Thoughts on spinning rod for smallys 2024
mike bat reply :
I'm thinking bout getting a 7ft6 med fast spinning rod for smallys.. I think the extra tip will help me cast those ultra lite lures and keep a big one pinned .. what are your thoughts??
Angry John reply :
The dobyns dx 743 spinning is great for smallies from tubes to dropshot. I use mine for 4" keitech swim baits also. You did not state a blank or rod so I could not comment more.
Scott F reply :
If you want to cast ultra light lures, you should be looking at a light or medium light rod instead of a medium. Compare the weight of the lures you intend to throw to the specs printed on the rod.
For example, the St. Croix Premier in 7'6" comes in a medium light, 1/8 oz is the lightest lure the rod is rated for. The 7'6" Medium rod is rated for a 1/4 oz lure. The 7' comes in an ultra light rated for 1/32. Determine what lures you want to throw and match the rod accordingly. Any of their rods will handle any smallmouth you hook into.
OkobojiEagle reply :
Don't overlook how a rod will balance in your hand and how length and tip weight will affect that. In my experience when holding the rod with the reel stem between my ring and pinky finger, rods beyond 6 1/2' won't balance well with a sub-2000 size reel which is often used with light lines to offer those small baits. It may be necessary to butt weight a rod of that length to achieve a maximum sensitivity. I prefer light weight rods of 7' or less for small plastic/hair presentations.
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mike bat reply :
Well I will run a 3000 Daiwa ballistic. I like that reel I spool 8-10lb hivis suffix 832 braid and use a 4-5 ft flour leader 8lb sunline .. as for the rod I'm looking at the st croix legend extreme ( 7ft6 med fast ) I would like this rod to toss hair jigs , tubes , any smaller lures .. also I will use this rod as a back up to my 7ft med fast rod ..
I don't wanna go any lighter than med .. but I'm just seeing what people here do ..
Darren. reply :
Out of curiosity, Mike, why do you not want to go
lighter than a M power rod? ML rods, especially
St. Croix, will be more than enough to bring in a
trophy smallie and then some.
mike bat reply :
Idk I guess i feel under powered ??
Will Wetline reply :
Mike, last year I fished St. Croix Avid, both 6 1/2' and 7' rods matched with Shimano Stradic 2500s filled with 6 lb. fluoro to present 3/32 oz. and 1/8 oz. jigs as well as 1/8 oz. T-rigged plastics and the Duo Realis Spin Bait 80 which weighs in at 3/8 oz. These outfits whupped a number of smallies between 3 1/2 and 4 1/2lbs.
You want a medium light rod because they load better for distance with the small baits and they also provide a little more shock absorption when a big smallie makes a fast move. And there's no problem with hook setting because you're using baits with comparatively small, light wire hooks.
Of course, there's still room for angler error if you don't have your drag set properly or if you're in too much of a hurry to get a still-hot fish into the net.
The set ups I've described above are fine tuned to my style and will be back to work in April.
Darren. reply :
On 1/1/2017 at 11:23 PM, mike bat said:Idk I guess i feel under powered ??
ML is great for smallies. A St. Croix ML is going to
have a great backbone. I've got a 6'3" MLXF Legend
Tournament Walleye rod that I use for bass fishing
and it has plenty of power for turning big largies, let
alone smallies.
@Will Wetline is right about fine tuning. You don't
want your drag too tight, and a ML rod will load up
both on cast and when "playing" the fish to your
boat or shoreline if your shore bound.
mike bat reply :
I may have to give that a try .. I haven't ever went med-lite on any of my spinning rods ..
WI_Angler1989 reply :
On 1/2/2017 at 4:25 AM, mike bat said:I may have to give that a try .. I haven't ever went med-lite on any of my spinning rods ..
I don't think you'll be disappointed. I agree with all the previous comments that a ML rod, especially a St Croix, will be perfect. I think this because I run that setup too: St Croix Legend Tournament Bass Dropshot (mlxf) rod with a Shimano Stradic FK.
This is more than enough for my needs fishing rivers in Wisconsin for smallies! I have zero regrets and it has never let me down with big fish in fast currents. Plenty of power.
mike bat reply :
I may have to give that a try .. I haven't ever went med-lite on any of my spinning rods .. nice bass man !!
WI_Angler1989 reply :
On 1/2/2017 at 7:25 AM, mike bat said:I may have to give that a try .. I haven't ever went med-lite on any of my spinning rods .. nice bass man !!
I get what you mean about being worried, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Just be sure to get hands on whatever rod you wanna get, if you can. Then you can feel the balance and give it a little bend to feel how the backbone feels.
Thanks man! That was my biggest bass last season. Idk the weight but it was a solid 22 inches.
mike bat reply :
I may have to give that a try .. I haven't ever went med-lite on any of my spinning rods .. nice bass man !!
