Rods & Lures
Fishing rods vary in materials, design, and specifications, which makes them work best for specific fishing techniques, fish types, and lures. Lures are tools for very effective fishing. Choosing the right rod and lure takes an angling journey one giant step further.
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What rods for what lures? For medium-weight lures, medium-power fast-action rods like St. Croix Graphite Spinning Rod are ideal. Long casting rods with an adequate amount of sensitivity and backbone, like Shimano Curado Casting Rods, on the other hand, are great for crankbaits.
This article informs you about the different rods used for various fishing lures. This article also covers rod formulas and suggestions for specific lures to help you select the right rod.
Choosing The Right Rod For A Lure
Getting To Know Lures
Lures are artificial baits that are used to mimic live baits. They are usually made of plastic and come in various colors, shapes, and sizes.
Lures are an inexpensive way of fishing compared to the live bait method. Artificial lures are reusable, durable, and can last longer.
However, lure fishing is not for all seasons since this method requires the right conditions to work.
It also requires more practice and mastery; thus, not suitable for starters. Finding the right lure is another challenge since there are many lures to choose from.
Lure Rods: Explained
Fishing rods are different, and they are created uniquely with various materials and are designed to perform a specific fishing function. The type of rod used in fishing lures is called a lure rod.
A lure rod is classified into a spinning rod and a casting rod. Generally, spinning rods (matched with the spinning reel) are more accessible and manageable for amateur anglers.
They require simple casting skills and have an extensive casting range. You can cast small lures for long-distance, but the accuracy is not high. The spinning rod bends when a fish pulls down the line.
Though one of the best fishing rods, casting rods (matched with baitcasting reel) are not easy for starters and have limited casting distance.
Compared to spinning rods fully, these rods have difficulties that will take some time to master.
When a fish pulls the line, the casting rod bends over, and the eyelets take an upward position.
What Makes Lure Rods Different From Each Other?
Several unique characteristics define rod uses and affect rod performance. Some of these are rod weight, rod power, and rod action. Understanding these characteristics will help you choose the rod for a specific fishing lure.
Rod Weight
The rod weight indicates the strength of the rod. A rod’s weight is categorized as ultra-light, light, medium-light, medium-heavy, heavy, and Extra Heavy.
A heavy rod can move fish out of cover, but it is more tiring. On the other hand, flipping baits with a light rod all day can be more manageable.
A rod can carry a heavy lure with a weight range of 1 ounce and above. A light rod can handle small lures with a weight ranging from approximately 1/32-ounce to 1/8-ounce.
Just remember the rule for fishing rod weight concerning lures. The bigger the fish you aim to catch and the heavier the lure you would use, the heavier the fishing rod you will need
Rod Power
Lure weight, also called a load, is closely related to power. Rod power is the rod’s ability to handle lure weight, line, and various situations.
It is commonly categorized as ultra-light, light, medium-light, medium-heavy, heavy, extra Heavy, and double extra heavy (much like the rod weight). Rod of specific power can cast a lure with a certain weight.
Note that power ratings can vary significantly from one-rod manufacturer to another, but the usual ratings are the following: ML (4 power), M (5 power), M (6 power), and Heavy (7 power). Also, the following specifications work best for bass anglers.
A Medium Light (ML) power is the rod used for drop shots, split shots, tiny jigs, and other light tackle presentations.
For fishing with lightweight finesse lures, consider a rod with medium-light power. This rod works best with 1/16-ounce to 3/16-ounce lures (or 4 to 8-pound test).
A Medium (M) power rod is quite famous for bass anglers. It works best with medium-weight lures and is good with minimal cover and vegetation.
It is very effective with Texas rigs, lightweight Topwater, Tubes, Shaky Heads, Jerkbaits, Grubs, some Crankbaits, and lures with ⅛-ounce to ⅜-ounce weight (or 6 to 12-pound test).
The Medium Heavy (MH) power rod is the most popular rod power for bass anglers. It is effective for most Crankbaits, Toads, Spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, Casting Jigs, Spooks, Spoons, Buzzbaits, and Carolina rags, among many others.
