the rods you have I think you could use a stiffer one in your lineup.

Alright well since I already have one I probably won’t buy another one. Maybe I’ll keep a fluke on that and think about a rod that would be better for Texas rigged worms or senko’s.

[optimator]

43 minutes ago, Shadowx said:

Alright well since I already have one I probably won’t buy another one. Maybe I’ll keep a fluke on that and think about a rod that would be better for Texas rigged worms or senko’s.

That’s what I would do. 7-7 3 MH that fits your budget. A spinning rod, a MH & that 735 would cover a lot of baits.

[djhands]

I have a 6'8" mxf legend extreme.  It's an amazing fluke, small top water, and small crankbaits.

[dodgeguy]

9 hours ago, Shadowx said:

Alright well since I already have one I probably won’t buy another one. Maybe I’ll keep a fluke on that and think about a rod that would be better for Texas rigged worms or senko’s.

I usea 734 for senkos and worms .

[rangerjockey]

The drop shot rod will cover ned rigs and light shaky heads also.

That 735 is a pretty stout rod so the way to go would be a MH in the length of your choosing.

Spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, jigs and worms as well as bigger topwaters in a pinch.

[TOXIC]

20 hours ago, Shadowx said:

I sit in the kayak. Why would a shorter rod be better for hooksets? I would think the opposite. The issue I had wasn’t the length of the rod it was the length of the handle between the reel and the butt of the rod. It’s so long it bumps into my body.

It’s all about mechanics and range of motion.  A longer rod will  take more backbone to effectively set the hook from a sitting position where you have a limited range of motion and for DShads and Senkos which are designed to be a finesse presentation, you can’t get as hard of a hookset with the longer rods unless you are standing.  A shorter rod allows for more range of motion with a more finesse rod.  I can’t comment on those who use 50lb braid and a 10lb leader because that has always been counter to my way of finesse fishing and seems to be more the norm nowadays.??

[GetFishorDieTryin]

It would either be a 6'10-7'1 M F for lighter single hook baits, like finesse jigs, flukes, mojo rigs square bills, JBs/topwater and lipless.  

The other possibility would be a MH modF or slower F for spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, swimjigs, T rigs and bigger treble hook baits like mid diving cranks and lipless 1/2 and over. 

 

[Shadowx]

It seems like some people prefer lighter rods for fluke and some prefer medium heavy so I’m not sure what to make of that. What is the best use for a cheap 6’ medium spinning combo? Why would that not be good for fluke? If this combo can be used for something like top water or something where sensitivity doesn’t matter then I won’t need to get a pricey rod for that. Thanks.

[garroyo130]

18 minutes ago, Shadowx said:

What is the best use for a cheap 6’ medium spinning combo?

 

Inline spinners, small jerkbaits/crankbaits

[softwateronly]

How do you fish/rig your flukes? Texsposed 5” in or around cover definitely prefer a M+ for me. Nose hooked?  M or ML spinning / casting.  I like the backbone for punching thru the bait. 
 

scott

[Shadowx]

2 hours ago, softwateronly said:

How do you fish/rig your flukes? Texsposed 5” in or around cover definitely prefer a M+ for me. Nose hooked?  M or ML spinning / casting.  I like the backbone for punching thru the bait. 
 

scott

That makes a lot of sense. I actually haven’t tried nose hooking them before I usually use it when I want something totally weedless. I Texpose them. Nose hooking would probably help my hookup ratio I missed two good ones the other day.

[1984isNOW]

8 hours ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

 

The other possibility would be a MH modF or slower F for spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, swimjigs, T rigs and bigger treble hook baits like mid diving cranks and lipless 1/2 and over. 

 

I got a Croix Victory 7'2 MHMF and freakin love how it feels for spinnerbaits and chatterbaits, even swim jigs (although I think I'd like a touch more power). I use this every time I get out. I'm exploring it for jigs, but no verdict yet, but it will also, as it's designed, be great for just about any Treble hook bait within its casting range save for a jerkbait due to its length. That's what my 6'9 Fitzgerald Versa is for, also the chatterbaits and such.

 

 

2 hours ago, Shadowx said:

It seems like some people prefer lighter rods for fluke and some prefer medium heavy so I’m not sure what to make of that. What is the best use for a cheap 6’ medium spinning combo? Why would that not be good for fluke? If this combo can be used for something like top water or something where sensitivity doesn’t matter then I won’t need to get a pricey rod for that. Thanks.

 

For fluke style baits I've learned I don't like anything over 6'10. I have a 6'10 MXf SLX (casting) I fluke with and like a lot and for some denser cover a 6'9 MHF Cadence Fishing (casting) that performed quite well for its price point.   

 

Here's part of the problem, when someone recommends a medium or medium heavy rod it actually doesn't mean anything. St. CROIX MHf, Looms MHf, Dobys MHf, Abu Garcia MHf all feel different even at the same length. There is no standard.

