I fish a couple of small local lakes where casting an unweighted floating worm on a light 3/0 Hook is the absolute killer setup along the weedbeds. 30+ years ago I fished this combo with a Daiwa minicast spincaster, but with such a whippy rod and 6lb line a decent sized fish almost always ties me up in the cattails and gets away.

 

I’m willing to devote a rod/reel combo just to this purpose. I prefer baitcasters but my experience is that a skinny little 6” worm and light hook is just too light for any of my current reels. I don’t have much experience with spinning gear but I’m willing to try. I assume a big part of the equation is having a long rod to give leverage when casting? Maybe braid so I can still get a decent cast distance and still be able to yank one out of the weeds?

 

Thoughts?

I've fished senkos on a 7' medium fast action rod for 15 years. However you could fish them on a 6'8" to 7'3" medium or medium heavy spinning or casting rod. It's really a personal preference. There is no right or wrong answer.

I use the same set up that I use for T rig, just dial it back.  Mostly I am fishing short casts from a kayak into holes in the slop. I mostly use a med St Croix Mojo bass, BC reel with 60 lb braid to hybrid.

I use a Lews American hero laser edition. I throw weightless wacky rigs on it and see no problem throwing floating worms on it. the 6:4:1 gear ratio is kinda mid range but works for me. Its a 7ft fast taper Med.Heavy. I own some custom rods made for my fishing team and I have caught 3 times more fish on that cheap combo than my 240+ dollar rods. Its fairly cheap and reliable. Ive had mine going on 3 years and its smooth as can be. The fish below was caught on that combo (6 inch finesse worm on a 1/16 wacky rig)

My current weightless plastics setup is a St. Croix BassX in MH/Moderate with a Lews BB1.  

The extra flex/whip of the moderate action lets me cast for good distance. 

Senko size/weight or trick worm?

I use 7MF Aetos spinning with 18# Gliss for weightless truck/finesse worms.  I feel I need the F or XF for hook setting, especially when line is less than taut as it winds it's way through emergent weeds and pads.

For weightless senko, I'm more likely to use MF baitcaster with 20 or 40# braid.

I have an older Falcon 6'10" Eakins Jig rod with a 50 sized Chronarch and 10 lb Abrazx that I'll use for weightless worms.   Generally though, I've got that rig purposed for another technique and I'll go with some spinning rig.  I don't think you need to go real expensive here, any Medium spinning rod with lighter braid and a fluorocarbon leader will work.

If by “floating worm”, you mean “Zoom Trickworm” then it with a 3/0 hooks weighs it at like 1/4oz.  I think most any lighter-MH/F or heavier-M/F would be what you are looking for.  The two rods I use for trickworms are an Avid 6’2” M/XF and a GLX 783c. Both at the higher end of things but the older Loomis CR and MBR rods can be found on ebay for good prices if you are willing/able to wait for a deal to pop up. 

The Falcon weightless worm rod is a great floating worm rod. In addition, it makes one of the best jerkbait rods going.

My floating worms go out on a medium spinning rod, 3/0 hook and 8lb mono.  Mostly bubble gum in the heat of summer.  Works great on the tidal Potomac beds and their edges.

I often toss weightless Trick Worms on a 6'6" M casting rod with 8lb copolymer on a smooth, lightweight reel.