Meat And Potatoes Baitcast Setup. 2024
Poolshark reply :
Hey guys. I'm new to this forum and first off want to say hello. I fish from a canoe a lot here in south fl and wanted to simplify my gear as too many rods I the canoe get cumbersome. I want to aim for three rods. I have a decent spinning rig to take care of the light stuff. I use a flipping stick to fish the slop. But I want to purchase a new top shelf setup to fill he gap. I need a versatile setup that can effectively fish senkos, rip rattle traps through the grass, t rig, light Carolina rig, fish spinnerbaits, and shallow running cranks. All around pretty thick cover. I am torn between a 6'8 med/heavy fast st croix legend or a 7'1 med/heavy fast . Which would give me the best bang for my buck? I don't do much deep cranking here where I fish. Which should I buy?
ABW reply :
Go with the 7'1" MH Fast. I have a 6'8 MH and I like it for senkos, but not for spinnerbaits and rattle traps. + You'll get more casting distance with the 7'1".
Catch and Grease reply :
So is the only difference between the rods the length??
My preference would be a 7'1 for what is listed but get what you want.
Like mentioned above you may get a little more distance with the 7'1
jonnyblazex reply :
What you are asking for requires 2 completely rods at minimum. Crank baits and jig or worm rod are two completely different animals. For the jig/ worm type presentation use a rod like mentioned above. For a crankin setup I would use something more forgiving, such as a med moderate fast rod, if you want the best of the best.
Catch and Grease reply :
Yes, one rod can probably get away with what's listed except the crankbaits.
IAY reply :
Do you fish from the bank? If so, you might want to consider 6 foot 8 rod since its a lot easier to swing around cover.
Mike L reply :
Yes, you'll get a little more distance with the 7'1", but since you're in a canoe you'll be in places where that extra 5" would be more of a hindrance.
IMHO, you won't need the extra few yards in distance, but will in storage space, ease of casting etc.
By the way, Welcome
Mike
Poolshark reply :
I know it's tough. I've been using six rods up till now. A spinning rig, a medium fast for the traps and shallow cranks, a couple of medium heavy fast for the worms and big spinnerbaits, a seven foot medium/fast for the spinnerbaits and a 7'3 heavy rod to punch the vegatation. I've gotten to the point where the extra rods have become so cumbersome and am going to attempt simplifying as much as possible cause I'm in a canoe and sometime a kayak and it can get too crowded. It's usually shallow and the only time I loose fish is when I'm under gunned in the hydrylla. It's rare but it has happened to me before. The occasional gator as well will take a bass. I just wanted one top shelf versatile combo that I could try and use for multiple apps and cut down on two rods to keep it simple. And get back to having fun. I really apreciate the responses so far and if there is another rod brand or power I'm open to suggestion. Thanks again.
Heron reply :
Either of those rods will suit your needs for simplification just fine.
kikstand454 reply :
I think the 7'1" would be the best option. You can do everything you want with it for the most part. Plus. ...the extra length is actually a plus IME as its easier to fight the fish around the front of the kayak/canoe.
Take this with a grain of salt, but I also am in Florida, fish from a kayak, and try to only take 3 rods. 4 if I'm doing something that needs a specific rig. What you listed is what I would load out with in your position.....with the MH/F 7'1" filling the general purpose gap.
ABW reply :
You will get more leverage on the fish with a longer rod like kikstand stated. I lose a bunch of fish in a kayak with my 6'8" rod
kschultz76 reply :
For what you describe you want to use the rod for the two LTB versions you asked about wouldn't be my recommendation. I have the older 6'6" LTB MH/F rod, it is a stout powerful rod, great for many things but not something I'd want to throw cranks on.
If you're looking to invest in one high quality rod that is versatile, and you're open to suggestions you should check out the Megabass Orochi XX Spinnerbait Special. It's a 6'10" MH stick with what MB calls a Med Fast taper. Power wise it's in the same class as the rods you're looking at, with the same lure ratings. However the taper is more forgiving for cranks and moving baits, but still sets up fast enough to set with single hooks.
Depending your needs you could also check out the Tour Versatile or new Diablo Spec R. All of them are at the $300 price point.
Fit, finish, and build quality on these rods is top notch, just as good as any of my St Croix sticks. In my hands they are as sensitive as I could ask for, but this is a very subjective thing.
