Is rod sensitivity "over rated" for many techniques?

[surfer]

you can feel when a bass is behind the bait by the change in the blades.you are better prepared for the strike.

Wow. I hope my skills reach that level one day.

[Guest muddy]

So does he

just bustin em DG :

[Raul]

What are your thoughts on this?

It seems to me that for topwaters, spinnerbaits, buzz baits, crankbaits, and jerk baits, that it doesn't make sense to pay big money for ultra sensitive rod blanks, since the way you fish these baits (or more importantly, the way bass hit these baits), sensitivity isn't an issue.

I ask because I am in the market for a nice rod to use for a variety of these techniques. As I was looking through G. Loomis' line, I noticed that super sensitive IMX or GLX isn't offered in the Spinnerbait or Crankbait line (and they are MUCH cheaper, too).

Now, for worms and jigs, sensitivity is a big concern.

Any thoughts on this?

Like in everything ......... it depends greatly on where and what you pretend to fish, I agree that with topwaters, buzzbaits and jerkbaits rod sensitivity isn 't that important, after all they either run on top or very shallow, but crankbaits ( specially lipped ones ) and spinnerbaits I don 't share that opinon.

True you don 't need that great sensitivity when you don 't fish a lot of cover but swimming a crank or spinnerbait maintaining contact with the cover in a place like my home lake and many other lakes I fish and not hanging up without having good rod sensitivity can be a very difficult task to accomplish.

[jwo1124]

WOW...is all I can say after reading RW's post/ I'd have to say that his posts are almost always right on the money and full of wisdom. Almost any bass fishign site you go to they will say that the best rod for bass fishing is a Medium power spinning or casting rod. That's pretty much all you really need to fish almost any lure(within the medium power lure ratings of course) not only satisfactory, but compentently.

For some, like RW said, they like knowing they have the right tool for any job. Having the confidence that a certain rod/reel is the 100% best choice for fishing a certain lure is important to some people depending on your level of commitment to the sport. For me, I've always been a sort of in the middle, average, C+ kind of guy. I get by sufficiently, but never focus on going over the top or above and beyond.

For some guys, buying an abundance of tackle makes fishing more enjoyable, for other's they feel they need it to catch the most fish and get the most out of their time on the water, others think it will make them better, other's find confidence in it...

But, as the wise Road Warrior said, it is a matter of "need" vs. "want" after the first two rod set ups he mentioned. You can probably fish a good 75% of lures in 75% of the areas of the body of water you'll be fishing. It's that last 25% that drives the bait monkey... ;D

Think about it, with a M/F you will be able to fish the good majority of all soft plastics, jigs, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits effectively. You can also fish, cranks, jerkbaits, and topwaters with this one rod too. It would be best to have a moderate action or soft tip, but you dont need it. It's the simple, simple vs. complex complexity. Do you need a rod for each and every line size? Do you need a rod set up for evry type of soft plastic, or three different rods with the same spinnerbait but different color? Some say yes, some say no, some say it may make a difference...it all comes down to personal preference. No one person's is better than the others.

If you can have a rewarding enjoyable bas fishing experience with only using two different multi purpose rods, good. If you can;t, go out and burn that credit card until you feel satisfied...

I am trying to live the simple life and make the most out of moderation. I think I will consider what RW said, and stick to the basics, becauses that's where the liuon's share of success comes from. The small tweaks here and there do make a difference, but usually only a small one.

Mh/F 10-14# line ___

MH/M 10-12# line___l------These will do the trick in most bass fishing situations. Some times having a lighter rod with lighter line would be pmore preferable and some times having a heavier rod with heavier line will be better, but some time you have to compramise...Add a ML/F with 6-8# line and you have the perfect bass fishing rod reel combo trinity.

I don't know how my post went from rod sensativity to how many rods are needed...I think I got sidetracked by RW's post.

[ABC123]

What are your thoughts on this?

It seems to me that for topwaters, spinnerbaits, buzz baits, crankbaits, and jerk baits, that it doesn't make sense to pay big money for ultra sensitive rod blanks, since the way you fish these baits (or more importantly, the way bass hit these baits), sensitivity isn't an issue.

I ask because I am in the market for a nice rod to use for a variety of these techniques. As I was looking through G. Loomis' line, I noticed that super sensitive IMX or GLX isn't offered in the Spinnerbait or Crankbait line (and they are MUCH cheaper, too).

Now, for worms and jigs, sensitivity is a big concern.

Any thoughts on this?

The reason why Loomis does not offer IMX/GLX in Crankbait rods is becouse, the materials used to make the crankbait rods, are not the same. Crankbait rods are a special blend to give it the proper balance of light weight and flexability, while still being sensitive. The reason why they don't make the spinnerbait rods in GLX is becouse of demand. If you notice, there are quite a few rods that are IMX, but not GLX, in certain lengths. A lot of the technique specific blends, don't have an IMX, just a GLX, upgrade. Mossyback is one example. Bronzeback is another. So is the Walleye series.

[RoLo]

Sensitivity is not the sole province of the rod blank.

