Life changes. Seems I have gone from blue water to fishing to fishing for bass in the local canals.

Don't think, because of my location, that we are fishing big shiners for lunker bass. Truth be told, the shiners are small and the bass aren't much better....call it 2 pound average......with a ton of small ones, some 3 pounders, and an occasional 5 pounder. Fishing is mostly canals but some natural lakes. Hoping to hear from guys that know and fish the area. Way different fishing than I did in Tenn.

Could also use some suggestions on a "general purpose" bass rod. When I fished these waters as a kid (in local lakes) I only used plastic worms. Now with peacock bass and such, not to mention fishing canals rather than lakes, I'm thinking the best lures might be way different. Frankly I ain't got a clue so throw me a bone.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

A flipping stick will handle shiner fishing. My idea of a good "general purpose" bass rod is 7'0", Medium Power, Fast Action.

Russ,

A general purpose bass blank for down there would be something like a 6'6"-7' 3 power mag bass blank. It should handle most of what I imagine you are doing in the canals down there. You could compliment it with a 3 or 4 power popping rod, if you have one from fishing in the salt, to cover the treble hook lures, and be in pretty good shape.

Joe

MB 844 range for single point hooks invovling hook set - lure wt to 5/8 oz
Several Manufacturers Castaway, Batson, MHX

BB1 listed for longer rod with heavery lure wt -

RF Elite 726 S Glass for trebel hook, live bait, cranking and topwater - set up for fish engagement and control.

Contact Swampland for set up sheets for all. Build sheet cover from 6' 9" to 8'.

Click on link below and also click on the Rest of the Story at the end of the Press Release.

Thanks gents.....looks like I need a MB843/844 then.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

last year i was in Miami and did some p-bass fishing in the canals using shiners. I built 2 MHX SJ782-2's for me and my wife. casting for me and spinning for my wife. they worked well. I think the SJ781 may have been perfect for this. for shiner fishing in the canals, the MB's are waaay over powered. you'll be using no more than 1/8oz split shot for that type of fishing.
on a similar note, i hooked into a 30+lb grass carp with that rod while fishing the lagoon by the airport. took a bit longer, but was able to bring it to the boat - no pictures though - the rear treble ripped right out of the little prop bait that i was using at the time.

Thanks Cheng. I suspect folks hear south florida and think bigger bass. As you know the canal bass aren't big and the p-bass like smaller offerings. I have been having fun with a MHX SJ9000-2. You might enjoy one. Light enough in the tip for panfish but strong enough in the butt for bonefish and smaller permit. I often cast unweighted minnows and live worms as well as ultra light crankbaits with one. Should toss an unweighted live shrimp a good distance.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Russ,

Maybe we should open up the discussion a little further. What lures and sizes do you plan on fishing on your general purpose rod?

When you say general purpose bass rod with bass averaging 2lb.+, I think of 7" worms, full bodied bass jigs, spinnerbaits/buzzbaits over 3/8oz. total weight, etc. For lures in this size range, the 3 power MB fits the bill quite well, yet still has a tip soft enough to allow you to throw some finesse plastics as well.

Also when I think south FL canals, I think about vegetation and fishing on foot. I know how the Erie Canal gets in OH with our short growing season, and can only imagine how some of your canals look. The 3 power MB will have the butt power to extract those 2lb. bass from most of the thick stuff. It might be a bit overkill at times, but it won't leave you wishing for more most of the time. A lot of my bass fishing up here is done with an 822.5 and 823 with lures under 3/8oz. total weight, small 4"-6" worms with 3/16oz weight or less, 1/8-1/4oz. bass jigs, weightless plastics, small 1/8-1/4oz. buzz baits, etc. Most of the waters I fish have little vegetation, and I'm left fishing rock and isolated wood, and the occasional weeds. The fight is essentially over after I move the fish the first few feet. I'm usually in the boat, and am not afraid to toss into the occasional areas of dense cover, but I can usually get to the fish if it wraps me around lily pad stems or wood. For larger lures and bass, I would tend to upscale the tackle just a bit. It's as much about casting and working the lures through cover as it is control after the fish bites.

Joe

im planning another trip down there next year. i'll take a look at the SJ9000. hopefully this time around i'll be able to hook into a tarpon in the lagoon.
good luck!