I personally love how my Spinnerbait Special casts and handles. My only gripe is the hook keepers, the design is a total fail. It bent up then pulled right out of the wraps on me one day. It didn't do any damage to the finish, threads, or epoxy bc of the design. I just put a Fuji e keeper on mine.
Good luck!
chelboed reply :
You guys slay me. "require"? Give me a break, hehehehe. Tell that to Clunn. How the heck did we ever manage to even catch a bass prior to the marketing machine?
If you're fishing from a canoe...I'd use one rod, one reel. 6'10"-7'2" M/H fast with a 6'ish:1 ratio.
Forgive my simple-minded humor...but seriously...catchin bass can be done on a single heavy rod like Rick Clunn, or a single ultralight rig like so many good anglers do daily.
To say that you "desire" (not require) several rods for several different baits is more in line with Fat Wallet America. And I'm not bashing that aspect of it...if you got the coin, buy 2 dozen rigs. But dont tell a guy that he "needs" multiple rods and reels to land fish.
On 9/5/2014 at 8:54 AM, jonnyblazex said:What you are asking for requires 2 completely rods at minimum. Crank baits and jig or worm rod are two completely different animals. For the jig/ worm type presentation use a rod like mentioned above. For a crankin setup I would use something more forgiving, such as a med moderate fast rod, if you want the best of the best.
WIGuide reply :
Being that they're both the same specs, it's up to you on the length. If you like shorter rods get the 6'8" and vise versa. Given your setup though, I'd probably go for the 7'1".
kikstand454 reply :
With all due respect. ..... there is no way in hell I am going to take a $300 rod ( not to mention the $100+ reel on it) out in my kayak/ canoe. No way. No how.
I feel nervous enough taking my current $200 rigs out in it. And I'm VERY comfortable/ confident in my kayak. I've been doing it for years. I would even venture to say that at some subconscious level- that's why I bass fish less out of my kayak....... I'm afraid to lose my expensive equipment. When I inshore fish. .... I have cheaper rods and hand me down curados. ....which I would be upset to lose- but financialy-I'm out very little. But those rods don't always translate over to bass techniques and I find myself wanting my bass gear. It gives me the heeby jeebies.
Hey.......if you're comfortable taking a $500 rig out in your canoe/kayak. .....more power to you. Just don't let me know about it. Its making me nauseous thinking about it! Lol.
Catch and Grease reply :
On 9/5/2014 at 8:55 PM, kikstand454 said:With all due respect. ..... there is no way in hell I am going to take a $300 rod ( not to mention the $100+ reel on it) out in my kayak/ canoe. No way. No how.
I feel nervous enough taking my current $200 rigs out in it. And I'm VERY comfortable/ confident in my kayak. I've been doing it for years. I would even venture to say that at some subconscious level- that's why I bass fish less out of my kayak....... I'm afraid to lose my expensive equipment. When I inshore fish. .... I have cheaper rods and hand me down curados. ....which I would be upset to lose- but financialy-I'm out very little. But those rods don't always translate over to bass techniques and I find myself wanting my bass gear. It gives me the heeby jeebies.
Hey.......if you're comfortable taking a $500 rig out in your canoe/kayak. .....more power to you. Just don't let me know about it. Its making me nauseous thinking about it! Lol.
Don't they have setups where you can hook your rod to the kayak so it doesn't accidentally get lost? and there are floating tackle bags you can use..
kschultz76 reply :
To the OP after re reading your post if you look at the Orochi XXs and you're really fishing that kind of heavy cover you may well want to consider the Tour Versatile. Also give a call to The Tackle Trap or send them an email and talk to Gary. Gary is experienced and knowledgeable with all the MB rods, if you describe what you'll be doing in what conditions he will guide you on selection. Their customer service is top notch.
A-Jay reply :
On 9/5/2014 at 8:55 PM, kikstand454 said:With all due respect. ..... there is no way in hell I am going to take a $300 rod ( not to mention the $100+ reel on it) out in my kayak/ canoe. No way. No how.
I feel nervous enough taking my current $200 rigs out in it. And I'm VERY comfortable/ confident in my kayak. I've been doing it for years. I would even venture to say that at some subconscious level- that's why I bass fish less out of my kayak....... I'm afraid to lose my expensive equipment. When I inshore fish. .... I have cheaper rods and hand me down curados. ....which I would be upset to lose- but financialy-I'm out very little. But those rods don't always translate over to bass techniques and I find myself wanting my bass gear. It gives me the heeby jeebies.
