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Location: Sun Prairie, Wisconsin | I had a blast this weekend in Northern Wisconsin with top waters. The fish were really hitting more active baits. My favorite is the large size Weagle.
I have been using a medium heavy rod that is about 7 feet 6 inches long and I feel it is too"soft" to handle the action of the bait. Don't want to spend a fortune on a rod. Suggest away!
Pat |
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Posts: 268
| i've aways like my avid 6'9" jerkbait rod or even my older 6'3" |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | I run my weagles on a XH 9' Tackle Industries rod reel is either a Revo Toro 5:4 if calm or a Toro HS if windy or I want to rock them... |
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Posts: 774
Location: South East Wisconsin | Avid 6'9" for me love this rod for WTD. |
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Posts: 4343
Location: Smith Creek | I used to use the Avid 69 and then due lack of space in the boat switched to the 86XH. Recently went back to the 69. Don't know how I got by without it. Perfect for phantoms too. |
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Posts: 458
| Use "The Jerk" from St Croix with a high speed toro and really like it. Same combo with a high speed curado would be nice. |
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Posts: 582
| 7'6" black river heavy fast action rod. This rod does great for all my jerkbaits on only cost about $100 |
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Posts: 1224
Location: Okoboji | 7'6" fenwick elite tech heavy jerkbait/twitch rod......best couple that with a revo hs...ur pimpin |
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Posts: 210
| I liked my 6' 9" H Croix Premier better than my 7' 6" H Croix Premier and any other possibly suitable rod I owned, but after getting the Croix Big Dawg, my favorite WTD rod is the Big Dawg. I also think the 5 oz of counterweight I attached to the butt helped balance the rig. I don't have to fight the tip-heaviness of the rod anymore. |
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| I think some of it depends on your physical build. I've got twiggy arms so using my Okuma 9'3" XH or 8'6" XH with a Calcutta TE is brutal on my wrists, forearms, and middle back; I can only last a handful of casts, but I know others that use these rods and even heavier (e.g., Musky Innovations) without issues. However, downsizing to a rod between 7-8' is much better and the lighter the better. I used to throw my walk-the-dog baits (surface or sub/gliders) with a Curado 300DSV and a Fig Rig 7'6" H (before they changed owners, it was and still is the lightest rod I've ever thrown... wish I could find another one!) until the rod was crushed under Rubbermaids this year... Now I use a split-grip Legend Lip Stick 7'9" (MH?) with the same Curado and it's a dream.
If you're planning on doing hard snap twitching to get the bait to really make a lot of commotion then go shorter and lighter and you will be happy. If you're just looking for the bait to swim in a zig zag back to the boat then you could probably get away with a longer rod (8'+) and be fine.
My .02 cents. |
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| I'd go with a 7'6". You should get slightly better hooksets and slightly longer casts than a 6'9". The action really depends on the rod manufacturer in my opinon. I have a 7'6" XH Shimano Compre that has a softer tip than my dad's 7'6" H Maina rod. For lighter, easier pulling baits (particularly glide baits) the 7'6" XH Compre is the way to go. It feels a little flimsy when throwing bigger glide baits. All in all, the Compre would be my choice for you, especially since you're asking about WTD baits. |
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Posts: 3240
Location: Racine, Wi | I've been throwing them on the 8'6 XH Okuma's and have loved it. It works the bait as needed, but also has the longer softer tip to be able to fight a fish once they are hooked. Back when I first started using weagles, I threw them on a 6'9 St Croix and lost a few fish on them and looking for a reason, I blamed it on the rod not having a soft enough tip to fight the fish once hooked.  (It couldn't have been me). The longer rod just helps keep them hooked once they eat. |
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Posts: 646
Location: In a shack in the woods | Depends on what kind of boat you're running also. I'm 6'3" but fish out of a bass boat that sits lower in the water. I use 8'6" + rods for everything except jerk baits. When twitching a find myself hitting the water quite often so I switched to a split grip " the jerk" for WTD bait. Match it with a 300 curado and it's so light it's like having a bass rod in your hands. Very easy to palm and manipulate the bait. I have not lost very many fish on it. You're going to miss a few no matter what while fishing WTD type lures but this tip is soft enough to bend the rod even with a 40" fish but still stiff enough to snap the lure and get side to side action with no forward movement. |
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Posts: 426
Location: Perryville, MO | This has been a really helpful discussion for me. I'm 6'3" and fish out of a bass boat as well. I like the idea of throwing WTD lures with my 9' TI rods (that I use for just about everything) but smack the water too much. With our Fall season just starting I pulled out an old 7' St. Croix pool cue to throw a weagle with to see how it would work. It's a little rough on the wrist, but puts great action on the bait. I thought I might just keep bringing it along. Luckily (I guess) I've thus far had no action on the weagle. I'm reminded that keeping a fish pinned with that stick can be a real chore. I'm gonna give my 8' Premier a go on Friday and see if I can manage not smacking the water with it.
