The Mysterious Universal Rod

For most fresh water fishing... There are extreme that can't be addressed,
but I think the universal fishing is:

A medium power moderate to fast action spinning rod. Length may vary, but a
7' to 7'6" will work better in almost all cisrcumstances except fishingfrom
between heavy trees and brush. If one learns to pitch with it even that can
be overcome to some degree. I would definitely reccomend spending a little
money on your rod if you can have only one. My universal rod is a Quantum
Tour Edition (I have six of them) one piece spinning rod that retails for
around $80. If you have to have a two piece the Quantum Afinity (I have
three of these) is a much cheaper close second and fishes just as well, but
I have snapped the tip off a couple of them. Perhaps just from my own
clutzyness.

Yes a medium light would be better if casting lighter lures, and a medium
heavy would be better if fishing in grass and brush, but we aren't going for
extremes or trying to specialize. We are after that universal rod. That
one rod you can throw in your truck to bang around all day so that you can
stop and fish most any circumstances that come up.

Why spinning? Well because its easier to use. Don't anybody get up on
their high horse about line twist etc.. I have fished for a couple days
catching tons of fish with a single spinning rod and managed to keep line
twist to a minimum. Just like some of you guys can cast a 1/16th oz
roostertail 50 yards into the teeth of a gale on a Shimano Curado without
backlashing I can cast a quality spinning reel and fish with it minimizing
line twist, and if it does twist I know how to straighten it out a couple
different ways.

Anyway, on our search for the universal rod... One must select a reel. The
tendency is to match the reel to closely to the rod. Here I disagree. Go
with a slightly larger reel. Not a monster surfcasting reel, but something
that has a large diameter spool and a lot of line capacity. It just works
better even with light line and lures than a smaller reel. Get on that has
a spare spool. Fill one with 6-10 test depending on your fishing
circumstances and fill the other with 10-17 pound test again depending on
your fishing circumstances. I have gone with the Daiwa Tournament 1600.
Again not a super cheap product, but definitely not one of the most
expensive at around $80.

Go with a top quality line. So far the one mono I have found that works
very well in different sizes is Suffix Seige, but I am sure others will
argue. As an option you might fill one of the spools instead with 30 or 40
pound braid. This would dramitically improve your range of fishing options
to include flathead fishing and heavy cover work. It could also reduce some
middle of the road options. Most folks tend to way over fill their reels or
way under fill their reels. Getting it right is essential. I actually like
to slightly over fill the reel and then break off periodically as the line
starts to set to the reel to get it just right. Your mileage will vary.

Now, with this rod I can fish 1/16th oz Rooster tails on 6lb test in a
stream for tiny trout, or drop cut bait on 14 or even 17lb test vertically
down a rock face to with cut bait for big stripers. It will handle moderate
or even some pretty large catfish in a river, and if you develop some skills
you might even land a monster flathead in some river system.

You can most definitely catch some decent bass on both topwater and
crankbaits, but amazingly you can throw wacky senkos along weed edges and
fish frogs over grassbeds with no more problems than other rods. Depending
on what line you have on your "heavy" line spool you can even get back in
the trash a little bit. Sure its not as good perhaps as a baitcaster for
flipping nonstop all day, and it doesn't have the backbone to horse a really
big fish out of heavy trash, but today we aren't specializing. Today we are
looking for the universal rod.

For panfish it might not be as fun as taking them on an ultralight, but it
will definitely work. Certainly its not as good as a 12ft crappie pole for
crappie jerking, but with a minimum of casting skills and a slip float that
can be overcome as well.

JMHO


--
Bob La Londe
Fishing Arizona & The Colorado River
Fishing Forums & Contests
http://www.YumaBassMan.com



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

A spinning rod is better than a casting rod as an all-around rod, Bob?
That's sort of like saying a Phillips Head is a better all-around screw
driver than a flat-head. It is better when you're confronted with Phillips
head screws. But when you need to back out a slot-head screw, the Phillips
is a poor substitute. The trick is knowing what tool to use in each
circumstance and having good quality tools handy so you'll be ready.

