Fishing Rods 2024
jrwerner310 reply :
Is anyone a fan of Ugly Stik fan? i have one with braided main line and a fluorocarbon leader. works will withe the lighter baits. i mostly us it for my weedless/ weightless and ned rig setups. what are your thoughts?
nascar2428 reply :
Fish on!! If it works for you that's all that matters. I believe the Ugly Stick has a soft tip, which is good for the baits you mentioned.
jrwerner310 reply :
yea it does. that why i like it but its not that sensitive enough for me. Im looking more into the St. Croix or the Lews rods now. Has anyone tired the favorite brand of rod?
roadwarrior reply :
G. Loomis and St. Croix
dodgeguy reply :
Johnny Morris Patriot rods
CrankFate reply :
I can attest to St. Croix Rods for light freshwater spinning. But I can say the same for Daiwa and Shimano, except they get expensive fast if you want lighter stronger rods. Ugly stick is the original light do everything rod. They’re just heavy by today’s standards.
Burke reply :
Before we throw some ideas, what is your budget? Spinning/Casting? what application ?
Mobasser reply :
On 2/7/2019 at 3:39 AM, jrwerner310 said:yea it does. that why i like it but its not that sensitive enough for me. Im looking more into the St. Croix or the Lews rods now. Has anyone tired the favorite brand of rod?
You would probably do well with a Lews rod. They make some combos which are nice also
jrwerner310 reply :
On 2/7/2019 at 10:57 AM, Burke said:Before we throw some ideas, what is your budget? Spinning/Casting? what application ?
Not huge budget. If I'm going to start buying these higher end rods, it might take me a bit to replace and add to the arsenal. I have been looking into St. Croix and Lews rods. I want to replace a spinning rod for an all around rod, get a finesse spinning rod for drop-shot and other light weight applications and get a pair of casting rods for jigs, spinners and other heavier weighted baits. i dont do much with hard baits since i havent had much luck with them. Mostly fish from the bank and sometimes fish from the kayak. I did break a tip of one rod a couple of years ago and glued it back on but its never been the same. I do feel that i have a nice understanding of fishing and feel that upgrading my gear might help a little bit with fine tuning what i do.
NYWayfarer reply :
Back in the day I used nothing but Ugly Sticks. Now I just use them for saltwater. Nothing wrong with them other than the sensitivity.
Good rods in the Ugly Stick price range:
Lew's Carbon Fire
Kastking Perigee II
Fenwick Eagle
MickD reply :
I believe the new Ugly Sticks are nothing like the old ones, but haven't tried one myself. I'm going from their descriptions. The old Ugly Sticks were simply awful, IMHO. Heavy, floppy, poor sensitivity. After I started using graphite I could never go back.
jrwerner310 reply :
I do like my Ugly Stik. i have no complaints. I just feel like the current equipment i have is not sensitive enough for how i fish.
Here is my current setup:
Casting
Abu Garcia Silver Max 6'6" Medium with 12LB FC - Fish Spinning, some jigs and top waters
Shimano Zebra Medium 6'6" with 15LB Braid and 10LB FC Leader - Fish spinning, cranks and swimbaits
I want to upgrade and or add a flipping stick and another versatile rod.
Spinning
Ugly Stik Medium 6'6" with 15LB Braid and 10lb FC leader - Fish weightless, ned, neko, texas and carolina
Cabelas (Forgot Name) Medium with 10BL FC - Fish weightless, ned, neko, texas and carolina
The cabela rod has a broken tip but repaired. Looking to replace at least the rod and maybe the reel.
Looking to add a finesse Rod.
any advice on what i can improve, add or try would me much appreciated
ResoKP reply :
You may want to wait for and check out the new 2019 models of Megabass Levante rods. They should be available end of this month.
This is the application chart for the Orochi XX but they are being mirrored for the Levante rods:
The Whipsnake is a nice dropshot/finesse spinning rod and the Perfect Pitch is a fantastic frog, bigger texas/jig, pitching rod for heavier covers. Tour Versatile is a nice all around rod as well.
jrwerner310 reply :
On 2/7/2019 at 10:29 PM, NYWayfarer said:Back in the day I used nothing but Ugly Sticks. Now I just use them for saltwater. Nothing wrong with them other than the sensitivity.
