6 replies to this topic

[ksfisher]

Can you throw anything on medium power rods? i have 65lb braid on my reel and i use a lot of frogs on it. (don't see a need to have any more power considering the small size of bass here in kansas)

[BASSclary]

You may not need more power to fight the size of fish, but power is useful in thicker cover. If your using frogs, your probably in thick cover. You'r going to want a MH at the very least, more common a H, so when the bass takes your frog and gets burried in the grass, its much easier to pull them out insteasd of trying to horse them out with a noodle.

[ww2farmer]

It's all about having the right tool for the job..............sure you can take a phillips head screw out with vise grips, but it's not going to be pretty. Same goes with fishing rods. While you don't a seperate rod for every technique, you do need to match your tackle to the fish ypour fishing for, the bait your fishing, and the cover your fishing in. You can cover almost all bass fising situations with a M power spinning rod, AND a MH power casting rod. The only two techniques, IMHO, that "need" decicated, technique specific rods if your going to use those methods alot, and be successfull, are heavy cover flipping/punching, and deep cranking.

[DarrenM]

If a M-power rod is working for you in Kansas, where you say the bass are smaller, then that should tell you your answer.

99% of my bass fishing is on M-powered rods (Shimano Compre), 95% spinning with smaller 1000-sized Shimano reels, too. I have big-time confidence with M-powered rods. I have 1 MH rod (which lost 3" of tip, so a tad between MH and H now) rarely used.

A M-powered rod in one brand may tend toward MH while another brand's M may tend toward ML. For instance, St. Croix rods may be rated at less power than actual rating. That's what I was told when rod-shopping at BPS, other places. Too, have a read here.

My recent personal best of 7 1/2 pounds was caught in very thick weeds on a M baitcasting setup with 15 lb test leader (10lb test braid mainline). I pulled in a ton of slop, and she fought hard.

I understand the golf-club metaphor, using the right tool for the job and all that. But not everyone can have the right equipment and have to use what they have on hand. YOU have to make it work. The right tool might make it easier, but you have to use what you have in your hand at the moment. If you were finesse fishing on a weed edge with 8 lb test and a 9 lber takes the line into the weeds, you can't say "wait, hold on, lemme switch to the H rod"... (crude example, but you get the drift). You're stuck with whatever is in your hand.

So you can't set the hook as if it were a MH rod with 65 lb test and a stout hook. Play it with the tool you have an hope the line and hook holds.

[new2BC4bass]

Darren, I recently caught my personal best (7 lb. 4 oz.) on a MH w/40 lb PP. Thought for sure I had lost another one in the weeds. Had the STX drag about locked down, and she still pulled line a few times. It was like pulling a log once I got her out of the weeds. Thought for sure I was pulling half the Hydrilla bed with her, but once close to the boat I could see my line was weed free. I was impressed with the rod's power given that it was a Falcon Original. Don't remember its lure range (rod stays in Florida), but going by my other Falcons (Medium power) I would say 3/4 oz. top end. My Medium Falcons top out at 1/2 oz.

I personally prefer MH rods nowadays. Got a couple that span 1/4-1 oz. Covers most of my bass fishing!

Realistically, tho, Medium is plenty enough rod (except when fishing heavy cover) given the size of the fish in my area.....my PB was a Florida fish so actually a small one for the area being fished.

[DarrenM]

Darren, I recently caught my personal best (7 lb. 4 oz.) on a MH w/40 lb PP. Thought for sure I had lost another one in the weeds. Had the STX drag about locked down, and she still pulled line a few times. It was like pulling a log once I got her out of the weeds. Thought for sure I was pulling half the Hydrilla bed with her, but once close to the boat I could see my line was weed free. I was impressed with the rod's power given that it was a Falcon Original. Don't remember its lure range (rod stays in Florida), but going by my other Falcons (Medium power) I would say 3/4 oz. top end. My Medium Falcons top out at 1/2 oz.

I personally prefer MH rods nowadays. Got a couple that span 1/4-1 oz. Covers most of my bass fishing!

Realistically, tho, Medium is plenty enough rod (except when fishing heavy cover) given the size of the fish in my area.....my PB was a Florida fish so actually a small one for the area being fished.

I hear ya. What I didn't say with my 7 1/2 pounder in thick weeds is that I had to play her and give her a bit of space. It isn't that I wasn't worried I'd break my line, I was sweating with each dive into the grass.

Point being, if I was smart enough to have had my MH on hand, I would have, LOL. The lake I frequent is getting heavy with weeds about now, so I might just have to have it on hand just-in-case.

I think we can all agree that in heavy junk/cover a heavier action rod, heavier line is gonna be better. That said, if you don't have it on hand, play the fish for all it's worth and have the net ready. That or do a Larry Dahlberg and jump in after it.

[MyKeyBe]

If I could only have one rod or a rod to use as an all purpose rod it would be a 6'6" - 6'8" med./fast. It may not do everything great but it can do just about everything well enough.