Guys advice here. Fishing exclusively from the bank. I have a Curado dc with a Dobyns 734 C which will be my stick to throw cranks, spinner, jigs and chatter baits, mostly long distance work. I am narrowing down my new bait caster set up for plastics weightless and weighted mostly Texas or Carolina for the bank. I figure 6’8 to help around trees and still get me distance but I’m open for suggestions here. No more than 7ft. I’ve narrowed things down to Tatula SV and the Curado 70. I will probably spool straight fluro although things can change. My dc is a 7 speed, I’ve never tried a 6. What’s best for plastics in this situation. I do like to cover distance with worms at times too. My concern is will the sv handle distance and also if I decide to go braid w/ leader will the t wing give me issues - the dc doesn’t. Also what rod would you recommend MF  I’m thinking better presentation while also giving me more casting distance while adding a medium stick to my arsenal. I’d like to carry two baitcasters and put the spinning gear in the basement for now. 

I feel the curado 200k reel is too big and heavy for a 6‘8“ plastics rod, consider the 70/71 series, lighter and more palmable. I use a curado 71 on my gloomis 804c for bank fishing.

6 minutes ago, Bassjam2000 said:

I feel the curado 200k reel is too big and heavy for a 6‘8“ plastics rod, consider the 70/71 series, lighter and more palmable. I use a curado 71 on my gloomis 804c for bank fishing.

Typo there. Definitely the 70 over 200. never heard of a 71? I need to look at G Loomis. I’m considering Shimano Expride if I can find one and Dobyns Champ. In the price range I could easily go loomis as they are highly recommended. Thanks for the suggestion. 

71 is the lefty version of the 70

2 minutes ago, Bassjam2000 said:

71 is the lefty version of the 70

Thoughts on retrieve speed for plastics. Only ever using a 7 speed, sometimes slowing down is more work. Not sure how much a 6 speed would present better for worms. 

A nice light 6’8” m/f. For light plastics. Chronach mgl all the way. 

My plastics setups from the bank are a Chronarch on a 7' MHXF with 30lb braid for snaggy spots and a Tat SV on a 7'1" MF with 10 lb copoly for lighter plastics and more open spots. Plenty of casting distance with the Tat SV and it's a wonder in the wind with light baits.

I use the 71hg now, 7.2:1/28ipt, but if I had to do it again I would get the 71xg 8.2:1/32ipt.

7 hours ago, MUSLENUTZ said:

Thoughts on retrieve speed for plastics. Only ever using a 7 speed, sometimes slowing down is more work. Not sure how much a 6 speed would present better for worms. 

For bottoms contact plastic, speed is not so important, you move lure with rod not reel. You want high speed reel when you mostly fish for target, meaning cast or pitch to stumps or tree and move a lot.

 

29 minutes ago, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

For bottoms contact plastic, speed is not so important, you move lure with rod not reel. You want high speed reel when you mostly fish for target, meaning cast or pitch to stumps or tree and move a lot.

 

Exactly what I do. Plus, the places I fish. They race for the grass to lose the hook. My 734 c and Dc are no match once I hook one. It’s actually never a fair fight. 

Tatula 6’10 MH/F is my current weightless Senko rod. It’s pretty much spot on. Throws a 5” Senko on a 4/0 hook like a bullet. 
 

Wouldn’t hurt my feelings if it was a full 7’, but it does well. 

1 hour ago, AmmoGuy said:

Tatula 6’10 MH/F is my current weightless Senko rod. It’s pretty much spot on. Throws a 5” Senko on a 4/0 hook like a bullet. 
 

Wouldn’t hurt my feelings if it was a full 7’, but it does well. 

I’m willing to spend a little more. Prob $200-$300. What reel do you have on it. Thanks for the feedback, helpful for the future. 

2 hours ago, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

For bottoms contact plastic, speed is not so important, you move lure with rod not reel. You want high speed reel when you mostly fish for target, meaning cast or pitch to stumps or tree and move a lot.

 

The speed you need is for quickly reeling in slack when a fish bites or if he runs at you and applies no matter how you’re fishing jigs/plastics imo

Edited June 21, 20205 yr by Bassjam2000

20 minutes ago, Bassjam2000 said:

The speed you need is for quickly reeling in slack when a fish bites or if he runs at you and applies no matter how you’re fishing jigs/plastics imo

I agreed on that but most reel either 6.3 or 7.2 can handle that pretty easily. Bass is not a fast runner. But if the high speed reel is your preferred then use what you feel comfortable.

Fishing from the shore, it's very rare that a bass will race toward you, they usually head for deeper water.

