FryDog62

I liked my Orochi’s until 2 of the 3 snapped. In 40+ years of fishing I’ve only ever snapped one other rod. I might sell my remaining Braillist because I find myself afraid to use it. Hesitant to buy one of their more expensive rods now...

I prefer a MH Fast tip section to be able to cast lighter hollow body frogs farther and to be able to “walk-the-dog.” But then have a true Heavy backbone/butt section to fight the fish away from cover. Unfortunately I don’t think Kistler makes that type of hybrid rod. The ALX Toadface is a great hybrid option if you’re willing to look at something besides Kistler.

I don’t own one, but Phenix Feather has 7’3” and 7’7” Extra Heavy rods rated to 3 oz. I have 2 different Feather rods and are amazed at how light they are. Several reviews on TW and a couple specific to the Extra Heavy rods and are positive... one says the 7’3” Extra Heavy weighs 3.75 ounces which if correct is about half the heft of a similar sized St.Croix I used to have.

I only use braid if Bubba-shotting.... otherwise straight Sniper 7 lb... too many knots to tie with braid/fluoro and with a light drop-shot hook too much braid can result in a straightened out hook in a big fish’s mouth...

I've typically held the rule of thumb that largemouth stop hitting topwater in mid-50's water temps and smallmouth down a little further to low 50's. In general, the topwater bite slows as you near those temps. But then again, you get fooled sometimes. Last year right at 50 degrees, the lake had just turned over and nothing I mean nothing worked. Then a buzz bait around remaining weeds yielded one of the the best days of the year including several 4.5-5.5 lb largemouth. Had a similar experience with smallmouth on Rainy Lake a couple Falls ago when it was late in the season, cold, wet, windy, ugly and absolutely nothing worked... until we started throwing Whopper Ploppers in protected bays out of the wind. In both scenarios we thought the fish would be lethargic at best, but they hit the buzzer and Ploppers like they were mad as hell... So, its always worth a try but expect less as the season gets late.

I have caught some 21 inch smallmouth in rivers that because they work out in the current all day only weigh 4 pounds - but can out-fight many of the 5 pound smallies I’ve caught in Mille Lacs... and the Mille Lacs smallmouth are very strong. Smallmouth in rivers are street fighters and know how to turn into the current and gain leverage.

Easy answer - Tatula Elite. I started with one and now have three. I get an easy 20% more distance... maybe 30%. I typically use these reels for light or high profile lures that are hard to get enough distance (Ned rig, Buzzbait, jerkbait). Problem is if you switch back to other reels it’s almost disappointing. Funny, someone mentioned above that a Dark Sleeper is compact and casts a mile. For fun, I did put a 3/4 oz DS on a rod I have a Tatula Elite on. Oh my, I coulda launched it over the Green Monster at Fenway

Don’t do it - that is wacky hooks... As mentioned above, use a VMC weedless Neko hook size 2 (not 2/0). Higher hook-up ratio, they don’t come un-buttoned and you catch them almost always in the roof of the mouth.

EXACTLY what I’m looking to use 12 lb for... ?

Does that rod only come in 6’8”? I thought I remembered a 7 foot version at one point?

I was thinking of spooling with 12 lb Tatsu... and actually on a number of other rods for Neko, flukes, Senkos, etc. Maybe get a 1000 spool. Can you get the t-rig with Tatsu through vegetation well enough or does it get hung up easily? Overall, has it held up well for you, strength, abrasion, knots?

Agreed, manufacturers vary. I have a 7’1” MHXF Phenix Feather I’ve thought of re-purposing for light t-rigs as well. It’s really more in between a Medium and MH and although a fast tip softer than many.

Good recommendations... I see one as XF and the other mod-fast. That’s what I’m trying to figure out when using a light t-rig.... better feel of the weeds/cover with the XF or more forgiving hook-set/retrieve with m-f?

YZH 12, CXX second...

I can’t get myself to throw MH St. Croix’s anymore... in fact I sold off a couple LTB’s and three AvidX’s a few years back. A preference thing but to me they are heavy, tip-weighted rods. I know I’m in the minority, SC has many fans.

The deadly WarPig!

Yes, I have the 734 Champ... great rod but probably not for a 1/8 oz T-rig. 703 might work though... Or stick with the Phenix and see how the XF tip is...

I have a Phenix Feather 7-1 MHXF that might work with the lighter t-rigs. I haven’t tried it for that - the XF action concerns me a bit, but maybe I’ll switch from braid to fluoro to provide additional give w/o giving up too much sensitivity..

I usually use Fast Action rods for T-Rigs, but wonder at 1/8 oz if an Extra Fast would be better. I throw into weeds/grass and slither the rig in and around the cover. Maybe XF would help “feel” my way through with a lighter lure??

1/8 oz + this... https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/search-tackle.html?searchtext=Airtail+rattler

How about 1/8 oz? (Plus plastic weighs more of course)

What specific baitcasting rod(s) do you like for lighter Texas rigs - mainly 1/8 to 1/4 oz in the $150-250 range?

I struggled with distance vs. accuracy for years. I tried 6’10” rods and also 7’6” - although briefly (I found tight targets tough to hit consistently). I ended up with a 7’0” ALX Buzz rod.... works great on the 3/8 Cavitrons or Choppo 105’s that I usually throw - great accuracy and keeps fish pinned. To get the extra distance, I use a Daiwa Tatula Elite reel and it absolutely launches lures farther than anything I’ve ever used. I had to give up using braid because if I wasn’t careful I’d launch a Cavitron over the Green Monster at Fenway. Seriously though, talk about both accuracy and distance. My problem is solved as long as I just don’t try to over-throw...

I’m a big fan of Sniper and have used it on a variety of moving and finesse lures. I used Sniper 14 for my Chatterbait set up for years and liked it well enough. However we get a lot of pike bite-offs here in the North and I’d go through line fairly quickly which can be expensive. I switched this year to Yo-Zuri Hybrid 10 lb test (same line diameter as Sniper 14). It has worked well too, similar stretch, strength and maybe a little better knots.

Totally agree... I think the fast sink and instant action of a jig can be great at times... but a lot of times I think we just blow by fish too fast... or klank the lead head off a hard metal object and spook the fish. A well-placed, slow falling, enticing weightless plastic that stays in the strike zone longer I think gets both the fast reactors as well as the neutral bystanders that can’t let a potential meal go by.. If the OP is new to skipping docks and finds it harder to skip a weightless Senko, try a Neko Rig. You can insert a little weight in one end (but it’s buried in plastic so no klanking) and you can jiggle it in the strike zone a long time.