Where do you fish ??? I'm in Green Bay I walk a few rivers this way the red river , Menominee river great small mouth rivers also the oconto river .. we should meet up and walk a river ,, that would be a blast
As for the rod .. I plan on fishing the sturgeon Bay open bass tournament. So this rod will have to deal with some Great Lake smallys ( giants ) .. I know guys catch quiet a few over 6 lbs and a few years back a guy pulled one in over 8
1BADAIR reply :
I used a 7' ml avid for a long time for tubes. I ended up going to a 7' m cause I was not getting the hook in the deeper fish. Now I use the 7' legend and dx743's.
Use a 6'9 mlxf and 7'6 mlxf for dropshot but the 7'6 is softer than I really like
MickD reply :
While I agree that ML would be better for casting the lighter lures, it will not be the best for hook set. Any rod selection is a balance of strengths and weaknesses. I would rather give up a little on casting to gain better hook set capability. Surely you do not want anything less than a fast action ML, better a fast action Medium power.
WI_Angler1989 reply :
On 1/2/2017 at 11:47 AM, MickD said:While I agree that ML would be better for casting the lighter lures, it will not be the best for hook set. Any rod selection is a balance of strengths and weaknesses. I would rather give up a little on casting to gain better hook set capability. Surely you do not want anything less than a fast action ML, better a fast action Medium power.
Makes sense. Still, for my needs, the ML is perfect. I fish those light lures all year for river smallies. To each their own, eh?
The thing that makes me go with my ML is the action isn't just a fast, it's a extra fast. That stout er tip makes hook sets a lot better despite the lighter power. So I have the lighter, castable rod with 1/8 oz tubes, and the power thanks to it being XF.
On 1/2/2017 at 9:05 AM, mike bat said:I may have to give that a try .. I haven't ever went med-lite on any of my spinning rods .. nice bass man !!
Where do you fish ??? I'm in Green Bay I walk a few rivers this way the red river , Menominee river great small mouth rivers also the oconto river .. we should meet up and walk a river ,, that would be a blast
As for the rod .. I plan on fishing the sturgeon Bay open bass tournament. So this rod will have to deal with some Great Lake smallys ( giants ) .. I know guys catch quiet a few over 6 lbs and a few years back a guy pulled one in over 8
For sure man! I'm in Eau claire, so not super close. But ya never know. I go on a few fishing/camping trips up there each year.
I'd LOVE to fish Sturgeon Bay again. Been there once on a guided trip. Sadly I have a canoe and it's not big water friendly haha.
This fish is from up there!
"hamma" reply :
As some have stated the goods and bads, what it really comes down to is ,...is it effective for the lure your to present?
I have a effective 1/8 oz pins minnow that just kicks butt around here as it looks like a small smelt. For a several years I was using a 5'6" light action rod with 6 pound stren mono, which would produce a "somewhat" long enough cast for the clear waters I fish it in. I wanted even longer casts and went to a 7' light action rod with the same line and it did acheive the casts I wanted, and as I sharpen any hooks I'm using, the effectiveness of the bait didnt fail at all.
As for hooksets? keep your hooks sharp, your drag set correctly, and hooksets wont be a issue.
As for fighting and landing big fiesty smallies? I mostly use a shimano fighting drag reel for most of my smallie fishing. It allows to properly preset your drag for the hookset, then the ability to adjust the drag during the fight, (I loosen it just a bit so to not unbutton, or break the line), then when all is done, go right back to the presetting instantly and be ready for the next cast/hit.
And if Im fishing a rod without a fighting drag reel on it, I still loosen the drag some after the hookset, just do my best to get the drag back to where it was by listening to the amount of clicks the drag makes when I loosen it, and reverse that to get back to where it was.
A lighter action rod should not deter you at all if: you use it properly, sharpen your hooks to be extremely sharp, and know your quarry.
TnRiver46 reply :
Hamma, I have been switching over to backreel for smallmouth in deep water, it's pretty handy when they start bulldogging under the boat
"hamma" reply :
On 1/2/2017 at 9:42 PM, TnRiver46 said:Hamma, I have been switching over to backreel for smallmouth in deep water, it's pretty handy when they start bulldogging under the boat
I used to do that a long time ago, but lost a really big smallie, one day as it darted a bit to quick for me to keep up with, and the line snapped. I had the drag set, to set the hook, yet still give some, but, it failed the test miserably,.. that fish may have been my pb smallie. I was using a diawa td1600ss which has a good drag, but its possible I could of had it set just a bit too tight. Im not positive though, as they can dart, and it happened so fast.
So I decided to go with the routine I use now, and have yet to have a issue. I really like shimano's rear drag reels with a fighting drag, so much better using this method., Its actually a lever on your reels drag knob thats easy to access, sets easily, and even easier to get back to your original setting by just a slight re-alignment to its "centered" position. I often wonder if it was designed, and meant, to be a smallie reel, it works that well. I'm sure any fast, hard fighting, fish would be subdued with this method.
mike bat reply :
Alright Ima go with the 7ft6 med-lite fast !! It should help my cast distance..also the drag on the ballistic is silky smooth ..
