What action rod does everyone like?

[NorCoMike]

Looking into building a new rod. I mainly do nothing but throw small tied jigs without a float. I know it will be ultralight power, but can't decide between fast action or something else. Would love to hear what every one likes to use the most.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

[jackie53]

8-9' med/light rod's,Really like the berkley nanofil in the 8 & 10 lb test.We use a lot of small jig's 1/64 oz with floats and up to 1/4 oz without floats on our clear lakes and rivers.8'&9' rods really make a difference.Hope this helps.We fish these rods on the white river,red river for trout (yes) trout(1/80,1/64 oz) under a float and fish for crappie,walleye,smallmouth on Greers Ferry,norfork and Bull shoals these rod's will do it.(can see them in action on Trout/crappie Magnet .com or youtube.at work.

 

[Jig Man]

Lots of options today. I used to fish nothing but ultra light, but I guess my favorite jig tosser now is a 7' fast, light action in a High modules graphite. Go any longer than that in an ultra light about all you will find is a moderate action. Good luck with your build.

 

[NorCoMike]

Currently fishing a phenix elixir that is a 7.5 foot fast action ultralight. Really looking into getting a fly rod blank either a 2 or 3 wt to build on. The only problem with a fly rod blank is that even a fast action fly rod turns into a slow to moderate action spinning rod. I'm sure I read on here that someone has a couple of rods built on fly blanks. Hopefully they will chime in and I can see how he is liking the fly blank. I'm just not sure that a moderate action rod will have enough feel and be sensitive enough while fishing jigs.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

[Kdog]

Look at some of the salmon/steelhead blanks. The high modulus graphite beside light in weight are very sensitive and the direct to rod blank reel seats provide an added amount of sensitivity.

I have a rod made with a St Croix 3S110LM2 blank that is IMO almost the perfect jigging rod. Its a 9' rod which makes it tough to use in the creeks but for boat fishing is sweet.

 

[hookup]

Fast always works for me, but I throw 1/8oz & above for smallies & bonus fish

Seems to me if I would drop to a lighter jig & target smaller lighter fish, I'd be in the moderate to moderate fast action so the rod wouldn't load up as much while casting.

I'd still want something high modulus because of sensitivity in feeling the bite but high modulus usually means more power for the rating.  Compare a F SCV vs a F SCII and you get the idea.  jmho.

But with all that said, if I was to build a spin rod for 1/32-1/16 oz jigs, I'd go with a AVS66ULF2 or a AVS70ULM2 blank just because I'm a St Croix 'ho, luv these blanks, avid has enough sensitivity to feel a fish fart, and still want to break them down for travel.

 

[NorCoMike]

Thanks hookup I will look into the st Croix blanks. I haven't ever built on one of their blanks or even fished one of them. Heard a lot of good things about them. Usually I'm targeting crappie and trout but do end up catching a lot of different species like bass and catfish.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

[Bucko]

For an all around rod I use a 7ft medium light with an extra fast tip. Works well from bluegill to bass.

 

[Pup]

I'm just not sure that a moderate action rod will have enough feel and be sensitive enough while fishing jigs.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

It will if you fish with spectra or dyneema superlines.  They don't stretch at all relative to copolymers, fluorocarbon, or nylon monofilament lines.  Use a fluorocarbon leader tied to the superline with a uni-to-uni connection if worried over its visibility to trout.  There's not enough line stretch in that short section of leader to matter to sensitivity or hooksets.

I've driven worm hooks through soft plastics and into largemouth bass jaws while fishing with Fireline on a fairly parabolic (moderate action) baitcasting rod.

 

[NorCoMike]

Thanks pup! That is some very helpful info! I am currently fishing gliss fishing line or nanofil and I have a spool of suffix nanobraid to try out. Really looking hard at the blue halo rod blanks they have a 7.5 foot 3wt that I think would be fun. It is a fiberglass rod and moderate action.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

[Pup]

Those Blue Halo Blanks are the bomb!  Particularly at 7.5 feet and 1.8 ounces.  Wow, I never thought that tubular fiberglass blanks could weigh so little.

Honestly, if the price of their blanks wasn't prohibitive to me, I'd have a couple of customs built immediately.  Those are beautiful blanks.  I know that they're more durable than most any rod that I own.

Though, it is extremely difficult for me to imagine tubular fiberglass blanks selling for that amount.  I know that these aren't the old days.  However, I do firmly believe that the tackle industry is gouging its demographic based upon an elderly fishing population.

It's high time, imo, that suppliers begin to look to future generations for revenues.  It doesn't appear to be happening, to me, though.

 

[NorCoMike]

I agree they look great! Looks like i will be ordering a 3wt in the very near future that! Now just to decide on components...

