So many rods to choose from!!!
Which ones do I pick?
by Brennan Halbersma

So what is the first thing that catches your eye when you walk into Bass Pro? The boats, the aisles and aisles of tackle that flood the area? Well, something I always can’t help but glancing over is all of the rods there are. These days, there is a rod for every application known to man. And even if you are getting closer to buying a new rod, it is just plain overwhelming and might get a little distracting. When I watch any fishing show on TV, the commercials are flooded with equipment, telling you why this rod is better than the rest. Well walking into a tackle shop and seeing those rods from a commercial might sway your mind a little bit and one of the hardest things to do is to just erase that out of your memory. Think of all the different types of techniques there are in fishing today. You have everything from drop shotting with 6 lb fluorocarbon to flipping and pitching with 50, 65, or even 80 lb braid. That is from one end of the spectrum to the other, with numerous techniques in between. Today, I’m going to try and cover some basic techniques and which rods go along with them. What rods work best with these different applications and all of their components.

First, I’ll talk about the spinning rods. Spinning rods have blasted into today’s fishing world with new tactics, such as the drop shot, split shot and finesse rigs. Most of these rigs are presented with small hooks and small worms. They are used when tough fishing comes about, like after a cold front has passed through in the Spring or when the water is just plain cold. Now, these small hooks mean small diameter hook. These can straighten out really easy if you have a rod that doesn’t have a soft enough tip. Also, when using the drop shot, you’ll be using pretty light line. If your rod is too stiff, you will have a better chance on line breakage.

My choice for these 3 different methods vary but not by much because they are all dealing with small, light wire hooks. When I’m fishing with a drop shot, I want a short rod, right around 6’. This might be a little different from what you’ve heard but I like those smaller rods because they allow me to get closer to the transducer on the trolling motor, giving me a better chance of being able to pick it up on my sonar. For the action of this rod, I want medium light. This will allow me have more bow in the first part of the rod and won’t put as much pressure on the line and hook as a heavier rod would. McCoy’s 6 lb Fluoro 100 is what’s on my reel when I’m fishing with a drop shot. Fluorocarbon refracts line nearly the same as water does, making it much less visible to the bass than monofilament.

My choice for split shots and shaky heads are the same. I want a little bit longer rod because it will allow more bow in the top 1/3 of the rod and gives me a longer cast. The spinning rod I use for the split shot rig and the shaky head rig is 7’. I definitely would not shy away from using a rod longer than that. The action I want for this application is similar to drop shotting. I just want a little heavier rod. A medium action rod is perfect for me. Line selection is fairly close to what I would choose for drop shotting, but a little heavier. I’m still using McCoy’s Fluoro 100 but in either 8 or 10 lb test.

Next, I want to cover one of my personal favorite types of fishing. Cranking. I have seen a lot of forum posts and heard a lot of discussions about what cranking rods should consist of and I’m going to try and make some sense about it all.
Cranking is one way I fish that I have tons of confidence in and having the right rod is critical for me. I have tried every action of rod, trying to find the perfect one for the job. One thing I insist on for my cranking rod is that it to be made of glass. Crankbaits consist of treble hooks which have pretty small hooks and you can rip those hooks easier than you will ever think (I’ve always wondering how a fish can get away from that many hooks) and glass rods are VERY limber. These rods have a taper anywhere from 40-50% of the rods, giving the fish a lot of room to shake, rattle and roll.

The only variation I have in my cranking rods is in the size of crankbait I’m throwing. If I’m fishing a squarebill or something like a Wiggle Wart, I prefer to have a fairly long rod, just to get that little extra distance on my cast. 7’ is just right for me. If you have lighter crankbaits, you might want to try a 6’6’’ to get a better cast. If I’m deep cranking with a DD-22 or Fat Free Shad, I want a big rod so I can sling that big bait all day. 7’6’’ is what I use when cranking around 15<’. When deep cranking, I like a glass rod that has a lot more backbone than the rods I use for squarebills, but I still want a good flexing tip so that the hooks don’t get ripped out of the fish’s mouth. Line sizes for these vary. For shallow cranking, I want something I’ll not have to worry about breaking and something that has a little stretch, just to aid those tiny hooks. McCoy’s Xtra Clear or Mean Green in 17 lb does the deal for me. I have a ton of confidence in this line and it’s the only line I trust for shallow cranking. For anything deeper than 4 or 5 feet, I want a line that will allow the crankbait to reach its maximum depth. Depending on the cover or structure that I’m fishing, I’ll use McCoy’s 10 and 12 lb Fluoro 100. Fluorocarbon is nearly 2x as dense as mono. That means it sinks nearly 2x as fast as monofilament, allowing the bait to get its maximum depth.

For the last type of fishing I want to talk about is pitching and flipping. As most of you know, this type of fishing requires some heavy equipment that can slam a big ole hook into grandpa bass’s mouth. Besides cranking, this is another one of my favorite types of fishing. It’s just bad to the bone and it’s a way to catch the big ones when you need them most.

When I’m fishing in close combat, I like to have a pretty long rod that is stiff and has a ton of backbone to winch in the biggins. Nothing less than 7’6’’ does the job for me. The action has got to be at least medium heavy, but I prefer heavy action. That just allows me that much more power on the hook set. Couple that with at least 50 or 65 lb McCoy’s Spectra Super Braid and that’s my set up for flipping and pitching at close range. The reason I go with braid and not a heavy monofilament or fluorocarbon is simple. Braid has no stretch so I will get a solid hook set and braid doesn’t get weak spots as easy as monofilament or fluorocarbon. That saves me time allowing me a couple more flips compared to retying, which gives me more of a chance of catching fish.

In today’s world, choosing a rod can be a tough decision and can leave you feeling overwhelmed. Companies try to sway you to pick their rod by way of commercials and advertising. After walking into a tackle shop and taking all of this into consideration, it’s hard to really figure out what you need in a fishing rod. If you can keep your focus and find a rod that is comfortable to you and performs like you want it to, you will notice a difference in the rate of your fish catches.

I hope this article was a good read and helped you with understanding a few rod selections on a some popular techniques. If anyone has any questions about rod choices or just simply want to talk fishing, you all can contact me at bassfishn6@yahoo.com. Also, visit my website, www.halbersma.webs.com and my Facebook Page, Brennan Halbersma Bass Fishing and become a fans and members of both! Thanks everyone for reading!

Good Fishing!

Brennan Halbersma
Vice President of the Missouri State Collegiate Bass Fishing Team