Turkey sandwich reply :
I think you could be happy either way. It's all a matter of preference. I haven't ML XF 6'9 avid X dropshot rod that's surprisingly versatile. Still, because of the waters I primarily fish and having had occasional difficulty with hook sets, it's not my primary tube or grub rod unless I'm fishing very light weights (under 1/8 oz). I tend to prefer a medium weight rod because of the backbone on the hook set. This might change if I were to switch out to very light wire hooks, but in rocks and current, I prefer the backbone. Ultimately, any longer rod SHOULD help to increase your casting distance, but the whippier 7'6 ML will definitely launch 1/8 oz lures.
MickD reply :
Re where I fish, mostly Saginaw Bay for smallies. It is common that our take for the day averages over 3 1/2 pounds, not unusual 4 pounds. Largest last season was 6-14 by my son.
Since it is open water a medium lite will work, and I use one for my ned rig fishing. But for other stuff, it is not the ideal rod. I stand with my recommendation of med power fast action for better hook sets and better control of the bigger fish.
Re backreeling, I have done it, but I find using the drag with the anti-reverse on to be more reliable for me. I tend to lose control of the reel sometimes without the anti reverse on. I tend to keep the drag on the light side from what I think most will do. I might do otherwise if the water were not open as it is in Lake St Clair and Saginaw Bay.
Jagg reply :
I have the St Croix Rage 6'10" MLXF and the Avid 7'6" MLXF and love them for grubs, tubes, small swimbaits and other finesse stuff when I like a long cast. I've found that since I switched my spare spools to braid, I rarely have a hookset problem. My main spool is normally a mono or coated mono and my spare is braid.
PatrickKnight reply :
I fish a lot of tubes, grubs, and swim baits on jig heads as well as a lot of hair jigs. I was fishing a ML fast action rod last season and wasn't getting very good hook sets (using 10 lb braid mainline) at the advice of several members of this forum I will be throwing them on a medium power fast action this season and we will see if it makes a difference.
WI_Angler1989 reply :
On 1/7/2017 at 2:40 AM, PatrickKnight said:I fish a lot of tubes, grubs, and swim baits on jig heads as well as a lot of hair jigs. I was fishing a ML fast action rod last season and wasn't getting very good hook sets (using 10 lb braid mainline) at the advice of several members of this forum I will be throwing them on a medium power fast action this season and we will see if it makes a difference.
Let us hear how it goes! (I know, long ways off) I use a 610mlxf rod and haven't had issues personally. My Hooksetting issues are more my own issues. I have a tendency to set too fast and not let the fish take tubes all the way.
mike bat reply :
Well I have a 7 foot med fast mojo bass rod for basic smally fishing.. I want this rod for super finess fishin .. so Ima get the 7ft6 med-lite fast .. also I believe Ima get the 7ft1 med hev fast for tubes .. be nice to crack em get a solid hook set with that tube .. also I'll have my spinning rods covered .. other than that I may get a small lite rod for brook trout.. I'd like to catch a few Brookies with my son .
strikefc34 reply :
If you can find a Dobyns 762sf champion its a great rod for swimming grubs, hair jigs and dropshot later in the year. The 7'6" gives you a lot of rod to play the fish with light line. For swimming grubs and hair jigs I would recommend nanofil line and at most a 6lb flouro leader. The nice thing about the bay is there is very little structure to worry about losing a fish too...just open water!!!
Hulkster reply :
I use a classic G. Loomis GL3 SJR842 spin jig rod for smallies. 7 foot, med power, fast action. landed my largest smallie ever on this rod:
TxBuddha reply :
I've been fishing 7'6" MLXF St Croix Avid Inshores for about 2 years now and before that 7' ML Avids. I primarily crappie fish but there is quite a bit of "by catch" such as LMB, white bass, and catfish. I've never had an issue with the rod handling anything I've hooked. This includes catfish up to around 20#. I'm using 20# Sufix 832 with 8# or 10# fluoro leaders and 1/8 oz jigs primarily.
bigfruits reply :
ive owned several Med and ML St. Croix rods in the Avid and LE line.
i would pick up a ML for DS, Ned rig, jigs/plastics with thin wire hooks and moving baits under 5/16oz or so. You are not going to like it for hard hooksets.
The Med I'd grab for 3/16-1/4oz + plastic, 1/4oz-3/8oz moving baits.
I think the Med will be a little more versatile. I hate (love) to tell you this but youre going to need both. 
Hope this helps.
bigfruits reply :
another good option but a little pricier than the LE is the 872s or 852s NRX. The 852 has made 3 or 4 of my other Loomis and St. Croix rods obsolete. By far my favorite spinning rod for weightless plastics and small jigs/plastics.
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