Hey.......if you're comfortable taking a $500 rig out in your canoe/kayak. .....more power to you. Just don't let me know about it. Its making me nauseous thinking about it! Lol.
So this 9 rod set up would not work for you then ?
A-Jay
kschultz76 reply :
On 9/5/2014 at 8:55 PM, kikstand454 said:With all due respect. ..... there is no way in hell I am going to take a $300 rod ( not to mention the $100+ reel on it) out in my kayak/ canoe. No way. No how.
I feel nervous enough taking my current $200 rigs out in it. And I'm VERY comfortable/ confident in my kayak. I've been doing it for years. I would even venture to say that at some subconscious level- that's why I bass fish less out of my kayak....... I'm afraid to lose my expensive equipment. When I inshore fish. .... I have cheaper rods and hand me down curados. ....which I would be upset to lose- but financialy-I'm out very little. But those rods don't always translate over to bass techniques and I find myself wanting my bass gear. It gives me the heeby jeebies.
Hey.......if you're comfortable taking a $500 rig out in your canoe/kayak. .....more power to you. Just don't let me know about it. Its making me nauseous thinking about it! Lol.
Don't want to stray too far away on the OP but I'd say my rods are more secure in my kayak then my bass boat. In my kayak all the rods but the one I'm using are secured under my deck rigging, they can't go anywhere. In my bass boat they are out laying on the open deck and unsecured, I don't have a rod locker. Also in my kayak I'm way closer to the water should something go overboard. I'm not too concerned about damaging the rods, I'm cautious about what I do, but all my rods are durable and can survive getting pushed into cover occasionally. Hell even if do an unplanned wet exit my rods are safer then me, bc again they are secured to the deck and my kayak won't sink even full of water.
I don't blame anyone else for being nervous about it, I get it. But I view the risk differently.
kikstand454 reply :
Yeah. .... I may have over exaggerated my real world worry.....but then. ...I don't have a single rig in the $500 range.
Catch and grease - yes. But honestly- I find rod leashes more trouble/ more hazardous than they're worth. Also. .... some people like to strap their rods on their holders, but where mine are behind me....I have enough trouble accessing them. Having to unstrap them is pretty frustrating. Rod floats suck. I do have a new plan to reconfigure my crate/rod holder situation where I may be able to minimize the p.I. t. a. It is to strap them down. ..... because I know that needs to happen
A-jay: man that guys setup is awesome! Lol. Its a mental thing with me I guess. $500 worth of multiple rigs somehow seem "safer" than a single rig that expensive. Ridiculous I know. My inshore "cheap" load out actually totals almost $400 when I add it up. ....
Kshultz76: I hear you and understand your point. But in the bass boat, I feel that a freak event that is going to turtle my vessel and send all my gear sinking to the bottom is less likely. Obviously its much easier to kick a combo overboard, or step on one. ... but at least those actions are MY fault and is due to MY carelessness. But I guess most kayak accidents are user error too I suppose. .....
Again. .... its a mental thing for me I suppose. ... but I would never recommend a $500 rig to someone fishing out of a paddle craft. * shrug*
Ymmv
NathanW reply :
You are practically talking about the same rod here. The three inches would be cut from the butt end on the 6/8 Legend so your action would be exactly the same on both. I see more advantage to the longer rod, however I have neve fished from a Kayak. But ripping grass, pulling line on the C-rig, and controlling depth while cranking is always easier with longer rod.
Poolshark reply :
Haha. Yeah I know. I have expensive tastes. But 90 percent of the time I fish from the canoe and have been taking 5 to 6 300 to 400 dollar setups. I will only take one rod on the yak and it's usually a spinning rig to fish the backwaters here in my area. I won't venture into the glades on the yak. Too many gators. The canoe is pretty sturdy though. With room for three setups at most. Too many rods takes the fun out of it. And they have greater potential to get damaged all cooped up together.
kikstand454 reply :
On 9/5/2014 at 10:45 PM, NathanW said:You are practically talking about the same rod here. The three inches would be cut from the butt end on the 6/8 Legend so your action would be exactly the same on both. I see more advantage to the longer rod, however I have neve fished from a Kayak. But ripping grass, pulling line on the C-rig, and controlling depth while cranking is always easier with longer rod.
