Rod Suggestion..

[dooma_Flatchy]

I fish on Guntersville Lake and it's a grass lake with hydrilla and milfoil. I have has success fishing the edges of the grass and sometimes just inside the grass line where the bass hide. My problem is that I loose a lot of fish that strike my soft plastics. I think my rod is not stiff enough to pull a good set hook through the grass and lose the fish. I am using a med heavy 7 foot rod with fluorocarbon line. I would hate to go to a heavy action and not have the sensitivity fell of the med heavy. Is there any good worm rods with sensitive tips but with good back bone to pull a fish out, and also would changing to a heavy braided line help?

 

[Bass-A-Holic]

Re: Rod Suggestion..

The rod you described sounds like it should work, I have a flippin stick like that and it works fine in the grass. Using braid that has less stretch then mono will probobly do the trick. All the magazines talk about using 80# braid but around here I can get into some pretty thick slope with 30#. So i think somewhere between 30# and 80# powerpro or fireline should do the trick.

 

[dooma_Flatchy]

Re: Rod Suggestion..

Thanks Bass,

I said I was using fluorocarbon but im not 100% sure now.:redface:
I cant remember if I changed it now or not... I got a pack of 30# braid last night and I will give that a try... I feel like I was getting to much stretch and I was I didn't have on fluorocarbon.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Rod Suggestion..

The braid will definitely help, I would use a fluro leader if throwing soft plastic. 80 pound is a bit of overkill. You can pull logs off the bottom with 15 pound braid. If it were me fishing heavy weeds all the time and I continued to miss hooksets even with the braid I would consider a heavy action. It'll have the backbone to rip that line through the cabbage when setting the hook. Heavy action rods does not necessarily mean you loose a lot of sensitivity.

Tightlines

 

[Ripfence]

Re: Rod Suggestion..

Ya'll beat me to it but I'll third the use of braids, you could use a pool cue and still get sensitivity out of it when using a braid.

 

[dooma_Flatchy]

Re: Rod Suggestion..

Thanks for the replies... I spooled my reel with braid earlier and I will try that this weekend, I just bought that rod/reel set up and don't want to pitch it yet.


Flathead, Why use a floro. leader with the braid? hang ups or for invisible purposes? All I use in this area is soft plastics every now and them I will bounce a pig and jig in there, but mostly fat sinko's.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Rod Suggestion..

Yes I use a fluro leader for visibility reasons. Braid tends to stick out like a sore thumb especially in water that is on the clear side. A lot of the time with soft plastics the fish will eye up the bait before taking it. I found that I catch more fish with the fluro leader. I use power pro High Vis Yellow braid on my plastics rods. It is really bright and makes it real easy to watch the line for those sneaky guys that will swim off with the bait before you feel a thing.

 

[mobyjaws]

Re: Rod Suggestion..

Suggesting a rod is like suggesting a pair of boots. What works for me may not for you. That's why I don't buy rods or boots mail order. You really do need to try them on. I think the braid is going to help a lot. Be very careful about the knots you use. I like a Palomar for braid and mono. You waste a little more line each knot but it could be the difference between a trophy and a fish story. Check out www.andemonofilament.com for a really cool knot book. It's free! I've used Ande line for over 30 years and love it. Technique is also very important in hook sets. I see guys all the time fishing with their rod tips straight up. That's ok if you're using live bait and you need to drop your rod tip to give the fish a few seconds to get to get the bait in their mouth but not artificials. By the time you drop your tip and get your line tight enough to set the hook the fish has already mugged your lure and hauled ***. 45 degrees or so is about right. If they are really quick to spit ( bedding bass ) I'll fish with my rod tip just above the water. Let us know how it works out. MJ

 

[dooma_Flatchy]

Re: Rod Suggestion..

Thanks, mobyjaws,
Great Link,
I didn't get to go try the braid out last weekend,(wife honey do's) plus my back was in fits, I don't like to buy rods without holding them tipping them and what not, To me a rod had to have that feel like buying a hand gun. When I'm soft plastic fishing I do hod the rod low and drag the lure left to right or vise versa and have room for a good set hook, sometimes too hard :redface:.