which rods whould i use for what?

[crankybait]

ok, now yesterday i was thiknig about my ugly stik. i dont want to waste that rod for only saltwater... i was wondeirng what i should do with it? ive got a mitchell avocate medium action rod but my st.croix avid beats the hell out of that, esppecially since the avocate has a broken ferrule. well i wanted to know what lures i should use with each rod. i know worms and jigs belong on a heavier rod. should i put those on my ugly stik? im planning on buying an UL rod later on too... my next rod will be a crazyfish rod, i was thinking a spinnerbait rod

[everettvet]

What size, action, baitcast rod or spinning rod is the ugly stik?

[crankybait]

its a 6'6 medium action spinning

[everettvet]

If I had that rod, I know what I would use it for. Or at least try it out. Drop shot!! If it has enough backbone and is senstive enough, it should be a great drop shot rod. Give it a chance and see. I have an ugly stik spinning rod that I used all the time when I was just starting to fish and it is old enough now that the writing has faded off of it. Let me know what you think.

[Fishing4Soup]

i'd tie a weightless texas rigged fluke or trick worm on that rod and when a fish misses a topwater, cast back with that. I have an ugly stik almost exactly the same and i used it for missed hits on a topwater and i also used it in ponds to cast inline spinners and rapala jointed minnows.

[crankybait]

sounds nice. i guess ill have some reading about drop shots to do. and may i ask why the ugly stik works specificaly with jointed minnows, inline spinners, and flukes?

[Fishing4Soup]

well it's a lighter setup so it can cast lighter stuff. Also, since you seem to mostly fish ponds, i think you should leave drop-shotting out of the arsenal for a little bit.

[KenDammit]

just buy 6'6" rods and you can do pretty much anything with them. I use medium or medium heavy depending on the brands stiffness of each power. The only rod that I have thats shorter is a 6'0" spinning rod. It must be alright to do that because I still catch lots of fish. No need to buy "specialty" rods.

[crankybait]

i see. well i still think ill be buying an UL, for panfishing and all that finesse stuff

[KenDammit]

UL's are great for panfishing..probably a little light for any finesse bassfishing..but some people like the challenge of catching a bass on an ultra-light.

[crankybait]

well yeah, i do a lot of panfishing... althoughi can catch a panfish on a stick... i was thinking about going after bass on 4 pond test and an ultralight. it would be a battle but i think it would be fun, know what im saying? even if i dont land it the longer fight would eb fun. the pond produces 1 or two pound fish regularly... and i want the ultralight sensitivity with the 4 pound test. plus the ultralight rods are pretty cheap. can anyone recomend a good ultralite combo?

[KenDammit]

a long fight is not really good for a fish. The stess and energy expenditure can cause them to die shortly after release. Theres not much that I would fish with 4lb test, either. I'd rather know I've got at least a good shot of getting my PB to my thumb than worrying that a puff of wind is going to break my line

[senko]

Originally Posted by crankybait

i guess ill have some reading about drop shots to do.

in case you are interested...






How to Fish a Drop Shot Rig


Reaction Innovations D.S. Creature


The drop-shot rig is a finesse technique that has taken the bass fishing world by storm. A drop-shot rig will often catch fish when reaction baits just won't do the trick.
Steps

1. 
   Yamamoto has a complete kit for drop-shotting
   
   
   Drop-shotting is a finesse technique that requires light line, so use a spinning outfit spooled up with 6- to 10-pound-test line.
2. 
   Streamers make great drop-shot baits
   
   
   Using a Palomar knot, tie a small drop-shot hook onto the line, about 18 inches up from the end. Tie so that the hook stands out perpendicular from the line.
3. At the tag end of the line, about 18 inches from the hook, tie on a drop-shot weight.
4. Put a small finesse bait on the hook. Four-inch worms, small tubes and grubs are good drop-shot baits. In California, the bass anglers are beginning to use some flies, like streamers, on their drop-shot rigs.
5. 
   Lake Powell drop-shotting
   
   
   Drop the rig straight down over the side of the boat (no casting right now). When the line goes slack, reel up until the line is taut and the weight is on the bottom.
6. With the weight on the bottom, shake the rod gently. You just want to wiggle the lure without lifting the weight.
7. A bite may be anything from a tug to a sideways movement. If your hooks are good and sharp, all you have to do is reel hard to set the hook.
8. Don't horse the fish in. Remember you have light line on.
9. After landing a fish, check your knots and hook and go back to it. On a good piece of structure, there may be several good bass.

Tips

• Fluorocarbon line costs more, but since it is crystal clear and has no stretch, it is ideal for drop-shotting.
• You can make your own drop-shot weights by pinching one end of a barrel swivel in a split-shot. The swivel helps reduce line twist.
• Once you get good at drop-shotting vertically, you can start to experiment with casting out and dragging the rig back, and fishing it over breaklines and other kinds of structure.

Warnings

• Casting a drop-shot rig can be dangerous, so be careful, and don't try it if you don't have plenty of fishing experience. Since the weight and hook are separated, it's easy to hook your partner (or yourself)if you don't watch out.

Things You'll Need

• Monofilament or fluorocarbon line in 6- to 10-pound-test.
• Hooks (many companies now make hooks specifically for drop-shotting.
• Drop-shot weights
• Small soft plastic baits such as worms, Yamamoto Senkos, grubs, tubes, etc.

[everettvet]

Originally Posted by Fishing4Soup

well it's a lighter setup so it can cast lighter stuff. Also, since you seem to mostly fish ponds, i think you should leave drop-shotting out of the arsenal for a little bit.

I don't consider a drop shot setup to be restricted from ponds. I use it at some local ponds when the bite is off or there has been a lot of pressure and I have had great luck with it. I used (along time ago) my ugly stik with jointed rapala and I caught a bunch of bass and the occasional catfish.

[crankybait]

oh cool. i think ill add that to my list of thigs to try. and i want to get used to feeling the fish... not catching a PB, that can wat. i was thinking about practicing witha light rod and 6 pound test then after a few fish ill whip out my st.croix

[Bender]

cranky, I had the same thoughts recently so I went out and got one of these except they are $10 less on the website.
I got the 5'6" Light action one, the ultra light was just too light for me. Anyway I do some pond fishing and this is great for finesse fishing with a 4" or 6" small Zoom dead ringer or similar worm with a 1/0 hook. Didn't catch anything last night with anything for 2 1/5 hours until switching over to this and fishing VERY slowly in a smaller pond. Cast it out, let the worm sink (weightless) and let it sit for 30-60 seconds, if no bite then reel it in and try again. I have 6lb. Stren (lots of knots) and a Pinnacle Micro Lite reel that I had sitting around on it, I will change soon to something a little better.
This is how Mac suggested to fish up here and it works! Thanks again Mac!

[crankybait]

wow, i was ooking at that same combo this morning. i guess ill go with a light i mean really i probably wouldnt be able to properly use a light. they dont have 5 pound test do they? mac is a knowedgeable guy... he taught me how to dead stick. if ive been out more often i couldve doe it more. this is why the driving age should be lowered... lol

[lizardsrule]

Use that med ugly stick for cranks, and drop shotting. I would not use it for plastics of any kind. It would also work on topwater, if you are fishing trebble hook baits, but not for frogs.

Lizards

[crankybait]

alright then. and just for my fishing knowledge and to feed my curiosity, why wouldnt you use it for plastics? ill use it for my topwaters and cranks... does that include jerkbaits? i know im going to be trying my heddon torpedo today.