 

What brand is your 6ft rod? It could certainly be used for flukes, so long as it has enough backbone for hook sets and fast enough to present properly. But it might be too light or limp... try it. See how it feels, then you'll know. 

 

I recommend looking into building your own rod. A little more investment up front, although there's plenty of ways around that. And if you like to fish, which you seem to do, you'll eventually be posting about making another rod for some other technique.

 

If you have no interest in building (at least look into it a bit, it's freakin sweet!) Then here's what to look for in a fluke rod:

 

1. On the shorter side to help with presentation, the short twitches are much easier to control under 7 ft.

 

2 . Medium for sparse cover MH for denser cover. Again this is a little subjective, but feel what you have and think do you want more power/it's perfect/ or it's a little much.

 

3. Fast or XF to twitch and move the fluke with short movements, plus gets the backbone hook set quicker.

 

4. Shorter rods often have shorter grip lengths, but not always so check the grip length. I got a 6'10 medium xf spinning to use when it's too junkbout to use my SLX casting. Problem is the handle is like 14 inches or something wicked freakin stupid so I hate it for flukes. I'd say 10 inches is but everybody is different with different length arms and different size bellies.

 

Doesn't need to be top of the line, but could be and you could certainly multi purpose the rod. I really like the 6'10 MXf for light jigs and t-rigs, flukes, spinnerbaits, shaky heads, and small swimbait/paddle tails. You don't need tons pend a lot but there is a certain amount of feel and lightness you get when you spend a little more. Then there's a point where spending more doesn't get you that much more... law of diminishing returns.

 

Or you could build it yourself, measure your arm and hold the blank so you know exactly where you like the grip to sit, make the rod custom fit you and how you fish. You can make high quality rods without paying the jacked up prices to cover their overhead. Just sayin

 

 

 

[Shadowx]

On 6/13/2023 at 1:03 AM, Kites R4 Skyfishing said:

I got a Croix Victory 7'2 MHMF and freakin love how it feels for spinnerbaits and chatterbaits, even swim jigs (although I think I'd like a touch more power). I use this every time I get out. I'm exploring it for jigs, but no verdict yet, but it will also, as it's designed, be great for just about any Treble hook bait within its casting range save for a jerkbait due to its length. That's what my 6'9 Fitzgerald Versa is for, also the chatterbaits and such.

 

 

 

For fluke style baits I've learned I don't like anything over 6'10. I have a 6'10 MXf SLX (casting) I fluke with and like a lot and for some denser cover a 6'9 MHF Cadence Fishing (casting) that performed quite well for its price point.   

 

Here's part of the problem, when someone recommends a medium or medium heavy rod it actually doesn't mean anything. St. CROIX MHf, Looms MHf, Dobys MHf, Abu Garcia MHf all feel different even at the same length. There is no standard.

 

What brand is your 6ft rod? It could certainly be used for flukes, so long as it has enough backbone for hook sets and fast enough to present properly. But it might be too light or limp... try it. See how it feels, then you'll know. 

 

I recommend looking into building your own rod. A little more investment up front, although there's plenty of ways around that. And if you like to fish, which you seem to do, you'll eventually be posting about making another rod for some other technique.

 

If you have no interest in building (at least look into it a bit, it's freakin sweet!) Then here's what to look for in a fluke rod:

 

1. On the shorter side to help with presentation, the short twitches are much easier to control under 7 ft.

 

2 . Medium for sparse cover MH for denser cover. Again this is a little subjective, but feel what you have and think do you want more power/it's perfect/ or it's a little much.

 

3. Fast or XF to twitch and move the fluke with short movements, plus gets the backbone hook set quicker.

 

4. Shorter rods often have shorter grip lengths, but not always so check the grip length. I got a 6'10 medium xf spinning to use when it's too junkbout to use my SLX casting. Problem is the handle is like 14 inches or something wicked freakin stupid so I hate it for flukes. I'd say 10 inches is but everybody is different with different length arms and different size bellies.

 

Doesn't need to be top of the line, but could be and you could certainly multi purpose the rod. I really like the 6'10 MXf for light jigs and t-rigs, flukes, spinnerbaits, shaky heads, and small swimbait/paddle tails. You don't need tons pend a lot but there is a certain amount of feel and lightness you get when you spend a little more. Then there's a point where spending more doesn't get you that much more... law of diminishing returns.

 

Or you could build it yourself, measure your arm and hold the blank so you know exactly where you like the grip to sit, make the rod custom fit you and how you fish. You can make high quality rods without paying the jacked up prices to cover their overhead. Just sayin

 

 

 

Thank you. The medium rod I have is like a $50 Quantum Fusion or something like that from Dicks. 

"I got a 6'10 medium xf spinning to use when it's too junkbout to use my SLX casting."
- What does this mean?

I'm leaning towards a 6'10" medium for medium sparse cover because people have been saying shorter is better for this. But I'm still confused if I should go with a casting or a spinning set up.