Hello, fellas.

Ive come here before (cant access my old account) with technique and tackle questions for inshore applications. The bass world takes things far more serious and you guys have much more experience with questions like this compared to the leaders of the inshore world.

Having said that, I am looking for a rod to address a very specific way of fishing for speckled trout in Louisiana. I fish bridges in lake pontchartrain in 12-14ft of water with significan tidal movement. 75% of the time I am using 3/8oz jig heads with paddle tail lures and the other 25% I will use up to 1/2oz jig heads if the tide or wind are making things difficult. Accurate casts are very important as the fish sit within 12" of the pillings and overhand casts are impossible because the bridge only sits about 10-12 ft above the water. You also need a rod that is very sensitive because the bites are very subtle and speckled trout will spit the lures very quickly. Another variable to consider is that speckled trout have soft mouths and come unbottoned very easily. That last factor is what is currently presenting me some problems.

I have been using a Lews Custom lite SLP with 20lb braid to 20lb fluro leader on a 6' St. Croix Premier rod that is very accurate and sensitive. I have no problem getting off accurate casts and feeling bites. The problem is the stiffness of the rod lends itself to not being the best during the actual fight. Its also possible I am not getting the best hook sets with a shorter rod considering there is usually a good bit of slack in line when they bite.

So, I am looking for help in upgrading this set up while prioritizing things in this order:

• Handles 3/8-1/2oz jigheads

• Accurate casting (Ideally 6'3"-6'6")

• Sensitive (bites are very subtle, especially when the current is rolling and wind is ripping)

• slow enough action (soft mouth speckled trout easily throw 1/2 jigs)

Check out Fitzgerald, Bull Bay, and Falcon Rods. Explore their websites and call them for recommendations. You may want to change to a monofilament leader so there is some stretch in the line to avoid tearing their mouths.

On casting setup I just use mono on the reel, spinning is braid to mono. Be sure to use jigs with fine wire hooks!

9 hours ago, little giant said:

Check out Fitzgerald, Bull Bay, and Falcon Rods. Explore their websites and call them for recommendations. You may want to change to a monofilament leader so there is some stretch in the line to avoid tearing their mouths.

On casting setup I just use mono on the reel, spinning is braid to mono. Be sure to use jigs with fine wire hooks!

Thank you! I will definitely check out those rods and will try out going with a monofilament leader. I love the idea about using a jig with fine wire hooks. Never would have thought about that but thats exactly why I come on these boards.

@softwateronly will vouch for me here, best choice is JDM Abu Prototype Kurodai Baitfinesse. He found a shorter ML boat rod in the series - maybe we'll hear from him.

Don't know what your market is, but might consider Waterloo HP Lite.

Go-to rod for host of our annual fall Redfish Rodeo

Waterloo Rods

Waterloo HP Lite

Designed for the avid artificial fisherman whose arsenal includes light-weight soft plastics, top waters, and spoons. Built on a high modulus medium light, fast action graphite blank with a light tip

Third choice is 13Fishing ML Omen, but I don't know current models and lengths.

This is discontinued Omen Green 7'1"ML, and there was a 6'6" ML in this series

The reel - Zillion - '22 Silver Wolf is ready to go, comes with 1000S PE Special braid spool.

'22 Zillion HD or '21 Zillion SVTW, you can swap-in Ray's Studio honeycomb SV spool.

I do have the SaltyStage KR-X Prototype Boat Casting XXBC 732mml which is a bit longer than you want, but the light tip to mid to powerful butt section sounds exactly like the action you're describing. It has a very long back handle, making it fish more like a 7 footer. Today I caught a 5.75 smallie in deep current with it using a 1/0 wide gap hook with a 3/4oz weight on my jika rig. Presenting a 2.75" bait on a small hook with heavy weights is what got me here and it works flawlessly for me.

Abu Garcia JP

SaltyStage KR-X Prototype Boat Casting（ソルティーステージ プロトタイプ ボ...

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scott

I like the Daiwa Aird Inshore rods, some are F action some R. You probably want the R to keep them pinned. I use F but that's because Reds and Bass are mostly what's biting, I did hook into juvenile tarpon and they also can spit out those hooks quickly.

I also use Bass Pro Inshore Extreme reels, basically souped up Pro Qualifiers that have some corrosion protection, and 17lb Sunline Defier mono which unfortunately is discontinued.