Good rods in the Ugly Stick price range:
Lew's Carbon Fire
Kastking Perigee II
Fenwick Eagle
Are Lew's and Fenwick nice and sensitive rods?
NYWayfarer reply :
On 2/8/2019 at 12:02 AM, jrwerner310 said:Are Lew's and Fenwick nice and sensitive rods?
Compared to the Ugly Stick, yes. Compared to $100+ rods not so much.
bwjay reply :
Are you only looking to fish for bass? I ended up with a St. Croix Eyecon 6'3" MXF for vertical jigging, but used it for walleye, smallmouth, and lake trout, without any issues keeping fish pinned. It is also super sensitive (at least compared to everything I've ever used). I felt every single rock on the bottom, every weed. I had a ton of false hook sets with my lipless cranks when I first started using it because bumping along rocks felt like bites until I got used to the feeling of rocks. I believe it was around $100 and there are likely many better options for what you want to do, but I thought I'd at least offer my experience with the one decent rod I have. I'm planning to get a St. Croix Premier 6' MHF for topwater, cranks, lipless, spinners, basically anything but soft plastics and vertical jigging, though I think both rods can do it all.
jrwerner310 reply :
On 2/8/2019 at 12:20 AM, bwjay said:Are you only looking to fish for bass? I ended up with a St. Croix Eyecon 6'3" MXF for vertical jigging, but used it for walleye, smallmouth, and lake trout, without any issues keeping fish pinned. It is also super sensitive (at least compared to everything I've ever used). I felt every single rock on the bottom, every weed. I had a ton of false hook sets with my lipless cranks when I first started using it because bumping along rocks felt like bites until I got used to the feeling of rocks. I believe it was around $100 and there are likely many better options for what you want to do, but I thought I'd at least offer my experience with the one decent rod I have. I'm planning to get a St. Croix Premier 6' MHF for topwater, cranks, lipless, spinners, basically anything but soft plastics and vertical jigging, though I think both rods can do it all.
i do mostly bass fish. havent caught any Smallmouth bass tho. would like to get into trout and walleye. i do have some nice gear but i dont feel that they are that sensitive. but maybe its just me and i dont know much or my setup is wrong. I just feel like im missing a lot of strikes. im going to keep using the same gear that i have and just add to it or replace it. I have heard nothing but good things about St. Croix and just have to hid the price tag from the wife lol.
bwjay reply :
On 2/8/2019 at 12:27 AM, jrwerner310 said:i do mostly bass fish. havent caught any Smallmouth bass tho. would like to get into trout and walleye. i do have some nice gear but i dont feel that they are that sensitive. but maybe its just me and i dont know much or my setup is wrong. I just feel like im missing a lot of strikes. im going to keep using the same gear that i have and just add to it or replace it. I have heard nothing but good things about St. Croix and just have to hid the price tag from the wife lol.
From what I understand there is a lot that goes into determining a successful hookset when talking about bass in particular, because of all the different baits people use and how the bite is different. I have read that for soft plastics that are either topwater or just barely subsurface (by using a swivel or something), you really want to count to 1,1000 before you set the hook, let them gulp it down. There is a guy known as "Quetico Mike" who swears by soft plastics that look just like the ZOOM flukes, and he says all of his fishing buddies have a low hookup ratio until they start waiting a full second AFTER the blowup/inhale before setting the hook. Setting it too early can rip it right out of the fish's mouth. That's how I understand it - haven't had a chance to fish those baits yet. I am usually a "set the hook immediately upon feeling a bite" kinda guy (typically vertical jigging for walleyes or burning a lipless), but there are times where patience helps, like in jigging, you can usually feel a few ticks on the line, so I usually wait for a second tick to be sure before I set the hook. I don't seem to miss many fish doing it this way but of course it varies on the person, the fish, the rod, etc...
