I need some help selecting a blank. I've got a customer wanting a topwater casting rod. He's looking to throw spooks and lures in that range with 50# braid. From my search on here, it looks like a popping blank may work, so I was thinking a med-hvy 7' popping blank MHX, and spiral wrap that with a 8df, 6df, 4s to tip, and 9 1/2" full cork grip, with a fuji ecsm seat.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

Thanks for the help.

Jeremy W. Reed
Reed Rods

I would not use a popping blank. I recommend a fast to extra-fast action blank. The faster action makes the "twitch, twitch, twitch .... pause for five" a lot easier to accomplish.

You can figure out if another brand will work, I use St Croix. My recommendations would be 3C70MHF, 3C70MHXF or 3SW70MHF.

My preference wouldn't be a spiral wrap, but that's your call. I definitely like a full cork grip on topwater rods, it gives me a better place to plant my forearm. In addition, I use TCSM on topwater rods. Touching the blank isn't needed - the fish will explode the surface and you will have a clue when to fight back. The TCSM (or TCSD) is less trouble to prep and glue (no window to deal with when doing it).

Hope this helps.

I fish the same size and style baits on an MHX SJ843, which is a fast action, medium power and it's perfect for those baits.
If you're looking for a medium heavy, try the MHX MB-843.

Both blanks are available in either the original or the Hi-Mod MHX line up.

I personally think you'd be pleased with either choice but 50# braid and a locked down drag is a light tackle buster.

I second the recommendation of a faster action rod for throwing spooks, popping or CB rods are too flexible to get a good walking cadence. The second question is exactly how he wants to fish the topwater, if he is making short accurate casts around cover then a 6’6” or even shorter rod may be appropriate, if he is making long casts to open water then he should use at least a 7 foot rod.

I fish lakes with Blue Back Herring which means making the longest cast possible to what looks like the middle of the lake for schooling fish. I use a MB843 or 844 blank, I have tried even longer blanks but it becomes a little difficult to work the bait with the tip down and keep the rod out of the water.

Good blank recommendations .
Jeremy I would also shorten up the rear grip a little. If the guy is average size then an 8" or 81/2 in rear grip will enable him to "twitch" better. You want the butt to hit the inside of your wrist when "twitching" or "walking the dog". A 6' to 6'6" blank also works better ( for me anyway) as Mike says.
Also, I agree with no Spiral wrap and no Braided line for this rod.

J.B.Hunt
Bowling Green, KY

I mostly use MB782 for light topwater and MB783 for spooks etc.
Even the 783 could get busted with a cranked down drag and 50# braid.

I have used MB843 and 844 but the way i work topwater my rod tip hits the water too much so i prefer the shorter 6ft 6 and i am fairly tall at 6ft 3. The shorter lighter MB782 and 783 just are more pleasurable for me for how and where i fish.

Not sure how you fish your top waters in your area but if its tip down i would think very hard about NOT doing a spiral for that application. i

Braid is the only way to go on this rig. You need a nice light tip with plenty of backbone. No spiral.

What you didn't say is what size spooks. Big difference in weight for the various sizes.

As for length, you need to drill down more with your client. I have technique specific rods built for this ranging from backbouncing blanks at 7'9" alll the way down to lighter blanks at 6'6".

Whutchuwant?

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Braid - definitely. Depending on lure wt MB844 or L844 (higher wt limit but stiffer tip). If under 7' either can be trimmed to 6'6" (from butt end) - if that makes you uncomfortable the MB784 will work

An MB783 with braid is my choice for topwaters. On the strike the braid doesn't stretch but your tip will give to give you the hookset you need without pulling the bait away from the fish.

Lance

Hate to go against the grain here but when fishing top water of any kind, I would recommend mono over braid.
With mono even if you're quick on the rigger of setting the hook on the explosion, you still have enough stretch and forgiveness to maybe get the hook in them but with braid, you don't have that forgiveness.


And yes I know Elite's do it different, so please don't bring that up.


Also, does he work a plug tip up or down? Not everyone works them with the tip down. If in question, ask.

"if you're quick on the rigger of setting the hook on the explosion, you still have enough stretch and forgiveness to maybe get the hook in them but with braid, you don't have that forgiveness".

That's where the lighter tip comes into play.

Lance

Swampland Tackle Lance Dupre Wrote:
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>
> That's where the lighter tip comes into play.


Ok but maybe there are different ways to accomplish the same thing.

Matthew - The item you bring up is easily compensated by an adjustment on the fisherman's part. You aren't supposed to set a hook until you feel the fish on anyway (or that's how I was taught). If you are too fast, mono isn't going to help you out.

