Does anybody else use unconventional rods for bass fishing?

[redmeansdistortion 125]

During the later spring while wading the shallows of Lake St Clair in pursuit of smallmouth, I often find myself using my 9' Guide Series medium/light steelhead rod to throw tube jigs and smaller cranks.  The rod itself is nothing special, ML 1/4oz - 1/2oz spinning rod I use for drift fishing steelhead in my local river.  I find the fight with smallmouth spectacular with such a long and limber rod.  Not to mention it can cast like nobody's business and put the lures seemingly out of sight.  With a longer rod, I can use lighter line since the rod is doing most of the work.  No thing pulling in big smallies on 4lb or 6lb mono and even the occasional toothy critter that decides to take my bait.  It's not an ideal rod for a boat, but for wading and bank fishing I find it awesome.

[Steveo-1969 808]

The spinning rod I use for bass fishing says "Walleye" on it. Probably not all that unconventional though. And the bass don't seem to care......  😎

[BassWhole! 2,249]

1 hour ago, Steveo-1969 said:

The spinning rod I use for bass fishing says "Walleye" on it. Probably not all that unconventional though. And the bass don't seem to care......  😎

A lot of walleye rods make better drop shot rods than some drop shot rods.

To the OP's question, I use whatever rod does the job. Sometimes it's a crappie rod or a #6 fly rod, and sometimes it's a 9 ft surf rod. That being said, most of the time I'm using fairly standard bass gear. 

 

[FishTank 447]

2 hours ago, reason said:

A lot of walleye rods make better drop shot rods than some drop shot rods.

To the OP's question, I use whatever rod does the job. Sometimes it's a crappie rod or a #6 fly rod, and sometimes it's a 9 ft surf rod. That being said, most of the time I'm using fairly standard bass gear. 

 

Yap.  I have a 7'4'' ML Fenwick Elite Tech that I use for drop shot.  

[junyer357 234]

Ive used a 9' med surf rod some for a-rigs and swimbaits. Its what i had available that would handle baits that weight. It was just too heavy to do for long with a 6000 size reel. 

[FCPhil 194]

I have a 6’6” MH casting rod that the tip broke off on. I cut it back to the next guide and still use it. I really like it for topwater walkers and jerkbaits because I can give the bait much sharper jerks with the stiffer tip. It makes the topwaters splash more. 

[fishwizzard 1,601]

I have a very silliy rod I am going to try this season.  It’s a Daiwa Triforce “Shorty” casting rod. 3’ long, M/F, 1/8-1/2oz. It’s stiff as hell and a small frog just starts to load it.  I want to use it as a hiking rod and throw smaller frogs and topwaters on it.  It’s not strong enough for heavy cover but I think I can get good hooksets with it in more open water. It has no tip to speak of but it’s short legnth lets it walk lures with ease.  

 

I am going to stick a cheap reel full of cheap 40lb braid on it and fish it until something breaks. 

[bayvalle 25]

My buddy has plenty of high end gear but at Lake Sinclair he likes to pull out a cheap fiberglass slow action rod for the smallies. We all want one when we see that rod double over. He even pulled in a 40" muskie on that thing.

[OnthePotomac 236]

My brother in Michigan gifted me with a 7'6" Guide series ultra light spinning rod, aka noodle rod, (he was a big pan fish and walleye guy)  and I was messing around one day with a shad dart and 6lb mono on it fishing a near by tidal tributary to the Potomac for perch and ended up with a 5lb striper on.  That was an interesting fish landing exercise.  I did eventually get it in.  It just sits in the rack now.

[TOXIC 1,926]

I use a CastAway saltwater baitcasting rod for a lot of my spinnerbaits.  It just feels right.  

[J Francho 14,294]

I've centrepinned for smallies with a 13' ML/MOD rod.