Do they make a casting rod that would allow me to easily throw a 3/8 oz squarebill as well as jackhammers/spooks/spinnerbaits?

[Ohioguy25]

I currently have a mojo bass 7’ medium heavy moderate fast paired with a Curado 200XGK as my “do everything” casting setup. I keep it spooled with 14 lb Trilene XL to cover this wide range of lures, which while not ideal for some presentations is easy to cast and work with and inexpensive.

 

I cannot seem to throw a KVD 1.5 or any 3/8 oz crank very far on this setup for some reason without adjusting the breaks or spool tension every time I switch baits which is a pain in the ass. I am stuck with 1/2 oz or heavier crank baits to get any sort of casting distance which is very limiting. I am assuming this is because the rod is too heavy? I know St Croix are underrated power wise, I’m wondering if a Fury or Champion may offer more flexibility in this regard.

 

What power rod do you crank with? I’m on a kayak so sort of limited to only 4 setups hence why I am trying to squeeze so many applications into this one rod.

[MediumMouthBass]

For me the reel is just as equal as the rod.

 

I have a Dobyns Fury 733c paired with a Shimano SLX MGL 70.

I use my 733c sometimes for 3/8oz chatterbaits (i like fast rods for them), and also 3/8oz swim jigs, when im not using those its  1/8, 3/16, and 1/4oz texas rigs.

It casts them all very easily and very far.

 

The 733c is a inbetween of a medium and medium heavy rod, i think if you got their cranking equivalent of it, it would be exactly what you want.

 

Also this is a great rod for walking baits, like the Heddon Zara's or Strike King Dawg's, ive used it alot for them from time to time.

 

Also from my experience my 7' rods are bad for distance, regardless of what reel, line, or lure im using. A 7'3" rod makes such a difference.

[new2BC4bass]

31 minutes ago, MediumMouthBass said:

Also from my experience my 7' rods are bad for distance, regardless of what reel, line, or lure im using. A 7'3" rod makes such a difference.

 

Although I agree a longer rod should get more distance, I have to disagree that all 7' rods are bad for distance.  I've emptied over half a spool of line on a reel that was rated for 135 yards of the diameter line I was using.  And I fill my spools to the bevel, not the 1/16-1/8 inch below the rim as many manufacturer pamphlets suggest.  Jupiter 7' MHF, 3/4 oz. spoon, Gen1 STXL, 40# Sufix Performance braid.

 

First time out with my new Salamandua on an Elite Tech Smallmouth 6'10" MH-MF with 5/8 oz. lipless crankbait was almost emptying the spool of 12# mono.  Guy fishing next to me said he couldn't cast that far with his spinning rod and a 1 oz. lure.

 

Before it got stolen my old Hurricane Redbone 7' ML rated 3/8-3/4 oz. would cast a 3/8 oz. crankbait quite far.  Reel: Primmus HS Xi with 12# AN40.

 

OP, I'm sure you know that St Croix rods fish heavier than rated according to many people.  Just like many Abu rods.  I have a 7'6" MHF Villain rated 3/8 to 1-1/4 oz. that I won't fish less than 1/2 oz.

 

I've said this before.  I watched a guy cast a 1/8 oz. lure (actual weight unknown) on a 7' MHF St, Croix with an E-series Curado.  No backlash.  Don't recall distance he got.  He has the most powerful cast I've ever personally witnessed.

 

I think you need a Daiwa Tatula (not an SV) or an older Helios Air.  You can't buy one of my Primmus reels. 

 

[gulfcaptain]

So I would say the reel is more an issue with 14lb mono on it depending on brake set up (disclaimer....I never have any braking options on ever). Have you thought about swapping to braid with 14lb leader? Also look into Falcons bucco line.  Their 7" mh mod fast is set up as a "trap caster", it's a good all around rod. I've thrown everything on it from plastics to cranks,  spinnerbaits, small topwaters. If you go braid you'll get a bit more distance with 30lb braid to 14 leader then straight 14lb.  

[rangerjockey]

It's going to vary from rod to rod. I use a medium power for 1.5's and wiggle warts in the brand I use.

If you can't cast the bait and can't feel it load, then that's a good indication that particular rod is too tight for the bait your trying to fish.

Adjusting the brakes is part of the deal. It should only take 2 or 3 casts.