jrwerner310 reply :
On 2/8/2019 at 12:34 AM, bwjay said:From what I understand there is a lot that goes into determining a successful hookset when talking about bass in particular, because of all the different baits people use and how the bite is different. I have read that for soft plastics that are either topwater or just barely subsurface (by using a swivel or something), you really want to count to 1,1000 before you set the hook, let them gulp it down. There is a guy known as "Quetico Mike" who swears by soft plastics that look just like the ZOOM flukes, and he says all of his fishing buddies have a low hookup ratio until they start waiting a full second AFTER the blowup/inhale before setting the hook. Setting it too early can rip it right out of the fish's mouth. That's how I understand it - haven't had a chance to fish those baits yet. I am usually a "set the hook immediately upon feeling a bite" kinda guy (typically vertical jigging for walleyes or burning a lipless), but there are times where patience helps, like in jigging, you can usually feel a few ticks on the line, so I usually wait for a second tick to be sure before I set the hook.
Im just having troubles detecting those bits. I normally find out i have a fish when either i feel the weight on the line or when i go to pop the bait, the line goes crazy and there it is. maybe i need to pay attention to my line more before i buy a new rod? It could also be that im over thinking it and there is just no fish lol.
On 2/8/2019 at 12:40 AM, jrwerner310 said:Im just having troubles detecting those bits. I normally find out i have a fish when either i feel the weight on the line or when i go to pop the bait, the line goes crazy and there it is. maybe i need to pay attention to my line more before i buy a new rod? It could also be that im over thinking it and there is just no fish lol.
Plus all i really fish is the ned rig, spinners and weightless texas. I want to try more cranks, shaky, wacky, flipping, jigs and weighted texas. i just figure if im going to branch out on other techniques I should upgrade a little before I do.
bwjay reply :
On 2/8/2019 at 12:40 AM, jrwerner310 said:Im just having troubles detecting those bits. I normally find out i have a fish when either i feel the weight on the line or when i go to pop the bait, the line goes crazy and there it is. maybe i need to pay attention to my line more before i buy a new rod? It could also be that im over thinking it and there is just no fish lol.
Could be the rod, could be the line you're using (I use 15lb PowerPro braid to 10lb fluoro leader), could be your retrieval technique, could be the way you're holding the rod... I certainly don't have enough knowledge or experience to speak to all of this, just trying to throw some variables out there. I would switch to braid if you have not already (knowing it can fray against rocks so a fluoro or mono leader is ideal). The sensitivity and responsiveness from braid alone might solve a lot of your problems. And I hate to say this because it sounds noobish, but if you're unsure of how to retrieve a particular bait, look it up on YouTube. I'm a relative newbie to fishing (hadn't touched a rod in 10 years until last year) so I've been watching tons of videos for all different types of baits, trying to understand how they work, how best to use them, when to use them, etc. I don't mean to insult by suggesting such a thing, but I learn by watching and then doing, and YouTube makes it so much easier because you can watch someone do it, as opposed to reading about it in text and trying to imagine it.
jrwerner310 reply :
On 2/8/2019 at 12:45 AM, bwjay said:Could be the rod, could be the line you're using (I use 15lb PowerPro braid to 10lb fluoro leader), could be your retrieval technique, could be the way you're holding the rod... I certainly don't have enough knowledge or experience to speak to all of this, just trying to throw some variables out there. I would switch to braid if you have not already (knowing it can fray against rocks so a fluoro or mono leader is ideal). The sensitivity and responsiveness from braid alone might solve a lot of your problems. And I hate to say this because it sounds noobish, but if you're unsure of how to retrieve a particular bait, look it up on YouTube. I'm a relative newbie to fishing (hadn't touched a rod in 10 years until last year) so I've been watching tons of videos for all different types of baits, trying to understand how they work, how best to use them, when to use them, etc. I don't mean to insult by suggesting such a thing, but I learn by watching and then doing, and YouTube makes it so much easier because you can watch someone do it, as opposed to reading about it in text and trying to imagine it.