I greatly admire the 7-foot St. Croix Tournament Series rod that Huber
custom-built for me. Medium power, fast action. Well balanced, casts like a
dream, light as a feather, tough enough to pull sulky bass out of the willow
grass. Perfect for light lines and featherweight lures, or for skipping
plastics back under trees, docks, and lay-downs.

But when I require better casting accuracy, need to use heavier lines to
pull bass out of dense cover like log jams and buck brush,

And, I do enjoy freedom from line-twist that comes with casting rods. No
high horses here... just forty years of casting rod and spinning rod
experience.

I think your point was that there are special situations in which each
excel, but in a broad area in between, where either rod can get the job
done, you prefer a spinning rod to a casting rod. I understand that. I used
to be the same way in my first twenty years of bass fishing. Some days, in
some places, I'll still fish a spinning rod all day long and leave by
baitcasters idle.

Joe


"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
.. .
For most fresh water fishing... There are extreme that can't be addressed,
but I think the universal fishing is:

A medium power moderate to fast action spinning rod. Length may vary, but a
7' to 7'6" will work better in almost all cisrcumstances except fishingfrom
between heavy trees and brush. If one learns to pitch with it even that can
be overcome to some degree. I would definitely reccomend spending a little
money on your rod if you can have only one. My universal rod is a Quantum
Tour Edition (I have six of them) one piece spinning rod that retails for
around $80. If you have to have a two piece the Quantum Afinity (I have
three of these) is a much cheaper close second and fishes just as well, but
I have snapped the tip off a couple of them. Perhaps just from my own
clutzyness.

Yes a medium light would be better if casting lighter lures, and a medium
heavy would be better if fishing in grass and brush, but we aren't going for
extremes or trying to specialize. We are after that universal rod. That
one rod you can throw in your truck to bang around all day so that you can
stop and fish most any circumstances that come up.

Why spinning? Well because its easier to use. Don't anybody get up on
their high horse about line twist etc.. I have fished for a couple days
catching tons of fish with a single spinning rod and managed to keep line
twist to a minimum. Just like some of you guys can cast a 1/16th oz
roostertail 50 yards into the teeth of a gale on a Shimano Curado without
backlashing I can cast a quality spinning reel and fish with it minimizing
line twist, and if it does twist I know how to straighten it out a couple
different ways.

Anyway, on our search for the universal rod... One must select a reel. The
tendency is to match the reel to closely to the rod. Here I disagree. Go
with a slightly larger reel. Not a monster surfcasting reel, but something
that has a large diameter spool and a lot of line capacity. It just works
better even with light line and lures than a smaller reel. Get on that has
a spare spool. Fill one with 6-10 test depending on your fishing
circumstances and fill the other with 10-17 pound test again depending on
your fishing circumstances. I have gone with the Daiwa Tournament 1600.
Again not a super cheap product, but definitely not one of the most
expensive at around $80.

Go with a top quality line. So far the one mono I have found that works
very well in different sizes is Suffix Seige, but I am sure others will
argue. As an option you might fill one of the spools instead with 30 or 40
pound braid. This would dramitically improve your range of fishing options
to include flathead fishing and heavy cover work. It could also reduce some
middle of the road options. Most folks tend to way over fill their reels or
way under fill their reels. Getting it right is essential. I actually like
to slightly over fill the reel and then break off periodically as the line
starts to set to the reel to get it just right. Your mileage will vary.

Now, with this rod I can fish 1/16th oz Rooster tails on 6lb test in a
stream for tiny trout, or drop cut bait on 14 or even 17lb test vertically
down a rock face to with cut bait for big stripers. It will handle moderate
or even some pretty large catfish in a river, and if you develop some skills
you might even land a monster flathead in some river system.

