Help with line choice please.....

[HawksFan67]

First off this is my first post after joining this forum and thanks to anyone who reads this and offers up any advice.

I've recently decided to spend quite a bit more time bass fishing and have been gearing up with better quality rods and reels. No more $20 rod and reel combos from Walmart. I bought a Revo SX-HS baitcaster off e-bay and love it. Boy...higher quality baitcasters REALLY do make a difference. I loved the Revo so much that I purchased 2 more. I also couldn't beat the price. I paid $105 apiece and saved a total of $210 off MSRP for all three.

I put 50# Power Pro Braid on the first one and paired it with a Vendetta 7' MH rod. Love throwing frogs with it.

So now I have 2 more Revos ready to spool and match with rods. I would like some advice on what line choice (braid or fluro...or braid w/fluro leader) to make and which Vendetta rods to pair them up with.

I do most of my fishing from shore in retention ponds and small lakes. I mostly like to fish Flukes and other soft plastics (Strike King super finesse worms). When fishing is tough, I jig live crawlers on a 2/0 weed guard hook.

For rods, I was thinking about the Vendetta 7'6" H for flipping n pitching and a 6'3" M for all around.

So if anyone wants to share some kernels of knowledge with me....I'm all ears and it would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thank you in advance...........

Brian

[DaveW731]

If I was in your situation, I would do EXACTLY what you did with the one rod/reel/line set-up and consider it my heavy-cover/frogging pole. For your flipping/pitching, I would go with braid, but drop down to 30# or even 20#. I would consider a flouro leader, depending on water clarity.
For your M weight pole, I would use a good copoly line, vs. either braid or flouro, assuming that "all around" means maximum flexibility (surface baits, cranks, spinnerbaits etc). I have found that 10# green copoly line is almost as invisible as flouro, works far better for surface baits because it floats and is thin enough to sink well with subsurface baits. Copoly also casts easier than flouro, so you may be able to throw lighter baits that way as well.
Just my 2c worth, enjoy the experimenting!

[BigBassin144]

First off, welcome to the forum! Congrats on the good deals on the reels. You've saved more than enough to buy another one!

You're on the right track for your other rods. However, I would make a couple changes. Going on the fact that I own the Vendetta 7'6" MH, and the assumption the 7'6" H is a full power heavier, the Vendetta 7'6" H will be a very stout rod. Unless you'll be pitching really heavy cover, I wouldn't think you'd need a rod that heavy. However, I've always preferred to fish a rod heavier than I need than be stuck with one too light. So it's your call there.

Second, a M powered rod is a good choice, although I think you'll find a rod in the 6'6"-7' range more versatile than the 6'3". I have one rod under 7' and it rarely makes it in the boat anymore. I've got a couple 7' rods and the rest are 7'2-7'8". Once you acquire more combos (you will, trust me) you can start to pick rods to fit certain techniques you fish (say like the 6'3" for pinpoint casting of small cranks and spinnerbaits), but with only a few combos to fish, you want versatile rods IMO.

For line, Braid vs. FC vs. Braid w/ FC leader is a personal preference. 12lb FC (I use Seaguar InvisX) is a good all around line that I use for t-rigs and light jigs. I use 15-16lb FC on my jig rod. Although I also have a t-rig rod with 20lb braid (Sufix 832) that I sometimes use a FC leader on.

For the 7'6" MH or H flipping stick, a lot of guys flip on 15-20lb FC and many flip on 30-50lb braid. I've used both and probably prefer braid (I mainly use 30lb).

BB

[HawksFan67]

Thanks guys for your help........

[DaveW731]

I had JUST talked myself into being happy with my 6' andf 6'6'' poles!!!! Now I just HAVE TO go out and get a few in the 7' range, just to see the difference. My wallet will never forgive you

[Bassboss]

What kind of stuff are you fishing around? Are you fishing around a lot of weed, and sticks, are is it more of a rocky environment?

And what's around you when you fish? Being a shore angler myself, I think that when choosing a rod's length, the kind of stuff that you'll be casting should impact your decision a lot.

If you're fishing open ponds, with nothing but a mowed lawn around you, then you'd be fine with a 7'6" rod. But if you're having to cast around trees, tall grass and brush, then a shorter rod is better. For one, you wont smack your rod into things, and your lure wont snag on stuff behind causing a backlash. But 6'3" is to short to be very versatile IMO.