I have to say that I've been sitting here taking notes and looking up ideas through this whole conversation. All of the advice had helped a lot, so thank you very much. I've only been fishing for a couple of years and don't get out much. Half of the rods I use wither have braid and a FC leader or just have FC on them. I should just start setting up the rods on one kind of style and fish it for a bit and if nothing happens, move on to the next one. Maybe I should make a log of what and how am fishing that day. I only fish one little lake since its so close to my house and i dont get much time to go.
bwjay reply :
On 2/8/2019 at 12:53 AM, jrwerner310 said:I have to say that I've been sitting here taking notes and looking up ideas through this whole conversation. All of the advice had helped a lot, so thank you very much. I've only been fishing for a couple of years and don't get out much. Half of the rods I use wither have braid and a FC leader or just have FC on them. I should just start setting up the rods on one kind of style and fish it for a bit and if nothing happens, move on to the next one. Maybe I should make a log of what and how am fishing that day. I only fish one little lake since its so close to my house and i dont get much time to go.
That's a good idea, try a few different rigs and presentations. If you have a couple rods that you know aren't super insensitive broomsticks, that might be a decent option.
I am planning on getting a canoe/pack boat that weighs under 30lbs, that I can carry over my shoulder. I'll fit it with some rod holders and maybe eventually a spot for a depth finder, and it will have plenty of room for carrying cargo (plan to use it for week-long canoe trips). I live in an apartment around Minneapolis with no lakes within walking distance, at least not within 2 miles. But I suppose I could do a 2 mile hike with the boat because the ones I'm looking at are so light. The goal though is to let me fish little ponds and lakes, and I intend to drive the boat all over the Twin Cities to fish little spots like that as often as possible, even on weeknights right after work. Throw a quick dinner together in an insulated lunchbox, grab tackle, and go! Maybe an approach like this would work for you too. If you are interested in looking at some of those boats, shoot me a PM and I'd be happy to send you some links.
jrwerner310 reply :
On 2/8/2019 at 1:07 AM, bwjay said:That's a good idea, try a few different rigs and presentations. If you have a couple rods that you know aren't super insensitive broomsticks, that might be a decent option.
I am planning on getting a canoe/pack boat that weighs under 30lbs, that I can carry over my shoulder. I'll fit it with some rod holders and maybe eventually a spot for a depth finder, and it will have plenty of room for carrying cargo (plan to use it for week-long canoe trips). I live in an apartment around Minneapolis with no lakes within walking distance, at least not within 2 miles. But I suppose I could do a 2 mile hike with the boat because the ones I'm looking at are so light. The goal though is to let me fish little ponds and lakes, and I intend to drive the boat all over the Twin Cities to fish little spots like that as often as possible, even on weeknights right after work. Throw a quick dinner together in an insulated lunchbox, grab tackle, and go! Maybe an approach like this would work for you too. If you are interested in looking at some of those boats, shoot me a PM and I'd be happy to send you some links.
I would. But married with a family has it challenges and nights are few and far between to come by lol. I have to plan a day or two ahead for the wife and have to not let my kid know cause she always wants to go. I love fishing with my kid no question but she will only fish for about 20-30 mins and even thats a stretch. We did get a day of Bluegill fishing in for about 2 hrs but they were no stop hitting the worms and we had the occasional small rock bass hit. I want to concentrate on what Im doing so I can eventually show her how to fish for bass and maybe she will want to go more. I go get out on my kayak and have a short drive to my lake of choice and Im going to try a few others this coming spring and summer.
bwjay reply :
On 2/8/2019 at 1:14 AM, jrwerner310 said:I would. But married with a family has it challenges and nights are few and far between to come by lol. I have to plan a day or two ahead for the wife and have to not let my kid know cause she always wants to go. I love fishing with my kid no question but she will only fish for about 20-30 mins and even thats a stretch. We did get a day of Bluegill fishing in for about 2 hrs but they were no stop hitting the worms and we had the occasional small rock bass hit. I want to concentrate on what Im doing so I can eventually show her how to fish for bass and maybe she will want to go more. I go get out on my kayak and have a short drive to my lake of choice and Im going to try a few others this coming spring and summer.