Ah. .....see that changes my opinion. If the length from the reel to the tip is the SAME. ... and only the handle is longer- then get the shorter rod. The length advantage is only useful if its WORKING length- not wasted handle length. Long handles while fishing seated are a hindrance!
NathanW reply :
On 9/5/2014 at 10:53 PM, kikstand454 said:Ah. .....see that changes my opinion. If the length from the reel to the tip is the SAME. ... and only the handle is longer- then get the shorter rod. The length advantage is only useful if its WORKING length- not wasted handle length. Long handles while fishing seated are a hindrance!
Nope I was just talking about the blank. The blank was cut down on the butt end of that rod.
In this particular case you would have an additional 2" of rod and an additional 1" of handle. A 14" handle on the 6/8 and a 15" handle on th 7/0.
Poolshark reply :
thanks to all who replied. I really appreciate the input. I always like to get as many views as possible before shelling out my hard earned money. And to kickstand454 I definetley see what you mean. I would hate to loose or break a top shelf rig in small watercraft. . I use a kayak for the salt mostly and I carry one spinning rig. The yak rarely sees the glades. Too many gators for comfort!!! But I also know that fishing for hours on end can get fatiguing with cheaper equipment. I am going to check out the other rods mentioned and thank you for the suggestions. I also know that fishing cranks is tough on a stout rod. But in reality the small shallow runners I use are usually 1/4 ounce and can be handled on a spinning rig. Waters not usually too deep. It's usually more open water when I'm throwing them anyways, so with the simplicity of the canoe and rod selection, I will have to compromise a little. Thanks to everyone again !!!!!
chelboed reply :
Side track for a second...is it hard to fish from a Kayak? Are they difficult to balance? I have no way to buy a boat at this point in my life, but there are so many spots I could hit with a yak...I'm just afraid I may dump myself over with a goot hit.
Poolshark reply :
It's not too bad. It's not as comfy as a bass boat. You would have to really enjoy that type of thing. I think it is a blast myself. I have access to a boat and there are times I use it. But I have a lot of fun canoeing and kayaking . The biggest difference for most people I'm sure would be the inability to stand while you are fishing which can be inconvenient at times. You can also get right up on fish without spooking them. Which has its ups. If I were to choose though I would at least get a wide canoe. It isn't too much more money and it's more stable.
roadwarrior reply :
http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/tournament-rod-reel-okuma.html
hatrix reply :
On 9/5/2014 at 8:54 AM, jonnyblazex said:What you are asking for requires 2 completely rods at minimum. Crank baits and jig or worm rod are two completely different animals. For the jig/ worm type presentation use a rod like mentioned above. For a crankin setup I would use something more forgiving, such as a med moderate fast rod, if you want the best of the best.
That doesn't have to be true and really is not. A lot of the power of your rod will depend on the line you are using with it. If you have lets say 2 spools with totally different lines at both ends of the spectrum and can basically turn it into 2 different types of rods.
DogBone_384 reply :
I got bitten BADLY by the tackle monkey last year and now own Shimano, Diawa, Lews, Abu-Garcia, and BPS bait casters as well as Abu-Garcia, BPS, St. Croix, ***, and Fenwick rods. After playing with each of them in different combinations I'd have to say the combos I use most, or meat & potatoes setups, are my Shimano Core reels matched with Abu-Garcia Veritas (6'6" M/F & 6'9" MH/F) and *** *** (7'3" M/M) rods with a Lews Pro Series BB1 on top. My next most used setup is a BPS Johnny Morris B/C matched with a Johnny Morris 7' M/F rod. I don't consider myself overly experienced, so I use these different combos to throw nearly everything I own, I guess to see what works best. I'm still figuring it out.
I'm by far an expert, but these setups just feel right to me, cast great, and are all light and super sensitive; at least according to my subjective experience. I got my Shimano reels on sale, so overall I didn't break the bank to get these super bait casting rigs.
Best of luck with your choices.
hatrix reply :
All that matters in the end is if you enjoy fishing it and are comfortable with it. It also does not hurt to cast far spin easily and be really sensitive but if you dont like it or it does not fit you it wont matter when you pick up something else besides it because it just feels better to you.
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