I am tempted to throw chatterbaits on my medium power rod, making the fight a bit more fun being on a lighter rod. My fear is I know it requires a nice solid hookset, and my concern is breaking the rod. If I don't "overdo" the hookset, should using a medium power rod be OK? What are your experiences? 

Depending on rod manufacturers you'll get alot of different iterations of what medium power is supposed to feel like. For instance Abu Garcia rods tend to run heavy in most peoples minds...dobyns tend to run light...so an Abu medium feels maybe like a medium+ or a light medium heavy and a dobyns medhvy feels like and Abu medium. I throw swim jigs on an Abu veritas medium and have no issue driving the hook. If you want a little extra oomph use braid.

5 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

Depending on rod manufacturers you'll get alot of different iterations of what medium power is supposed to feel like. For instance Abu Garcia rods tend to run heavy in most peoples minds...dobyns tend to run light...so an Abu medium feels maybe like a medium+ or a light medium heavy and a dobyns medhvy feels like and Abu medium. I throw swim jigs on an Abu veritas medium and have no issue driving the hook. If you want a little extra oomph use braid.

I see, so generally speaking using a medium power rod for this will not break a good quality rod then?

Up to 3/8 with a smallish trailer, I find a medium works ok, everything bigger, the rod gets over powered while working the bait, as well as on the hook set, I fish chatters on 14-20 lb mono.

29 minutes ago, BassSteve said:

I see, so generally speaking using a medium power rod for this will not break a good quality rod then?

Not in my experience.. Out of curiosity what rod are you planning to use?

4 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

Not in my experience.. Out of curiosity what rod are you planning to use?

7' shimano clarus.  Not a high end shimano rod of course but I wouldn't say it's poor quality either

5 minutes ago, BassSteve said:

7' shimano clarus.  Not a high end shimano rod of course but I wouldn't say it's poor quality either

Nope...I think you should be fine.

47 minutes ago, BassSteve said:

I see, so generally speaking using a medium power rod for this will not break a good quality rod then?

fishing doesn't break rods, fishermen do...

Don't go beyond 90 degrees and you won't break anything unless you've whacked it onto the boat or somehow damaged it. 

 

I don't flip fish into the boat, so I don't have that risk.

 

Usually the most fragile rods are the highest modulus/most expensive rods.  

 

I only own two MH or H power rods and only use them for trying for the rare muskie now and then.  I've never broken a rod on a fish, only by stepping on them.  

20 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

fishing doesn't break rods, fishermen do...

Lol yes, that's why I mentioned being careful to not overdo the hookset 

34 minutes ago, BassSteve said:

Lol yes, that's why I mentioned being careful to not overdo the hookset 

you won’t break a rod on a hook set unless it’s already damaged or you hit something with the rod (like a tree you didn’t see).

 

in terms of power, I like a little more power in a chatterbait rod to be sure the hooks drives home. They are pretty heavy hooks.

I tried a chatterbait on a medium fast rod a few times and didn’t like it. Hookset was weak, and lost a good fish because of it. Snapping through the grass was a pain too. 

Just now, Skunkmaster-k said:

I tried a chatterbait on a medium fast rod a few times and didn’t like it. Hookset was weak, and lost a good fish because of it. Snapping through the grass was a pain too. 

Yeah, I suspected as much, just thought it would be something fun 

17 minutes ago, BassSteve said:

Yeah, I suspected as much, just thought it would be something fun 

Best Case : Use braid mainline (#30 lb.)  + FC leader (#15 lb.) on a M action rod to reduce line stretch for better hook sets . Chatterbait rods tend to be MH /F or MH / Mod for a reason as more people tend to use line with a little stretch (FC or Co-Poly) to allow bass to get the chatterbait into the bass's mouth good. 

4 hours ago, BassSteve said:

Lol yes, that's why I mentioned being careful to not overdo the hookset 

One of my mentors said to me "you work the lure with the top two guides, you set the hook with the bottom two" One of the best fishermen I ever met. Try that, and you will never break a rod setting the hook.

