MATCH THE ROD TO MATCH THE HATCH – March/April 2022

TEXAS BOATING by Lenny Rudow – March/April 2022
February 25, 2022
SECRETS OF THE SABINE FISHING CALENDAR – March/April 2022
February 25, 2022

NEVER BRING A knife to a gunfight.”

“Never shoot a gnat with an elephant gun.”

“Don’t get caught with your pants down.”

Those cliches describe being ill-equipped and unprepared, which translates to frustration in the world of fishing.

Bass fishing in particular, is super challenging, especially in pursuing big fish because of the largemouth’s finicky nature.

Florida bass introductions have created larger fish across Texas and much of the United States. However, Florida bass are even more temperamental than native strains, which made bass fishing more challenging.

That means anglers who consistently catch big bass need to be able to “match the hatch” or figure out exactly what the fish want in a specific time window. Although cueing on the size and color of lures involves virtually endless options, anglers have only a few styles of rods to match those choices.

Flipping a jig with your grandfather’s rod may be sentimental, but is it worth missing fish when you’re working a Carolina-rigged worm?

We’ve catalogued types of lures and bass fishing techniques to create a guide to help you match the rod to the hatch.

Jigs

Jigs are probably the best big bass lures as they are great for everything from working shallow docks to swimming across deep main lake structures.

For jig fishing, you need a “flippin’ stick.” A flippin’ stick is made for baitcasting reels and typically is seven or seven and a half feet long and is medium-heavy or heavy action.

Splitting the difference between both standard flippin’ stick sizes is the seven-foot, three-inch heavy action/moderate-fast Bass X Rod from St. Croix. These well-balanced rods are comfortable to fish with and have the proper backbone and tip action to allow anglers to engage in effective jig fishing.

Finesse Fishing:

Going to the complete other side of the bass-fishing spectrum is finesse fishing. This requires the use of smaller lures and lighter lines and is the main reason pro bass fishermen always have spinning combos on board.

For this you need a medium/extra fast rod such as the six-foot, eight-inch Victory spinning rod. This is perfect for vertical fishing small drop shot rigs, chunking tube jigs around docks, and delivering small swimbaits when the bass are keyed in on smaller shad.

No bass fishing arsenal is complete without a rig for finesse-style fishing. That means even the most diehard casting rod aficionado needs to shop for spinning gear.

Sometimes you need to bust out the spinning rod to score on big bass.
(Photo: St. Croix Rods)

Crankbaits:

Texas is crankbait country. Legends such as Tommy Martin and Rick Clunn have made careers on their crankbait skills. They fish lakes such as Conroe, Toledo Bend, and Sam Rayburn.

Savvy bass anglers understand the best crankbait rods are not made of graphite. Graphite makes bite detection easy because of its super-sensitive nature, but it’s too sensitive for crankbaits. Bass will swim quickly to chase a crankbait, and the water the bass pushes onto the bait can signal a strike with a graphite rod.

Glass rods are not as sensitive and allow for the fish to actually have the lure in its mouth before you feel the strike. A six foot, ten-inch or seven-foot, two-inch Mojo Bass Glass rod is perfect for crankbait fishing. These rods can service everything from standard-sized squarebills to larger deep divers.

Additionally, glass rods can be excellent for topwater fishing. Although relatively few anglers use them for surface fishing.

Many anglers miss topwater strikes by setting the hook too fast. With a glass rod, (if you can train yourself to “feel” the strike instead of going by the visual cue of the blowup only), then you have put yourself in a position to make an effective hookset.

Texas Rig Fishing:

The Texas rig has probably caught more bass than anything else in Texas waters. After all, it IS a called the Texas rig.

The simple bullet weight/hook/worm combo is easy to fish, and it’s super effective. The seven-foot three-inch medium/heavy, moderate/fast Victory casting rod is excellent for this application, with the combination of enough backbone and action to make the technique impactful.

Texas rig fishing is a great way to graduate kids from bream fishing with nightcrawlers and bobbers to bass fishing owing to its simple nature and the opportunity to get lots of bites.

Rod selection can be a fun process. There’s no exact formula, but these suggestions can put you on your path to match the lure style to the proper gear.

By investing in rods specifically made for your favorite techniques, you can increase your odds of success and increase the chance of catching your dream fish.

 

The X factor

Bass X casting rods come in numerous models made for a variety of applications from flipping jigs to throwing spinners. (Photo: St. Croix Rods)

THE ST. CROIX Bass X line of rods is for everyone big on bass, but not big on budget. The Bass X series is an exceptional value, providing a comprehensive collection of rods that deliver legendary St. Croix performance.

These rods come with premium quality SCII graphite, hard aluminum-oxide guides with black frames; a Fuji DPS reel seat with a black hood; and a split-grip/premium-grade cork handle. They are also backed by the St. Croix Superstar Service five-year warranty.

 

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