[Ohioguy25]

4 hours ago, new2BC4bass said:

 

Although I agree a longer rod should get more distance, I have to disagree that all 7' rods are bad for distance.  I've emptied over half a spool of line on a reel that was rated for 135 yards of the diameter line I was using.  And I fill my spools to the bevel, not the 1/16-1/8 inch below the rim as many manufacturer pamphlets suggest.  Jupiter 7' MHF, 3/4 oz. spoon, Gen1 STXL, 40# Sufix Performance braid.

 

First time out with my new Salamandua on an Elite Tech Smallmouth 6'10" MH-MF with 5/8 oz. lipless crankbait was almost emptying the spool of 12# mono.  Guy fishing next to me said he couldn't cast that far with his spinning rod and a 1 oz. lure.

 

Before it got stolen my old Hurricane Redbone 7' ML rated 3/8-3/4 oz. would cast a 3/8 oz. crankbait quite far.  Reel: Primmus HS Xi with 12# AN40.

 

OP, I'm sure you know that St Croix rods fish heavier than rated according to many people.  Just like many Abu rods.  I have a 7'6" MHF Villain rated 3/8 to 1-1/4 oz. that I won't fish less than 1/2 oz.

 

I've said this before.  I watched a guy cast a 1/8 oz. lure (actual weight unknown) on a 7' MHF St, Croix with an E-series Curado.  No backlash.  Don't recall distance he got.  He has the most powerful cast I've ever personally witnessed.

 

I think you need a Daiwa Tatula (not an SV) or an older Helios Air.  You can't buy one of my Primmus reels. 

 

So you think my reel is more the issue or my rod? I was thinking what you said originally, that St. Croix being overpowered was my issue, as there shouldn’t be a dramatic difference between a Curado and a Tatula. Both have same adjustments available.

 

Are there rods with a wider range of lure ratings, ie 1/4 - 1 oz or even 3/4?

2 hours ago, gulfcaptain said:

So I would say the reel is more an issue with 14lb mono on it depending on brake set up (disclaimer....I never have any braking options on ever). Have you thought about swapping to braid with 14lb leader? Also look into Falcons bucco line.  Their 7" mh mod fast is set up as a "trap caster", it's a good all around rod. I've thrown everything on it from plastics to cranks,  spinnerbaits, small topwaters. If you go braid you'll get a bit more distance with 30lb braid to 14 leader then straight 14lb.  

So you think the reel itself or the line?

[gulfcaptain]

Don't think it's your reel, it's more the 14lb mono. That is gonna restrict what you can do and distance especially using a braking system or depending on how you have your brakes. Can you fish your 1/2oz baits on the same settings as the 3/8 squarebill? The lighter the line fished the better distance you get.  Hence why I use braid to leader. I can jump up line size but yet keep a full reel of line due the the Dia of the braid used. 14lb if you are trying to cast say honestly 20yrds  your spoil size is shrinking as it goes dramatically due to line thickness. Most reels claim 125yrds of 12lb, so figure maybe 100yrds of 14lb, I'd say probably closer to 90. The more line on the spool the further the cast. Less revolutions of the spool.

 

 

 

[ironbjorn]

I currently do all of that on 6'10" MH/F Shimano Zodias when I hit the banks. Pretty much any MH or 4 power rod will do all of this. I used to do all of that on a Dobyns Champ XP 684.

[DaubsNU1]

For what it's worth...most of my casting rods are Cabela's branded from the early 1990's, paired with old Shimano Curado's from same era...

 

 

20lb power pro. 

 

I can send KVD 1.5's a long, long way. 

 

Truth be told, I've switched to spinning gear for my square bills...spooled with 10 lb braid, to 8 lb fluoro leader. Gives me an extra ~15-20% more casting distance. 

[Ohioguy25]

2 hours ago, DaubsNU1 said:

For what it's worth...most of my casting rods are Cabela's branded from the early 1990's, paired with old Shimano Curado's from same era...

 

 

20lb power pro. 

 

I can send KVD 1.5's a long, long way. 

 

Truth be told, I've switched to spinning gear for my square bills...spooled with 10 lb braid, to 8 lb fluoro leader. Gives me an extra ~15-20% more casting distance. 

Gotcha, man maybe I need to get over the braid birds nest learning curve. So with 14 lb mono you would prob struggle as well to throw a KVD 1.5?