 

No need for high speed reels in this case.

You shouldn't have issues keeping up with fish running at you or anywhere on a 6.3:1 ratio. These days I only really look at high speed reels for frogging or in compact frames to keep the IPT up. My starters are all 6 gears outside of the 8 that usually frogs.

 

Since the summer grass came up, I've been all shock and awe with straight braid and heavier rods, but my 1/4 oz and under plastic setup for the spring was similar to what you're looking at: Tatula SV, Loomis 853c JWR, 12 lb fluoro. 

 

I personally would not buy the current Curado 70 over the new Tatula SV; I expect an update to the Curado lineup "soon". 

Totally disagree on the suggestions for the 70 over the k, or several other options for that matter. K seems to be a much better built reel to me and much smoother. The tatula sv is likely the favorite for weightless plastics as its so user friendly.  I use a lews tournament pro lfs but if I were to buy something different it would be the sv. Never been impressed by the 70 myself. 

   I agree with @Shimano_1. I have a Curado 70, and I absolutely love it .... when it's working. Kinda like the old Triumph 650 motorcycles. I've heard people say the K doesn't cast lighter weights well at all, but I never got accurate ideas of what the weight was that they were trying to cast. The Tatula with low-stretch mono or FC and (personally) the 6'-08" M/XF Mojo rod would work fine from the bank. I had the 7'-01" M/F Mojo, and it was fine, but too long for some of the places I fish with overhanging branches.

   Like @Hammer 4 said, a bass won't race toward you when you're on the bank; that happens when you're in a boat.   

   Good luck.    jj

3 hours ago, Shimano_1 said:

Totally disagree on the suggestions for the 70 over the k, or several other options for that matter. K seems to be a much better built reel to me and much smoother. 

You would think so yet I have a k thats “geary” and a 71 thats like butter ?‍♂️ 

7 hours ago, Bassjam2000 said:

You would think so yet I have a k thats “geary” and a 71 thats like butter ?‍♂️ 

 

Yeah...this is the first I’m hearing of this, myself. The k is a great reel but I’ve owned a bunch of 70s and 70 “variations” and beyond swapping a spent gear set out in one of them, have never had an issue with reliability. And I run those reels HARD. They’re my frogging, toad and spinnerbait reels...

1 hour ago, Manifestgtr said:

 

Yeah...this is the first I’m hearing of this, myself. The k is a great reel but I’ve owned a bunch of 70s and 70 “variations” and beyond swapping a spent gear set out in one of them, have never had an issue with reliability. And I run those reels HARD. They’re my frogging, toad and spinnerbait reels...

If they're serving you well then I'd continue to use them. Pretty well known issues with the 70 tho of them just not holding up. Just Google it or look at reviews on tacklewarehouse.  I love the ergonomics but I've owned a cple and much prefer the k myself.  Of course the crowd says lews are garbage and I run several that I love so its all a matter of opinion! 

A 734  Dobyn's isn't exactly a great rod for crankbaits, it is however a great rod for plastics, anything 3/8oz and up.  If it were me I would add a 703C, you will be able to cover a lot of techniques you mention very well with those two rods.  Don't get me wrong I still don't think a 703C is a great crankbait rod but it will do a better job than the 734.   Many people go technique specific with crankbaits, something in a Moderate or Moderate Fast action would be my recommendation.     For a majority of techniques you listed a 7 gear ratio reel would be good and cover many of the techniques you listed, again for crankbait fishing I would chose something slower something in the 5 or 6 gear ratio, you want to keep the bait in the strike zone as long as possible.  My .02

On 6/20/2020 at 3:20 PM, Bassjam2000 said:

I use the 71hg now, 7.2:1/28ipt, but if I had to do it again I would get the 71xg 8.2:1/32ipt.

My weightless plastic rig is a 70 xg and a 7' mf 

7-1 MHXF SC Legend Xtreme with a Megabass IS73C

There are many factors to be success in fishing weightless worm. To me when talking weightless worm, I’m talking regular trick worm or 6-7” roboworm, weight around 3/16oz. You need light line on smaller spool reel (Shimano 50 or 70, Daiwa Alphas SV) to reduce weight, M or ML rod with pretty soft fast to MF tip. I normally use 50yds of 6lb copolymer line with braid backing and only 3/4 full spool or less. thin line to help sink rate, less spool full to help control. 
 

Weightless Senko or light Texas rig (5/32oz bullet weight) is not really light, you can pretty much get away with any rod reel or line. I usually use MH and whatever reel I can grab at time.