Hook setting - sharp hooks and braid need only a turn of the handle and you are engaged... you don't have to set the hook
.
Rod tip - soft tip also helps compensate for not having the rubber band action of mono when walking a spook. so dual benefit there (paired with the hookset ease)

Stretch - Have you tried to set the hook with a spook at 65+ yards with mono? If you can set the hook good and solid with a hook right out of the package (besides a Trokar), you're more of a man than I am. I swtiched to braid because of loosing fish at a distance with mono.

Need Forgiveness? - reel drag

Less Surface disturbance - braid has a much smaller profile, so you can spool up with 15# braid and have a 8# mono profile

Braid floats better. Mono sinks when it absorbs water, impacting the action of the bait, particularly with smaller topwaters.

Why can't we talk about Elites? That would almost be like you suggesting a non-MHX blank! LOL!

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Alex I thank you for your post. I agree with you on every paragraph you wrote.

Lance

Alex Dziengielewski Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Matthew - The item you bring up is easily
> compensated by an adjustment on the fisherman's
> part. You aren't supposed to set a hook until you
> feel the fish on anyway (or that's how I was
> taught). If you are too fast, mono isn't going to
> help you out.
>
> Hook setting - sharp hooks and braid need only a
> turn of the handle and you are engaged... you
> don't have to set the hook
> .
> Rod tip - soft tip also helps compensate for not
> having the rubber band action of mono when walking
> a spook. so dual benefit there (paired with the
> hookset ease)
>
> Stretch - Have you tried to set the hook with a
> spook at 65+ yards with mono? If you can set the
> hook good and solid with a hook right out of the
> package (besides a Trokar), you're more of a man
> than I am. I swtiched to braid because of loosing
> fish at a distance with mono.
>
> Need Forgiveness? - reel drag
>
> Less Surface disturbance - braid has a much
> smaller profile, so you can spool up with 15#
> braid and have a 8# mono profile
>
> Braid floats better. Mono sinks when it absorbs
> water, impacting the action of the bait,
> particularly with smaller topwaters.
>
> Why can't we talk about Elites? That would almost
> be like you suggesting a non-MHX blank! LOL!



Again Alex, you have a way you like to do it and I have a technique I prefer. Purely that simple. There's more than one way to skin a cat.

Elites are exceptional at what they do but so is Jose Wejebe & Blair Wiggins.

As far as MHX goes, I have faith in that line of blanks and am entitled to that opinion. You like what you like and I like what I like. If we all used the same blanks, guides, thread, inlays and drove the same boats and trucks, this world would be rather boring don't you think?


Back to the topic at hand though, does he walk a plug tip up or down?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2011 09:15PM by matthew jacobs.

We agree on a lot.

Agreed on different strokes. Sometimes certain situations require certain tools. The vast majority of my clients, competitors, and acquaintances left mono a long time ago for braid on topwaters for the reasons mentioned so I admit I am biased. This touches on BASS, FLW, ABA, IFA, and all stops in between. There could be a world of difference in the environments we fish, but not sure since I have a number of rods in Southwest GA and the FL panhandle.

Agreed they are exceptional - that's how they got there. The only thing to balance with an Elite, a Wiggins, a Wejebe or any compensated user is they receive direct benefit from promoting a specific product based on what their sponsors desire to sell - especially the ones on TV. Example... if you listen to the Pure Fishing Pro Staffers, the best things ever are Havoc baits and Nanofil line. I'm 100% guilty as well as I've worked with soft plastics, baits, oil, etc companies and received benefit from promoting their product and understand that world. But I am also upfront about that when I present them as an alternate option. As clarification I am not supported by any braid manufacturer! LOL!

My comment was a bit of locker room banter (hence the "LOL") since you insisted bluntly regarding no Elites. No offense intended. I could easily be ribbed for my disdain for spiral wraps or insistance on the greatness of micros. We all have our preferences that make us a little quirky. Truth is - we all can learn a little from those guys once the promotional junk gets thrown out the window as well as each other.


So what would you do different for a tip up/down method?

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2011 10:13PM by Alex Dziengielewski.

He walks with the tip down and will be throwing spooks as big as 7/8oz. I'll drop the handle length down to 8". .

If he works the bait with tip up, are there any changes that need to be made?
Thanks



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/2011 08:38AM by Jeremy Reed.

I actually use a St Croix 3C70MHXF with that size lure. I don't step down to a lighter rod, 3C70MF, until the lure weight drops to a 1/2 ounce. I use braid (30#) with a fluorocarbon leader (20#).I I spend quite a bit of time sharpening hooks (and crimping barbs), before hitting the water. My theory is also to allow the lure to do the work, constantly keeping a steady rhythm, even during a strike ... that buys me a lot of second and third chances.

The only way I'm going to get a spook 65 yards from the boat is if I'm trolling it. Some times I think we just make things a lot more complicated than necessary. If using braid, go slow on the rod. If using mono, go a little fast on the rod. If fishing surface, make sure the line floats.