It is suitable for a wide range of lures but works best with ¼-ounce to ¾-ounce lures (or a 10 to 17-pound test).
The Heavy (H) power is not commonly used unless situations call for extreme-sized lures and ample leveraging power.
Rods with this power are typically Flipping Jigs, Punch rigs, Hollow Frogs, Deep Diving Crankbaits, and huge Topwater baits.
They work best with ⅜-ounce to 1 ½-ounce (or 14 to 25-pound test) lures.
Rod Action
Some fishing rods react and return to rest very quickly, while others react and return very slowly. It is called the rod action and classifies how much the rod flexes when loaded with a lure.
The general determinants are Extra-Fast, Fast, Medium, and Slow.
- The Extra Fast action rod – This rod has 10 to 20% flex down the rod blank that allows quick use of rod’s power and backbone. It is a good choice for jigs, Texas-rigs, or single hook baits. Anglers who want the greatest level of sensitivity, control, and the most leveraging power during the hookset should consider this rod action. However, extra-fast action rods can sometimes pull the lure away from the fish too quickly during the hookset and have a poorer performance during the cast.
- The Fast action rod – Having 20% to 30% flex, this rod is the most common action used by bass anglers. It is suitable for almost half of the lures required when bass fishing. It gives a good balance of castability and sensitivity for many fishing techniques. It lets the fish to load the rod before setting the hook. These rods are often used for mojo rigs, Texas Rigs, Carolina Rigs, Jigs, Frogs, Buzzbaits, Spinnerbaits, Swimbaits, Jerkbaits, drop shots rigs, soft bait rigs, Shaky heads and more.
- The Moderate Fast action rod – It has 30 to 40% flex and is a bit slower than the reaction time of a standard Fast action rod. It is an excellent choice for power fishing moving baits or any lures that might need sensitivity, castability, and additional rod forgiveness. When fishing with JerkBaits, Chatterbaits, Spinnerbaits, Spooks, Swimbaits, and Squarebills, this action must be strongly considered.
- The Moderate action rod – It flexes around the halfway point of the blank and is more durable and has a more flexible design. This feature improves casting and hooking but has a lower sensitivity. It is almost exclusively designed for Crankbaits and other lures with treble hook style.
- The Slow action rod – Flexes across the whole length to the grips, this rod is on the lowest end of the spectrum, allowing the angler to use a lighter line in fishing because the rod helps reduce the load. However, it is harder to get a good hookset with a slower rod action because less force is directly applied to the fish. A slow action rod is draggier when fish is hooked so the fish cannot easily flee. Consider this rod when using hard lures such as Steelheads.
Note that slower rods have better castability, less fish steering power, and low insensitivity. On the other hand, faster rods have poorer castability but have more fish steering power and greater sensitivity.
Fishing Rods Suggestions
St. Croix Premier Graphite Spinning Fishing Rod (For a variety of medium-weight lures)
The St. Croix Premier Graphite Spinning Fishing Rod is lightweight, durable, and sensitive.
Compared to other standard fibers, this has a higher strain rate, perfect for anglers who want and appreciate inexpensive, high-performing rods.
It features a Fuji DPS reel seat with frosted silver hoods, a Kigan Master Hand 3D with solid aluminum-oxide rings and black frames, and a Kigan hook-keeper.
The St. Croix Premier Graphite Spinning Fishing Rod is 6 feet and 6 inches. The rod’s weight is 4.6 ounces, and the line weight is 6 to 12 pounds. This rod gives medium power and fast action and can carry lures from ¼ to ⅝ ounces of weight.
KastKing Blackhawk II Telescopic Fishing Rods (For Flipping jigs and Carolina rigs)
The KastKing BlackHawk II six-piece telescopic rod is designed with unmatched durability, aside from the apparent advantage of telescopic rods as convenient and travel-friendly sensitivity and performance.
This rod is available in 14 lengths and actions for almost any fishing situation. May it be for bass, trout, kayak, or inshore fishing.
It is made of superior quality components like graphite (reel seats), stainless steel (guides), and comfortable EVA (handles).