Totally understand. Kids do get bored easily sometimes so I don't blame you for wanting to focus on becoming a better fisherman so you can teach your daughter and maybe show her an even better time than catching bluegills. It is possible that a new rod would really re-invigorate your desire to fish! I know new gear always gets me fired up to use it, for whatever it is (audio, fishing, computers, etc). If you get a chance, try to hit up a Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops and talk to some of the salesmen there. I always take what salesmen say with a healthy dose of salt, but nothing beats being able to see and feel the rod in person, and I bet they'd string one up for you and let you test it in a pond so you can feel what a lure dragging on bottom feels like, etc, to see if the sensitivity is there for you. Heck you could probably bring in your own rods to compare, too.
ike8120 reply :
I went with Dobyns, Due to my budget I went with the Fury series. A lot of folks go with the Sierra or Champion series. Check out the website
ResoKP reply :
Do you watch any fishing videos on Youtube? There's a ton of videos you can learn a lot from.
My suggestion is take a full day and just fish a weightless Texas rigged Senko and nothing else. Focus on learning detecting bites and setting the hook. This is the foundation. Then you'll be able to apply that to a wide range of techniques.
This video should teach you pretty much all you need: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyaMX4wgSqc
Go with a
- 5" Senko or any similar stick bait in green pumpkin color
- 3/0 Gamakatsu round-bend offset worm hook (better hookup ratio than EWG)
What really helps me detect bites is while you are palming the reel, keep your index finger touching the line. You will feel the fish tugging the line and that's the best feeling.
jrwerner310 reply :
On 2/8/2019 at 1:19 AM, bwjay said:Totally understand. Kids do get bored easily sometimes so I don't blame you for wanting to focus on becoming a better fisherman so you can teach your daughter and maybe show her an even better time than catching bluegills. It is possible that a new rod would really re-invigorate your desire to fish! I know new gear always gets me fired up to use it, for whatever it is (audio, fishing, computers, etc). If you get a chance, try to hit up a Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops and talk to some of the salesmen there. I always take what salesmen say with a healthy dose of salt, but nothing beats being able to see and feel the rod in person, and I bet they'd string one up for you and let you test it in a pond so you can feel what a lure dragging on bottom feels like, etc, to see if the sensitivity is there for you. Heck you could probably bring in your own rods to compare, too.
I was at Dicks Sporting Goods yesterday taking to a salesmen about upgrading my rods for this year. I got to feel a St. Croix spinning and casting as well as a Lews casting. Told the salesmen what i do, how and what i fish and the problems I was having. He told me what he does and showed me what he uses as well. I got so hyped about it but there is so much information to breakdown and choose from.
The only thing i know for sure:
1. I dont know near enough about fishing as i thought i did.
2. I do want to upgrade at lease one spinning rod and add a finesse spinning
3. I need a casting rod for jigs because the ones i have are not near powerful enough
On 2/8/2019 at 1:26 AM, ResoKP said:Do you watch any fishing videos on Youtube? There's a ton of videos you can learn a lot from.
My suggestion is take a full day and just fish a weightless Texas rigged Senko and nothing else. Focus on learning detecting bites and setting the hook. This is the foundation. Then you'll be able to apply that to a wide range of techniques.
This video should teach you pretty much all you need: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyaMX4wgSqc
Go with a
- 5" Senko or any similar stick bait in green pumpkin color
- 3/0 Gamakatsu round-bend offset worm hook (better hookup ratio than EWG)
What really helps me detect bites is while you are palming the reel, keep your index finger touching the line. You will feel the fish tugging the line and that's the best feeling.
I do watch way to many fishing videos. HAHA. But i am going to watch that video tonight after work. That is a good idea. I have had some luck with that setup but maybe I do need to focus more on it.
Tennessee Boy reply :
There's just something about being in a tackle store and holding a $400 rod in your hand. It feels amazing. If you have someone else hand you various rods while you keep your eyes closed, you'll find that they all feel about the same.
jrwerner310 reply :
On 2/8/2019 at 1:40 AM, Tennessee Boy said:There's just something about being in a tackle store and holding a $400 rod in your hand. It feels amazing. If you have someone else hand you various rods while you keep your eyes closed, you'll find that they all feel about the same.
Thats a good idea. The sad thing is when i was looking at the St. Croix and Lews casting rods is i was the price tag and my wallet had a real bad feeling about it all lol.