Joe, I was asking about two different rods. Cheng provided some good hands on info with regards to my first question. For the local canals, using small shiners, and targeting peacock as well as largemouth, I suspect a 1 to 2 power spin/jig is perfect. I often fish 6 pound mono for this task. If one desires to fish lures you need to be able to cast things like a beattle spin and the smallest crankbaits made. The peacock bass really like smaller lures. Contray to what one reads I haven't found them to be very tough fighters. There are rather strange in their nature. You can watch them sitting motionless looking at a bait. They move back and forth a couple of inches trying to decide what to do. If the live bait moves towards them, they retreat, as if in fear. Yet lift that live bait to reposition it and they will often savagely strike. Many times I have seen them looking at a bait only to have a largemouth swim up and steal it in front of their nose. Maybe they are very smart or have better eyes and see the hook?

The second question was about a general purpose blank. I need to build the fresh water arsenal. I do hope to fish a little farther up the state in more traditional bass waters sometime. I suspect I'd be doing more worm and spinner bait stuff there. I have also wanted to try a mag bass blank simply because I'm curious. Plus it seems like something I could use locally for inshore salt water. So both blanks are probably on the list.

Now I do have a SJ781 (RX6) and a P704 (Castaway) that I haven't built yet. I also have a bass pro shops rod, called a Woo Davis worm rod (I think). I bought it more for the reel on it but it seems "okay", and may be close to a mag bass (but seems a little stiffer in the tip than I imagine a mag bass is). Then I have that SJ9000 I mentioned which is actually a hot shot blank. About the only other thing in my arsenal that might do is a SCII, 7 foot, medium power inshore rod rated 8-17 (IIRC), but that seems total overkill. I may be in okay shape already if I just build what I have.

So there are all the details. BTW Joe, I must say I get a lot of value out of your posts. I like the way you think. I also have to confess that (with all I have heard) I'm probably looking for a decent reason to buy the 822.5. Just not sure which one of them to get plus money is tight at the moment. Is the RX8 that much better than the RX7? Am I right in assuming the 823 is a little stiffer in the tip and a tad more power in the butt?


P.S. Down here the water is shallow and the vegetation is soft. Worst case, you scull on over and stick your hand in the weeds and get the fish. It isn't like getting hung up on submerged timber where you are going to lose everything. Just don't try to land an alligator with this technique...lol!

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Russ,

Thanks for the kind words, I'm on board now. That SJ781 should work out nicely for you. I built an ISJ781 up as a casting rod for weightless plastics only to find that it doesn't work quite as well as I had hoped, but is great for open hook presentations, a lot of fun for casting small jigs and grubs for undersized bass and panfish. I can cast the small weightless flukes pretty well with that rod, but with larger bass, it doesn't drive the hook home quite as well as I would like. It will handle those little beetle spins, and even UL cranks very well. The IP840 is my favorite UL cranking blank, though. I've never handled the Castaway P704, so I can't really comment on it.

My 822.5 and 823 are the RX8+ models and really like them, but they spend a lot of time in my hands. They are incredibly crisp and responsive, and buttery smooth on the cast. I haven't had a chance to work with the RX8 blanks yet, but, I wouldn't shy away from the RX7 versions. I really like the way the rods I've built on RX7 blanks perform (the majority of my personal rods). In shallow water, the RX7 version will be more than adequate. Even the RX6 travel blanks (SB720-4 and SB781-3) that I leave in the truck for the occasional small stream or brief trip perform quite well, but don't quite feel as refined as their higher modulus cousins. If money were no object, I'd go for the higher modulus offering, but for great performance without breaking the blank I usually go for an RX7 blank.

In regard to the 822.5 and 823, you are exactly right. The 823 is just a tad more powerful from tip to butt. I've put them on my duplicator and the actions are pretty much spot on when deflected the same distance, but it takes a tad more weight to deflect the 823. They are similar enough that many lures fish equally well on both, but some small wind resistant lures cast better on the 822.5, and the 823 has a tip a little more conducive to fishing light T-rigs. If you're looking for a good excuse to get an 822.5, look no further. It's a very useful blank, and I imagine would serve you well for some inshore fishing too.

The mag bass blanks will surprise you. They are surprisingly powerful rods, and when you compare them to popping rods with similar line/lure ratings, they are night and day. I look forward to hearing how you use them in the salt.

I've been looking for an excuse to build an HS9000 or SJ9000, but I've never felt comfortable fishing a rod over 7'. It's always sounded like a blank that suits my style, but just a bit long for my taste. I'm sure someday I'll get one and either learn to fish it or trim it down a few inches.

Joe