It features snug-fit ferrules that allow the rod to perform like a one-piece rod. Its multiple floating line guides deliver a consistent and smooth taper, improve the casting performance, and eliminate flat spots in the blank.
Shimano Curado Casting Rods (For Crankbaits)
If you are looking for a tournament-grade quality and versatile fishing rod, consider Shimano Curado Casting Rod. It is lightweight, sensitive, responsive, and durable, and it helps deliver long casts and gain accuracy.
It also has a reasonable amount of backbone, making it a great rod when fishing crankbaits.
Shimano Curado Rod’s design is focused mainly on reliability and performance. It even includes rubberized Fuji reel seats for soft touch and comfort.
The Fuji guides have Alconite rings that make the line tangle-free and extend line life and casting distance.
Other Recommended Formulas
Medium weight, Fast action (For Fishing Worms or Jigs)
When fishing worms or jigs, you pull a fish out of cover when fishing works (or jigging from deep).
You want sensitivity in the rod tip to feel the fish biting the bait, but you also do not want too much rod flex.
You will also need to avoid heavy-weight rods because you will hold the rod tip up for significant periods.
6’6″ to 6’10”, Medium Power, Fast action Graphite Spinning Rod (For medium weight lures up to ½-ounce)
This formula enables you to cast comfortably and possibly effortlessly and covers various medium weights.
It can throw Tubes, Worms, Senkos, Mojo rigs, Drop shots, Shaky Heads, Poppers, Jerkbaits, and Light Crankbaits.
It must purchase, especially when looking for a rod covering almost every deepwater finesse situation. This rod is what most bass angler starters or beginners use.
7’6″ to 7’11”, Medium Heavy power, Fast action Graphite Baitcasting Rod (For rigging lures up to 1 ounce)
This rod is suitable for anglers who accurately present Flipping jigs, Carolina rigs, and Medium-Sized Swimbaits. The handle is more extended, has a lot of backbone for horsing fish cover, and can serve as open water.
When you’re flipping or pitching a lure, you don’t need the distance, just like you do with spinnerbaits or crankbaits, and because of that, you will want to use stiffer rods.
6′, Light rod, Medium Power, Medium/Slow action (For Floating Topwater Jerkbaits)
Rebel Pop’R and Lucky Craft Sammy are soft plastic jerk baits with light wire treble hooks. One of the possible problems with these topwater lures is setting the hook too fast, even with the soft plastic jerk baits.
It is because you usually see the fish strike before you feel it. For this, a slower action will help have a slower hook set. The slower action is also necessary for casting distance with these lighter lures.
Also, if you use a stiff rod, you will get too hard of a hook set and rip the hook out of the fish.
6’6″, Medium Heavy power, Medium action (For Deep-Diving Crankbaits and Buzzbaits)
It is for 5-8 foot deep lures, and the rod should be slightly stiffer and longer than a floating lure rod. When retrieved, the deeper diving crankbaits have heavier treble hooks and create plenty of drag.
It should not be too soft that it wears you out and exhausts you quickly by only bringing in the lure.
Pulling the bait away too fast should not be too stiff when you see the fish strike. It goes for both buzzbaits and deep-diving crankbaits.
The added length will help with casting distance since some deeper diving crankbaits are still relatively lightweight.
Related Questions
The best fishing reel to use is the baitcasting reel because it can give you more power. The baitcasting reel can hold heavier lines, which is good for fishes that are faster and stronger.
It depends on how often you go fishing. If you only fish once in a while, you should’ve bought a less expensive rod. But if you go out and go fishing a lot, then it is worth it that you have purchased an expensive and useful rod for your fishing adventures.
The reason why your fishing line gets entangled into knots is because of the slackline. The slackline creates loose coils when you reel it in, so when you cast the loose coils, it will quickly come off the spool, and the coils tangle when it leaves the reel.
Conclusion
A good rod allows you to place your lure exactly where you want it, presents your lure quietly, makes you feel even the smallest fish bites during the fighting, and helps you have better control over the line and lure.
The choice of rod for a particular lure is also a skill. It knows how to blend rod power, weight, action, and other components for successful angling.
