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Sticks
and Strings for Bass
by Travis Peterson
An angler’s rod, reel, and line affect his delivery,
lure action, bite detection, and fish fighting ability.
How many combos is enough? How many clubs does the average golfer
carry?
Building an arsenal of fishing rod and reel combos to facilitate
even the basic bass presentations can be confusing. Spooling up with
the best line for various presentations can also be overwhelming.
The purpose of this article is to offer rod, reel, and line options
for tournament bass anglers, both boaters and co-anglers.
When spending hard-earned money on fishing gear, I believe an angler
should purchase mid to high quality equipment. Yes, they can add up
quickly. It might mean obtaining just one new combo each season. By
carefully selecting quality outfits to “fill the holes,” soon all
the bases can be covered.
On the tournament scene, high quality equipment makes a difference.
Quality rods, reels, and line allow an angler to make better
presentations, feel more bites, maintain a high hook-up ratio, and
land more fish.
I use St. Croix Avid rods for all my fishing. All Avid series rods
have a lifetime warranty. This is peace of mind for those who really
test their equipment and fish hard. I average about one broken rod
per season. For the cost of shipping, St. Croix repairs or replaces
any damaged Avid rods. My reels are ABU Garcia brand. For spinning,
I use Cardinal 500 series reels. For casting, the new Revos are
awesome. Like St. Croix, ABU Garcia backs their products.
Choosing the right line for the job doesn’t have to be confusing.
Here are some general rules of thumb. Fluorocarbon sinks while
monofilament line floats. Fluorocarbon has become the front-runner
for fishing subsurface baits. Bass pros still use monofilament but
mostly for topwater lures. Finally, “superlines” are reserved for
special applications, most notably presentations to the heavy
vegetation, brush, timber, and docks.
As a boater, on tournament day I try to limit my rod/reel combos to
ten or fewer. Generally, I start each day with about half of these
strapped to the front deck and I pull the others from the rod locker
as I need them. If I ride in a buddy’s boat for a team event, I try
to get it down to 6-7 combos.
Those getting into the bass tournament fishing game will want a
variety of combos to increase their versatility on the water. Rod,
reel, and line combinations are like golf clubs. Golfers use many
different clubs, depending on the task at hand. Each club is a tool
use for a specific job. Bass anglers have set-ups that best
accommodate everything from open water finesse presentations to
probing dense cover. The following six rod-types would serve as a
well-rounded nucleus. Each rod-type is followed by the St. Croix
Avid model I use, the ABU Garcia reel I employ, and my favored line
options. Corresponding utilities or lure presentations are also
included.
“The Super Six”
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Spinning, 7’0”: St. Croix AVS70MLF + ABU Cardinal
503ALB + 8 lb. Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon
Jigworms and drop-shotting.
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Spinning 7’0”: St. Croix AVS70MF + ABU Cardinal
503ALB + 10-14 lb. Fireline
Shakey worms, Dip-Sticks, and grubs.
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Casting 6’6”: St Croix AVC66MF + ABU Revo STX + 14
lb. Trilene XT
Topwater.
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Casting 7’0”: St. Croix AVC70MF + ABU Revo STX + 12
lb. Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon
Crankbaits and jerkbaits.
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Casting 7’0”: St. Croix AVC70MHF + ABU Revo STX +
14-17 lb. Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon
Texas-rigged plastics, jigs, swimbaits, spinnerbaits, and
buzzbaits.
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Flipping 7’10”: St. Croix AVC710HMF + ABU Revo STX +
20 lb Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon or 65 lb. Spiderwire Stealth
Jigs, spoons, frogs, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and Carolina rigs.
As an angler adds to this base, he or she will likely
double up on those rods which see the most action. Obviously, one
should also consider the waters fished most often. An angler who
primarily fishes Canadian shield smallmouth can probably get by
without a flipping rod and invest in another model. Conversely, a
“slop” fishing fanatic can save on “sissy sticks” and invest more on
heavier combos.
Remember, fishing rods are like golf clubs. Big Bertha isn’t
designed for putting! Sometimes, others who share our bank accounts
can relate to our need for additional gear when explained in this
manner. Try using that analogy to justify buying one more quality
combo this season.
Travis Peterson
classicbass.com Field Staff
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