The guys at TacticalBassin just uploaded a video the other day where Tim was throwing a 1/2 oz Jakchammer with a 5.5" trailer on the 6'10" medium SLX rod. He caught some nice ones on it and it handled it well. Looked like he was throwing it on braid (despite the video description which says fluoro) which likely helped the hooksets on the lighter rod. My 1/2 oz chatterbaits w/4" Zako come in a .95 ounces, almost double what the rod is rated for.

 

I prefer to throw them on a MH/F, but a medium definitely seems doable if you were inclined to try it out.

12 minutes ago, Aaron_H said:

The guys at TacticalBassin just uploaded a video the other day where Tim was throwing a 1/2 oz Jakchammer with a 5.5" trailer on the 6'10" medium SLX rod. He caught some nice ones on it and it handled it well. Looked like he was throwing it on braid (despite the video description which says fluoro) which likely helped the hooksets on the lighter rod. My 1/2 oz chatterbaits w/4" Zako come in a .95 ounces, almost double what the rod is rated for.

 

I prefer to throw them on a MH/F, but a medium definitely seems doable if you were inclined to try it out.

Thanks for the insight Orlando 

Some will disagree, but Personally I see no reason to use a medium powered rod. 
Most manufacturers have MH rated rods with different actions if you feel the need. 
That extra “power” inherent to the rod gives you more backbone if and when it’s needed. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

1 minute ago, Mike L said:

Some will disagree, but Personally I see no reason to use a medium powered rod. 
Most manufacturers have MH rated rods with different actions if you feel the need. 
That extra “power” inherent to the rod gives you more backbone if and when it’s needed. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

Yes but for me, there is a specific rocky area of a lake I fish in that has nice sized Mayan cichlids. Catching them with a medium powered rod or even light makes it more fun IMO ?. they have small mouths but I have caught a few on a small chatterbait before 

I have a dedicated set-up:  G.Loomis GLX MBR842C/ Shimano CoreMg7/ Tatsu #12

I've found Abu Garcia rods fish a little heavier than their rating.  I have a couple M/F Veritas that I'd feel comfortable throwing a chatterbait with, even in my home pond that's shallow and weedy.

 

Best of luck with your pick.

5 hours ago, Aaron_H said:

The guys at TacticalBassin just uploaded a video the other day where Tim was throwing a 1/2 oz Jakchammer with a 5.5" trailer on the 6'10" medium SLX rod. He caught some nice ones on it and it handled it well. Looked like he was throwing it on braid (despite the video description which says fluoro) which likely helped the hooksets on the lighter rod. My 1/2 oz chatterbaits w/4" Zako come in a .95 ounces, almost double what the rod is rated for.

 

I prefer to throw them on a MH/F, but a medium definitely seems doable if you were inclined to try it out.

I don't have the 6'10" M, but I have the 7'2" M XF. It's more F than XF and is stouter than a couple MH rods I have. Not all SLX's run heavy for their ratings but this one does. The 6'10" may too. Dunno, but thought it worth mentioning.

27 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

I don't have the 6'10" M, but I have the 7'2" M XF. It's more F than XF and is stouter than a couple MH rods I have. Not all SLX's run heavy for their ratings but this one does. The 6'10" may too. Dunno, but thought it worth mentioning.

 

I have both, and I'd agree that it's stouter than the lure rating suggests. Neither are as stout as the MH rods I own, but I've thrown 3/4oz on the 7'2" with zero issues. Haven't tried anything heavier than 1/2 oz on the 6'10", but I'd bet it would be similar. IMO Shimano tends to lean more conservative with their lure ratings anyhow.

If losing fish is your idea of fun, I say have at it. 

13 hours ago, MickD said:

Don't go beyond 90 degrees and you won't break anything unless you've whacked it onto the boat or somehow damaged it. 

 

I don't flip fish into the boat, so I don't have that risk.

 

Usually the most fragile rods are the highest modulus/most expensive rods.  

 

I only own two MH or H power rods and only use them for trying for the rare muskie now and then.  I've never broken a rod on a fish, only by stepping on them.  

100%. This can’t be emphasized enough. Poor technique breaks rods, not poor quality.