By the way, just went to a couple of Toros and I'm now officially on the bandwagon. I'm a Shimano guy when it comes to bass fishing. I must have 8 curados for bass. I plan on buying a Calcutta 401 TE very soon. And I suspect, from what I've heard, I'll fall in love with it. But I tell ya, I'm a happy guy with these Toros. |
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Location: Sun Prairie, Wisconsin | I'm just 5 feet 7 inches tall and I fish out of a boat that sits fairly low in the water (X-190). I was thinking a 7 foot rod would be just about perfect. Frankly, I did lose a fish because I didn't stick it hard enough on the hook set. I won't make that mistake again. Still, it bugs me when the rod I am using always pops in the water.
The other issue is that fish tend to hit and stay on the surface with such a big buoyant bait. The fish just thrashed on the surface like it was in a mosh pit and tossed the bait. I'll get it lower next time as well.
OK, I'm going shopping and I will look at many of the rods you suggested. Thank you!
Pat |
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Posts: 79
| I use black rivers 7' jerkbait rod paired with a revo hs. It has a little softer tip than most pool cue jerkbait rods so it keeps fish hooked very well. |
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | I use an 8' MH Gander Mountain rod for 8" Weagles. It's fairly light, which is easier on the wrist, and has a little flex in the tip which I like for working these and keeping fish pinned up. I'm only about 5'9, fish out of an Alumacraft Navigator, and have no problem slapping water. If I worked the rod in a down position, it would be buried in the water. I work them, along with just about any bait with a long rod, in a sideways or diagonal motion.
I have used 8'6" rods for the Weagle too and no issues hitting the water. I do feel like longer rods wear my wrists out a little more, just due to increased weight and more leverage working on the wrists. However, I think a longer rod does more of the "work" of popping the Weagle, once you get the rod moving at least. I think you could develop your technique to use longer rods without wearing yourself out, or without hitting the water.
Short rods are probably better for a fast twitching retrieve, but for a Weagle Swoosh....Swoosh.... Swoosh... retrieve, I think a little longer rod works nice. No doubt easier to keep fish hooked up.
Tucker |
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Posts: 267
Location: Right behind you (tap, tap) BOOO | I bought two 9' rods that I thought where the answer for every bait, 2 different rods, one lighter and one heavier, but after a while I hated the action I was getting on my gliders/jerks/WTD topwaters, and rather then switching to a more appropriate rod for me I just started using those baits less, boy that was dumb.
I recently rediscovered my 6'9" Avid (don't know why I ever put her away) and while getting used to the shorter handle and thinner grip was a little difficult - it was probably one of the most important things I have learned so far this year. I do have to upgrade the reel that on it to something a little bigger, the Abu 5600 Morrum just seems a little smaller, then again the lighter all around weight of that setup is nice for constant wrist action on a WTD or Glider.
The right tools sure make a difference. |
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Posts: 951
| Musky Innovations 7'6" XH is the best that I have used for walk the dog baits.
Jeff Hanson
madisonmuskyguide.com |
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | I had a custom rod made by Jawbreaker Customs... my wife got it for me for my birthday this year. 7'6" XH. Top 'o the line Fuji guides. Big 'ol 1-piece super fat grip... yet, it's light as a feather. I can work by Phantom Softails, Weagles and Squirkos all day long with this thing and never feel fatigue in my forearm. Really a great rod... |
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