You can most definitely catch some decent bass on both topwater and
crankbaits, but amazingly you can throw wacky senkos along weed edges and
fish frogs over grassbeds with no more problems than other rods. Depending
on what line you have on your "heavy" line spool you can even get back in
the trash a little bit. Sure its not as good perhaps as a baitcaster for
flipping nonstop all day, and it doesn't have the backbone to horse a really
big fish out of heavy trash, but today we aren't specializing. Today we are
looking for the universal rod.

For panfish it might not be as fun as taking them on an ultralight, but it
will definitely work. Certainly its not as good as a 12ft crappie pole for
crappie jerking, but with a minimum of casting skills and a slip float that
can be overcome as well.

JMHO


--
Bob La Londe
Fishing Arizona & The Colorado River
Fishing Forums & Contests
http://www.YumaBassMan.com



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"Joe Haubenreich" wrote in
message ...
A spinning rod is better than a casting rod as an all-around rod, Bob?

Absolutely.

That's sort of like saying a Phillips Head is a better all-around screw
driver than a flat-head. It is better when you're confronted with Phillips
head screws.

No, its more like saying a 6 way screwdriver is better than a common.

But when you need to back out a slot-head screw, the Phillips
is a poor substitute. The trick is knowing what tool to use in each
circumstance and having good quality tools handy so you'll be ready.

Ah, but I can back it out with my six way.

I greatly admire the 7-foot St. Croix Tournament Series rod that Huber
custom-built for me. Medium power, fast action.

I like the St Croix rods very much owning more than a dozen of them, but
each of mine is more specialized, and they don't even mkae the blank I
describe. atleast not that I am aware of.

Well balanced, casts like a
dream, light as a feather, tough enough to pull sulky bass out of the
willow
grass. Perfect for light lines and featherweight lures, or for skipping
plastics back under trees, docks, and lay-downs.

Yep, spinning tackle skips very well, but believe it or not I actually
prefer to pitch under docks with baitcasting tackle. LOL.

But when I require better casting accuracy, need to use heavier lines to
pull bass out of dense cover like log jams and buck brush,

Accuracy is argueable. You MIGHT be more accurate with your baitcasting
tackle at moderate and short range due to having more experience, but I
consistantly drop poppers at the weed edge and into the pockets at longer
ranges with my spinning tackle. I think a lot of the accuracy claim is due
to experience. I have certainly fished with a lot of guys who have been
surprised at how accuarate I am with spinning tackle. One of the keys is
that there is more than one way to cast it. A snap cast for instance is
amazingly accurate with either, but an inexperienced angler is much more
likely to have problems with baitcasting tackle.

And, I do enjoy freedom from line-twist that comes with casting rods. No
high horses here... just forty years of casting rod and spinning rod
experience.

Sure, line twist is a reality, but I have never fished with anybody who has
gone all day without a backlash either.

I think your point was that there are special situations in which each
excel, but in a broad area in between, where either rod can get the job
done, you prefer a spinning rod to a casting rod.

No, I would go furhter and say that I think a spinning rod is better in
general, although not necessarily for somebody with more experience with
baitcasters. For instance, I know a couple guys who drop shot light
finnesse presentations with bait casting tackle. Most would agree its not
the best application, but it is probably the best application for them.

I understand that. I used
to be the same way in my first twenty years of bass fishing. Some days, in
some places, I'll still fish a spinning rod all day long and leave by
baitcasters idle.

That's true. Its still the best ONE ONLY rod. The thing is that we get
jaded by owning 30-100 specialty rods each for a different specific
application. There are certainly more niche built baitcasters, and a lot of
anglers who favor baitcaster for a variety of reasons. Still that doesn't
make it the best over all one only rod when you can have only one.


--
Bob La Londe
Fishing Arizona & The Colorado River
Fishing Forums & Contests
http://www.YumaBassMan.com



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com