[MediumMouthBass]

9 hours ago, Ohioguy25 said:

So you think my reel is more the issue or my rod? I was thinking what you said originally, that St. Croix being overpowered was my issue, as there shouldn’t be a dramatic difference between a Curado and a Tatula. Both have same adjustments available.

 

Are there rods with a wider range of lure ratings, ie 1/4 - 1 oz or even 3/4?

That Dobyns rod i recommended is 1/4-3/4 ratings

And it can do lighter or heavier then those ratings with no issues.

 

And the reel can either be a huge part of it, or not at all.

When is the last time you cleaned it? I had a Tatula CT that used to cast to the point i was almost always getting within 2' of the trees on the other side of the bank, now it needs a cleaning very badly since it cant even get half of that.

5 hours ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Gotcha, man maybe I need to get over the braid birds nest learning curve. So with 14 lb mono you would prob struggle as well to throw a KVD 1.5?

Try switching to 10-12lb Hybrid line, similar diameter to mono but has far better breaking strength, atleast for me. the 12lb would have the same feel as 14lb but have better casting distance.

I tried mono but i felt a difference in strength when ripping chatterbaits out of grass.

 

I have 30lb Braid on my MGL i mentioned above, the learning curves not too bad, i started using a baitcaster with it. (Black Max) i cant get as good distance as with Hybrid but its close enough, plus its easier to cast for me.

Idk how shallow or deep your reels spool is but braid would give you alot more line than any mono/hybrid equivalent.

 

I personally have different rods for certain purposes, ill throw my 1.5s usually on a medium cranking rod, but sometimes ill go out with only a few combos and just throw them on whatever has a lure tied on i dont like anymore for that day.

 

If you have to throw them on the same combo (as a kayak angler i understand only being able to bring so many) maybe you should look into the new SLX MGL. The MGL spool can cast lighter lures really far and with little to no backlash, even using braid. But it can also fish heavy lures with just adjusting the spool tension. Amazing reel, its my 2nd favorite reel now next to my Zillion.

I would actually be using mine for jerkbaits and crankbaits if it wasnt in the 7 speed ratio....

[new2BC4bass]

As gulfcaptain said, thinner line will increase casting distance.  As rangerjockey said, if the rod isn't loading properly, distance is going to suffer.  Also the rod not loading properly probably will cause you backlash problems as you try to compensate by casting harder.  Which may cause your casting stroke to lose some of its smoothness.  Which can cause backlashing.

 

Personally I use a lot of 12# on MH rods.  It takes a lot to break the line when snagged.  More pressure than I could ever exert with the rod.  I don't have to worry about toothy critters (other than alligators).  Lake bottoms where I fish are weedy or muddy so line abrasion is not a problem.  14# would be okay on the right rod.

 

I was 61 when I started using a baitcaster.  I will never be able to cast with zero brakes like the guys that started using baitcast reels when there were no brakes on them.

[webertime]

Evergreen Combat Stick 7ft2in Moving Bait/Shower Blows rod.

[GReb]

Falcon trap caster or head Turner models

[DaubsNU1]

9 hours ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Gotcha, man maybe I need to get over the braid birds nest learning curve. So with 14 lb mono you would prob struggle as well to throw a KVD 1.5?

 

Keep the 14lb mono for backing...then spool up some braid. 

 

I absolutely hated my casting rods with mono...birds-nests all the time. Switched to braid in like 1992, and have never looked back. It will take some getting used to, and dialing in your reel...but once you get the hang of it...game changer. 

 

I'm sure the newer casting reels are much better than my old Shimano's...I keep finding used Curado's on ebay...I like the feel, and can work on them (okay, sort of), and can cast them just fine.

[gulfcaptain]

54 minutes ago, GReb said:

Falcon trap caster or head Turner models

Trap caster.

[new2BC4bass]

1 hour ago, GReb said:

Falcon trap caster or head Turner models

Although I don't need anymore rods, I think these two will be the last ones I buy.

[GReb]

31 minutes ago, new2BC4bass said:

Although I don't need anymore rods, I think these two will be the last ones I buy.

I’ll offer you a sweet package deal for buccu trap caster and expert head Turner. I have too many 

[PhishLI]

On 5/10/2024 at 10:51 PM, Ohioguy25 said:

I currently have a mojo bass 7’ medium heavy moderate fast paired with a Curado 200XGK as my “do everything” casting setup.