LCG reply :
I would highly recommend a st Croix 6'8 m-xf spinning rod. Pick your price point. I have the mojo and its a great rod and very versatile.
punch reply :
If you're on a budget, my suggestion is to keep an eye on your local craigslist & facebook marketplace for used gear. You'd be surprised the deals you can find if you stay vigilant and can offer a quick payment. There's a ton of bass fishing buy/sell groups on FB as well (Bass Fishing Yard Sale is a great one) where you can snag a deal out-of-state, as lots of people are willing to ship tubes & reels.
I've found some incredible deals on name brand gear on FB & CL over the years. Just gotta ABC - Always Be Checking.
jrwerner310 reply :
On 2/8/2019 at 12:59 PM, LCG said:I would highly recommend a st Croix 6'8 m-xf spinning rod. Pick your price point. I have the mojo and its a great rod and very versatile.
What makes the St Croix so versatile? What applications do you use it for?
Has anyone hear of or used Ardent reels and rods? If so, are they any good?
LCG reply :
On 2/8/2019 at 8:53 PM, jrwerner310 said:What makes the St Croix so versatile? What applications do you use it for?
Has anyone hear of or used Ardent reels and rods? If so, are they any good?
The 6'8" length is good for bank fishing where you deal with brush and overhanging trees and also good in a boat situation. The action offers a good quick hookset with a stout backbone but not so much that your overpowering the fish. Casting accuracy is really good with the extra fast action as well. St Croix makes a quality product as do some others such as gloomis, shimano, fenwick, and I hear that dobyns and some bps house brands are good as well.
I use the st Croix mojo 6'8 m-xf spinning for the following techniques...
Ned
Neko
Drop shot
Wacky
Curly tail grubs on light jig heads
Shakey heads
Light texas rigged worms
Light finnese jigs
And believe it or not inline spinners
The rod has enough give that I have not lost any fish with it, even with treble hook lures. I use 10 lb yellow braid to a 8lb fluorocarbon leader.
For heavier jigs, Texas rigged creatures, chatterbaits, and spinnerbaits I use a St Croix Avid X 6'6 Mh-f casting rod.
jrwerner310 reply :
On 2/9/2019 at 4:07 AM, LCG said:
The 6'8" length is good for bank fishing where you deal with brush and overhanging trees and also good in a boat situation. The action offers a good quick hookset with a stout backbone but not so much that your overpowering the fish. Casting accuracy is really good with the extra fast action as well. St Croix makes a quality product as do some others such as gloomis, shimano, fenwick, and I hear that dobyns and some bps house brands are good as well.
I use the st Croix mojo 6'8 m-xf spinning for the following techniques...
Ned
Neko
Drop shot
Wacky
Curly tail grubs on light jig heads
Shakey heads
Light texas rigged worms
Light finnese jigs
And believe it or not inline spinners
The rod has enough give that I have not lost any fish with it, even with treble hook lures. I use 10 lb yellow braid to a 8lb fluorocarbon leader.
For heavier jigs, Texas rigged creatures, chatterbaits, and spinnerbaits I use a St Croix Avid X 6'6 Mh-f casting rod.
Those are the two rods I am looking to set up in my arsenal. And I do us inline spinners. Have a good story about an in-line spinner. Was fishing in the late fall at the local pond and a 2LB hit one fist cast. Landed it and was about to grab it when it shock so hard it snapped the line and took the spinner with it. Anyway.... I stopped at Gander Outdoors today to see what they had for selection of rods. Didn’t get much help from the people there but I got to try a St. Croix Premier, Fenwick Eagle and an Abu Garcia vendetta. I did like the Abu Garcia but it was heavier than the other two. I did really like the St. Croix and the Fenwick. As for the spinning rods, I’m sold on the St. Croix mojo for a Medium Light setup. The spinner setup is what I’m going to justly fish but I’m going to just use the Medium heavy rod for jigs and larger spinners.
Thanks for the info. It was a tone of help.
ike8120 reply :
Another suggestion is to call the folks at Dobyns. They will give you some real good advice on rod selection. Then you can shop around for the best deal that suits your needs.
OnthePotomac reply :
If you live near a BPS go in and handle a medium, 7'2" Carbonlite 2.0 spinning rod, now on sale for $99.99. I have one and you will love it. Extremely light and sensitive.
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