Does anyone use this set up? If so can they share their thoughts on if they think it does the job for casting not pitching to brush piles in water around 12-14 feet?

It appears not many have your setup.  Is this type of fishing new to you or are you just concerned about the setup?

I fish brush piles with that rod and it does great but I use straight 12lb FC, no braid to leader.

I tried it with the dirty jig finesse jig and lost a lot of fish that's why I was concerned with just fc

How do you hook set?

Tom

Reel and lean hard 

I ran braid to leader for a long time on that rod as a moving bait rod or a senko rod. 

I think it's a better rod with braid to leader as it is kinda soft, especially for bottom contact. 

Might be setting the hook too hard on your finesse jig though. There's not much give. When I threw a senko with a light hook a little wrist was plenty. 

Ease up and see what happens. 

 

On 12/4/2025 at 9:38 AM, GoneFishingLTN said:

Does anyone use this set up? If so can they share their thoughts on if they think it does the job for casting not pitching to brush piles in water around 12-14 feet?

I have this rod. It's my goto for soft plastics. It will throw them weightless pretty well if there's no wind, and it will throw them with up to a 3/8oz weight into some light to moderate cover.

 

I usually run 12# on mine like 90% of the time and I have a reel with 16# for cover if it's available, although I may try 14# next year as I've gotten my line damaged dragging it over rocks a bit and that should be a happy medium If you're throwing it alongside weedlines and brush piles and not into them, you should be fine. It still has a fair amount of power to turn their heads and pull them away.

On 12/5/2025 at 8:49 AM, GoneFishingLTN said:

Reel and lean hard 

Reel and firm rod sweep works!

Tom