If it was me, I think I would go with a 6'9" MH vendetta, put some 10 or 12 pound p-line CXX on, and I think you're good to go. It will be a good all purpose rod, and if you come across some clear water, you want have to worry about tying a leader as you would if you had braid on the rell. IMO mono also works better then braid for things like top waters, jerkbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits. You can go with a M rod, but I don't like fishing bottom contact baits on a M rod, and if it's an all purpose rod, you'll probably end up tossing em.

CXX is awesome line too because it's very low stretch, and abrasion resistant (pulled a 5lb largemouth over a big log today, and didn't have a single nick), so it works well will jigs, and worms, but it also has some stretch to it, so it works well for treble baits.

I'd use your braid rod for fishing around super thick weeds, and when ripping lipless cranks out of greass, and use the mono rod everywhere and everything else.

If you don't have to worry about fishing in close corrners, go ahead and get a 7' rod in you prefer.

p.s. - 10 or 12 pound cxx my seem like really light line, but it's strong then advertised. 12 is more like 20, and 10 is more like 17. If you go any heavier you wont be able to cast worth a hill 'a beans, as it's thick and has a good bit of memory.

Just my two penny's worth, hope it helps!

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by DaveW731

I had JUST talked myself into being happy with my 6' andf 6'6'' poles!!!! Now I just HAVE TO go out and get a few in the 7' range, just to see the difference. My wallet will never forgive you

Sure, blame it on me!

Once you get a 7 footer, you'll have to try out a 7'6".

Good luck, and sorry about your wallet. But it was bound to happen eventually.

BB

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by Bassboss

What kind of stuff are you fishing around? Are you fishing around a lot of weed, and sticks, are is it more of a rocky environment?

And what's around you when you fish? Being a shore angler myself, I think that when choosing a rod's length, the kind of stuff that you'll be casting should impact your decision a lot.

If you're fishing open ponds, with nothing but a mowed lawn around you, then you'd be fine with a 7'6" rod. But if you're having to cast around trees, tall grass and brush, then a shorter rod is better. For one, you wont smack your rod into things, and your lure wont snag on stuff behind causing a backlash. But 6'3" is to short to be very versatile IMO.

If it was me, I think I would go with a 6'9" MH vendetta, put some 10 or 12 pound p-line CXX on, and I think you're good to go. It will be a good all purpose rod, and if you come across some clear water, you want have to worry about tying a leader as you would if you had braid on the rell. IMO mono also works better then braid for things like top waters, jerkbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits. You can go with a M rod, but I don't like fishing bottom contact baits on a M rod, and if it's an all purpose rod, you'll probably end up tossing em.

CXX is awesome line too because it's very low stretch, and abrasion resistant (pulled a 5lb largemouth over a big log today, and didn't have a single nick), so it works well will jigs, and worms, but it also has some stretch to it, so it works well for treble baits.

I'd use your braid rod for fishing around super thick weeds, and when ripping lipless cranks out of greass, and use the mono rod everywhere and everything else.

If you don't have to worry about fishing in close corrners, go ahead and get a 7' rod in you prefer.

p.s. - 10 or 12 pound cxx my seem like really light line, but it's strong then advertised. 12 is more like 20, and 10 is more like 17. If you go any heavier you wont be able to cast worth a hill 'a beans, as it's thick and has a good bit of memory.

Just my two penny's worth, hope it helps!

I agree with BassBoss here. The shorter 6'9" rod would serve you well around shoreline with trees and shoreline bushes to cast around. And I also think a MH/F rod would make a better all purpose rod than a M/F. Being youor fishing often from shore, your also having to fish around cover, some of which will be logs, lilly pads, act. You want a rod that has the back bone to get the fish away from that cover before he/she can wrap that line up. A M/H rod is a better choice for that. The only thing I would recommend differently from BassBoss is the line choice. I would prefer to spool up with 15 pound P-Line Flouroclear. It's a little heavier test, strong and small diameter, and very limp/low memory. I've never used the CXX because I've been told it's is a very strong line, but stiffer. I'll have to try that line out next time to compare it to the Flouroclear.

[DaveW731]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

Sure, blame it on me!

Once you get a 7 footer, you'll have to try out a 7'6".

Good luck, and sorry about your wallet. But it was bound to happen eventually.

BB

If the wife gets ticked, can I blame it on you?

[Tavery5]

If you are set on using the vendetta rods, I think I would go with the VTC70-5, it is rated as a med power rod, but most people that fish these rods agree that they fish a little heavier than rated. I would use it for a second rod, and maybe a VTC66-5 as the third, the shorter rod would be good for close quarters, and accurate casting to cover. I have a few vendetta rods and one thing I will say about them is that in my opinion they make much better reaction bait type rods than they do contact type rods.