A high-modulus blank using streeetchy monofilament line,

will have less sensitivity than an intermediate modulus blank

using braided polyethylene. Fishermen seem to forget that.

Roger

[ABC123]

Sensitivity is not the sole province of the rod blank.

A high-modulus blank using streeetchy monofilament line,

will have less sensitivity than an intermediate modulus blank

using braided polyethylene. Fishermen seem to forget that.

Roger

A rod can only transfer what the line is sending, but then again, a more sensitive rod can better transfer what the line is sending.

With the popularity of Fluoro and braid, the need for rod sensitivity has gone down a little, there is still nothing, that I have tried, that compares to the feeling of braided line on a GLX or IMX rod.

[vintagerod]

I love this forum!! This is why I spend my time here and not Tackle Tour.

I learned a lot from the discussions, and there were some excellent points made. Thank you!

And many thanks to Road Warrior. His comments helped me focus on what's truly important. The logic of one rod for single hook lures and one rod for trebles is quite appealing.

Fishing is a simple pleasure. Perhaps, at least for me, various rods for various techniques only complicates this sublime simplicity. Spending time using a variety of lures and techniques on your favorite rod and reel combo seems like an excellent way to learn the nuances of the sport.

[roadwarrior]

All the rod manufacturers have a rod in their line-up that will meet the single hook criteria. The emphasis here is a firm tip.

For your treble hook rod, the differences are more subtle. The traditional approach is a rod with Moderate Action. However, for an all-around treble hook rod, most fisherman need a compromise that allows better control for certain applications (jerkbaits and topwater).

My specific recommendation for this second rod is the St. Croix Avid AC66MF. Although I generally prefer 7', 6 1/2' makes this rod easy to maneuver without sacrificing much casting distance. The rod is rated Fast Action, but has a soft tip which works well with crankbaits and still allows good control for fishing topwater lures and jerkbaits. I paid full-bore retail ($150 or $160), but if you can find it on close-out, it should be either side of $100. This is THE ROD that I consider my all-around rig for "moving" lures. The tip is too soft for jigs and plastics.

8-)

[Guest muddy]

The emphasis here is a firm tip.

[flechero]

Sensitivity is not the sole province of the rod blank.

A high-modulus blank using streeetchy monofilament line,

will have less sensitivity than an intermediate modulus blank

using braided polyethylene. Fishermen seem to forget that.

Roger

Roger, you are right on, except for the last line... most of us don't forget about braid, we just don't use it.  The fact that many of us don't use braid is the very reason a good/well designed blank is so desirable.

If braided line was the perfect solution, we would all use it exclusively...  regular guys, tournament guys, pros, guides, etc.  

While braid has some great qualities, it's not the answer for all of us.

____________________________________________________

and to stay on topic, I also think rod sensitivity is overrated for most of the moving bait techniques.  

[Tokyo Tony]

Good thread  

One thing I'd like to mention that has nothing to do with the effectiveness of a very sensitive rod for certain techniques is the pleasure of fighting a fish on a very lightweight, sensitive rod.  There's nothing like fighting a fish on a high-quality rod (and I haven't even tried the upper-upper end ones) - you can feel every little shake of its head and you can almost visualize exactly how the fish is reacting.  Love it  ;D

[vintagerod]

My specific recommendation for this second rod is the St. Croix Avid AC66MF. Although I generally prefer 7', 6 1/2' makes this rod easy to maneuver without sacrificing much casting distance. The rod is rated Fast Action, but has a soft tip which works well with crankbaits and still allows good control for fishing topwater lures and jerkbaits.

I noticed St. Croix now makes a line of Crankbait rods in their Avid series. I think the equivalent to the AC66MF would be their AVC66MM. I'm wondering if this new rod would be the "ideal" treble hook rod. It seems very tempting...

[bassgeneral]

One point I would like to make is if you're a tourny fisherman  a sensitive rod in most cases means a lighter rod and after a couple thousand casts I perfer the sensitive lighter rod.

[roadwarrior]

My specific recommendation for this second rod is the St. Croix Avid AC66MF. Although I generally prefer 7', 6 1/2' makes this rod easy to maneuver without sacrificing much casting distance. The rod is rated Fast Action, but has a soft tip which works well with crankbaits and still allows good control for fishing topwater lures and jerkbaits.

I noticed St. Croix now makes a line of Crankbait rods in their Avid series. I think the equivalent to the AC66MF would be their AVC66MM. I'm wondering if this new rod would be the "ideal" treble hook rod. It seems very tempting...

Yes!

I suspect this would be an ideal rod for treble hooks.

8-)

[flechero]

The reason why Loomis does not offer IMX/GLX in Crankbait rods is becouse, the materials used to make the crankbait rods, are not the same.  Crankbait rods are a special blend to give it the proper balance of light weight and flexability, while still being sensitive.

This is incorrect....

The reason you don't have IMX or GLX crankbait rods is that the fiber has such a high strength to weight ratio that you would have to make the blank with paper thin walls to slow the action enough to be considered a "crankbait rod" and that would make it to fragile to actually use.  By using a more limber material they get the desired action with a suitable wall thickness that makes it acceptably durable.