Plastics Rod

Hey all,

I am looking to purchase a rod for my plastic baits. Mostly senkos and shaky heads. Any tips on what rod to purchase and what line to have on the reel? I am a fan of baitcast rods but would this be best for what I am going to use the rod for? I just wants some tips and pointers when buying this setup. I currently have a g-loomis rod that I use for all around. its a 6'6" MH Fast action casting rod. I lost a lot of fish when fishing a senko so I decided to buy a rod just for my plastics.

I currently use power pro for my line but I want to get away from using braid with plastics. Any recommendations for line brands and what pound test would be appreciated.

Thanks,
reveal

[MississippiBoy]

To answer your second question first, I like braid for worming, jigs, and other slow retrieve lures. It helps me feel the bottom contours and cover better. So just out of curiosity, why are you wanting to get away from braid? I'm not going to bash you for it at all, I'm just honestly curious.
Secondly (or firstly?), a 6'6" or 7' MH fast action rod is my rod of choice...you've got enough backbone to set the hook, and it's long enough to take up the slack before you do.

[LilJakeC]

I personally use spinning gear for shakeyheads and sometimes senkos. I use a 7' M power custom spinning rod with 8lb Yo-Zuri. If you want to use baitcasting gear then I would recommend a 6'6" M Fast action rod. The line I would use would be 30lb braid and an 8 or 10lb fluoro leader for shakeyheads and a 14lb fluoro leader for senkos and other plastics. I would not use this setup in heavy cover, but it will work for light cover.

[WaffleJaw]

6'6''-7' MH/FAST will serve your plastic needs just fine.
What you want is enough backbone and a faster rod response to set the hook quickly when the fish hits the bait,hence the fast action...I prefer 7' for better leverage,but 6'6'' will definitely work fine.

As far as line goes,I personally use 15# Seagur Invisx..If your wanting to get away from braid,I would recommend it for contact fishing.

[DVT Mike]

"Feel" type baits like plastics and jigs are where a higher quality rod pays dividends. A 7' MH/F for baits 1/2 oz and over and a M/F spinning rod for baits <1/2 oz are good starting points and will cover most any bass fishing technique.

[bassboogieman]

I use a 6'9" MH/F casting rod for weightless Senko's. Not every manufacturer makes a rod in that length, but it's one reason I use a particular brand. This is my favorite length rod and works very well for me. As mentioned above, with plastics a "premium" rod offers advantages in sensitivity over "lesser" rods, but as you're using Loomis - you already understand that.

[BigBassin144]

Both my worming rods are baitcasters.

My senko rod is a 7'3" MH F Dobyns Champion. And my t-rig rod is a 7' MH XF Dobyns Champion Extreme. I love both rods, but like the slightly slower action of the 7'3" better.

I haven't thrown shaky heads on either. I prefer a Medium power rod, or a M or MH spinning rod for shaky heads.

As for line, I use 12lb Seaguar InvisX for senkos, and 20lb Sufix 832 Braid on the t-rig rod.

In general, a 7' MH F rod is a great choice for senkos and worms, and should work fine for shaky heads.

BB

[danielbasspro]

I generally throw a spinning rod for senkos and shakyheads. I use 8 or 10 pound P-Line fluoroclear fluorocarbon depending on water clarity, depth, cover, etc. If the cover is heavy,and I'm worming I will opt for a heavier line 12-20 pound line tops. Im not a huge braid guy but Its personal preference. For an all around texas-rig rod I recommend a 7 foot baitcasting rod. I like medium action

Thanks for all the replies I really appreciate it. This helps out alot. I will definitely try the leader on my braid before I switch my line over.

I wanted to get away from using braid because I want to try something new. I have been using braid for quite sometime now.

[Bassboss]

Depends what size senkos. If it's the little 4" ones, then I'd go with a 7', M spinning rod, because you can fish shaky heads on it too. Otherwise if it's the typical 5" senko's you're talking about, than shaky heads and senkos are not something I would want to use on the same rig. Shaky heads and baitcasters don't go together to well. You typically use a weight around 3/16 or less for this presentation, so it would be harder to fish them with casting gear. A spinning rod will help you "finesse" the worm better than a baitcaster would. For 5" senkos, bait casters are much better IMO. More accurate casts, more power, etc.

To sum it up. If you want to use a combo for the same techniques (assuming you're using small senkos), then a 7' M spinning rod with 8lb flourocarbon would be my choice.

If you're using large senkos, than a 7' bait casting rod with 30lb braid would be choice. And a 7' M spinning combo with 6, or 8 lb flouro for the shaky heads.