 

On 5/10/2024 at 10:51 PM, Ohioguy25 said:

I cannot seem to throw a KVD 1.5 or any 3/8 oz crank very far on this setup for some reason without adjusting the breaks or spool tension every time I switch baits which is a pain in the ass. I am stuck with 1/2 oz or heavier crank baits to get any sort of casting distance which is very limiting.

The Curado K is the problem in this equation, IMO. It's a true 200 sized reel where its fully loaded spool is heavy. Some heavier spools with particular braking systems don't like lighter baits, especially if you're not using thumb heavy presentations but instead trying to launch lighter baits for distance where you don't want to lean on the spool at all. With all of the gushing this reel received when it came out, I was surprised myself by its limitations. It's easily my least favorite reel as an all-arounder. However, used with baits weighted properly to its wheelhouse it's fine. But even then, it leans towards the somewhat touchy side compared to other reels I have, and I have a truckload for comparison.

[Ohioguy25]

2 hours ago, PhishLI said:

 

The Curado K is the problem in this equation, IMO. It's a true 200 sized reel where its fully loaded spool is heavy. Some heavier spools with particular braking systems don't like lighter baits, especially if you're not using thumb heavy presentations but instead trying to launch lighter baits for distance where you don't want to lean on the spool at all. With all of the gushing this reel received when it came out, I was surprised myself by its limitations. It's easily my least favorite reel as an all-arounder. However, used with baits weighted properly to its wheelhouse it's fine. But even then, it leans towards the somewhat touchy side compared to other reels I have, and I have a truckload for comparison.

What would you recommend for a replacement?

[FrnkNsteen]

Is the 7' Mojo MHMF labeled as the "Spinnerbait" rod? If so, that really is the only Mojo rod I really like. I have two of them and I love them for what I use them for. Caught a 50" Musky on one of them witha Zillion SV and craw colored OG Slim a couple years ago! Took a while, but it did it fine!

 

They DO have a soft tip and seem a little light to me for a spinnerbait or chatterbaits over 3/8oz. I've used them for lighter chatterbaits with some success.

 

I actually think they work really nice for medium depth crankbaits and whopperploppers. I have thrown a lot of Rapala OG6 Slim and Roccos, and currently have both of mine set up with old school Team Daiwa Fuegos throwing whopper Plopper/Choppo 90's with 15lb Big Game. I love them!!

 

I would try a different reel, I bought one of those Curado K's and hated it. Seemed way to touchy and only worked well in certain instances. I have been happy wit a Gen3 Revo S , a SLX MGL, and most recently the TD Fuegos on those rods.

[PhishLI]

7 hours ago, Ohioguy25 said:

What would you recommend for a replacement?

What else do you own?

 

What's your budget?

[JN94]

Any Shimano MH rated 3/8-1oz can do this in my experience. I would also try 30-40lb braid with a leader instead of mono

[Hulkster]

i have one of the loomis mbr rods (imx pro MBR 903C) which is a 7'6 MH fast action rod and it does just about everything well.

 

I use 12 pound test sufix siege on my curado 200i on it and it casts a mile. 

 

I agree with those above that said drop down to 12 pound test. its still very strong and casts great. 

[Ohioguy25]

19 hours ago, Hulkster said:

i have one of the loomis mbr rods (imx pro MBR 903C) which is a 7'6 MH fast action rod and it does just about everything well.

 

I use 12 pound test sufix siege on my curado 200i on it and it casts a mile. 

 

I agree with those above that said drop down to 12 pound test. its still very strong and casts great. 

What about 12 lb mono since I use this for topwater as well?

On 5/10/2024 at 11:02 PM, MediumMouthBass said:

For me the reel is just as equal as the rod.

 

I have a Dobyns Fury 733c paired with a Shimano SLX MGL 70.

I use my 733c sometimes for 3/8oz chatterbaits (i like fast rods for them), and also 3/8oz swim jigs, when im not using those its  1/8, 3/16, and 1/4oz texas rigs.

It casts them all very easily and very far.

 

The 733c is a inbetween of a medium and medium heavy rod, i think if you got their cranking equivalent of it, it would be exactly what you want.

 

Also this is a great rod for walking baits, like the Heddon Zara's or Strike King Dawg's, ive used it alot for them from time to time.

 

Also from my experience my 7' rods are bad for distance, regardless of what reel, line, or lure im using. A 7'3" rod makes such a difference.

Would a Dobyns Fury/champion cast KVD 1.5s a lot better than the Mojo? What power would you go with?