 

[bombora]

I'm with Pup, for light or ultralight I love a medium or medium fast action (in high modulus graphite) and use a few types of braid exclusively. Braid and medium/medium fast is a magic combo IMO. Flouro leader for stealth and flouro has less stretch than mono so there's no lack of feel. 
 Favourite light rod at the moment is actually a light Shimano squid rod of 8'3" which has a parabolic action - similar to some fly rods - meant to stop a squid jig from ripping out of a squid's soft tentacles. That softer action plus braid seems to offer a tiny pause on strike, if that makes sense, which slots the hook into the jaw hinge for a secure hook set. 
 Extra length is always a plus except on rare occasions I'm shooting a jig under a dock. Bugger all off the rack long light tackle lure rods here so the squid rod is doing the job at the moment,

 

[LedHed]

I like the action and feel of the Mebaru rods out of Japan. Aji rods are a little stiffer. They are designed for UL saltwater rockfishing but they are great for panfishing here in the US. Problem is, that it is difficult to buy the rods here - so the blanks would almost be impossible.

bombora do you fish any of the Major Craft rods???

 

[joe]

I primarily build on 9' flyrod blanks for spinning rods and I guess they are all moderate action regardless of marketing description. 

Couple 8wts (SC3 and PacBay RF) are my favs with the St. Croix being the faster/stiffer of the two.  Have an SC3 in a 9' 3wt and love it as a spinning rod, but it has some limitations due to the lightness of it.  The 7-8wt range is much more useful for both tightline jig fishing and shaking a float in F'n'F style presentations.  The 3wt is more of a float nudger/dragger, but good for ripple-less float fishing retrieves.  It's whippy and one really has to work the rod for effective shaking thus other, more subtle presentations get the nod.  

However, for finesse panfish techniques...there's nothin' like a big sunfish on a long 3wt spinning rod.  Or a small sunfish for that matter.  In fact, there's not much that isn't fun to catch on a rod like this, possible exception being very large carp (which occasionally happens).

I love the longer blanks, they cast nicely and can clean-up line/pull hooksets at depth and distance.  Just have to reel into the butt of the rod, no overhead Bill Dance stuff.  The sweetness is in the longer sweep, no explosive reaction needed to bury the hook.

 

[NorCoMike]

thanks for all the replies! 

Joe have you ever built on a fiberglass flyrod?

 

[joe]

Joe have you ever built on a fiberglass flyrod?

Nope.  Did contemplate the idea for a spinning build before, but the weight of the blank itself gets a bit high in longer lengths despite the nice action and attributes of fiberglass.  This negatively effects the sensitivity of the blank even with the lightest components so I always stick with the lighter carbon blanks.  

Have fished on many spinning builds on fiberglass or composite blanks and didn't like the feel (bite detection and weight/balance in hand).  Not bad for float fishing or visual bite detection tactics, but it kinda makes a one-trick-pony of a rod for jig fishing.  Modern carbon, light components, and braid allow for surprisingly good tactile properties even in longer, moderate action blanks so I try to get it all in a build.

I use tactile bite detection as much as visual, hence the carbon preference.  If one only fishes floats, fiberglass might be a nice option although it has gotten noticeably more expensive with a renewed popularity as of late.  Modern Fiberglass is indeed a bit lighter than it's ancestry, but I don't think it's going to give the light bite detection that carbon products do.

 

[joe]

 I'm just not sure that a moderate action rod will have enough feel and be sensitive enough while fishing jigs.

You needn't worry about this, my 9' 3wt and light braid is a very moderate whiplike rod yet sensitivity is surprisingly good.  It's all in the build and weight savings/weight distribution over the whole tool.  Has much to do with where the fulcrum is set when rod is in hand and sometimes I actually will add a smidgen of weight at the butt to place the fulcrum where desired.

Essentially, save weight in front of the hand.  Excessively tip heavy or overly butt heavy rods kill sensitivity when actually fishing.  There's a mantra in rod building about "as light as possible everywhere" which is good, but I also think in terms of overall weight distribution and ergonomics when in hand.  That's where it comes alive and you get the feel.  Starting with the lightest blank/guides is a big plus and one might not need to add any counterweight to the butt at all in some cases.

 

[NorCoMike]

The one im looking at building will either be minima match guides or fuji k frames and no reel seat just a Tennessee handle. Looks like i will stay away from the blue halo for now and build on a carbon blank to see how i like it. Thanks for the help!

 

[hookup]

I got a crazy idea surf'n the net recently.

Read up on a thread on bamboo fly rods, then found some 3 weight bamboo blanks.

Got to thinking I'll build a fly rod, but since I never fish a fly rod anymore, it'll be a wall hanger.

Then after a few beers, the creative mind came in and a though popped into my head - build a bamboo rod I'll actually fish.

Maybe I should start a new thread, but what the hey, I'll add to this on. Any thoughts on a light weight bamboo spinning rod for pan fish? Would it work? Any idea on weight & sensitivity?