Hey guys about to build my father a new topwater rod, he throws mainly spooks, usually Zara Puppies or Juniors being the biggest. Most casts are near close quarters and he throws with braided line. The build will be with a spinning rod, he hasn't quite gotten the cadence down with the baitcaster quite yet. I was thinking something no longer than 6'6 - figure a fast tip action. Any suggestions on blanks and distance the reel seat should be placed from the butt. Thanks guys

the st croix 68mxf is a favorite of mine. The batson 822.5 is also a good one

My favorite topwater rods (baitcasting) are graphite crankbait actions, so they are not fast tips. My tendency with topwater is to strike too fast and maybe too hard, so I find the slower action with mono line (which floats nicely so it doesn't adversely affect the action of the lure) works very well. Since topwater is so visual, you don't need super sensitivity. Everyone to their own taste, but close quarters, fast tip, braid line seems to make for too aggressive response to the strike.

Definitely want something smaller than the 822.5. I really dont have much issue with over reacting on bites. I have learned to let the trebles and rod do the hook setting. This being said would a parabolic slower action like a cranking rod work better with topwater blank.

I've built my crankbait/topwater rods using the Rainshadow RX7 crankbait blanks. CB70M, MH and H have worked great for spooks, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, etc. I imagine the 6'6" versions would work quite well too.

Thanks,
Chad Huderle

Huderle Custom Rods
Prior Lake, MN

Jay,

The choice of a top water rod is very personal. There are advantages to the faster action blanks and the slower action blanks. I love working top waters with the Batson 822.5 and 823, with those extra fast limber tips, you get a lot of control over your lure. They are dynamite for working twitch baits and other finesse topwater presentations. Taking a few inches off of the butt of either of those blanks won't kill the blanks, if you want to go that route. The downside, if you get to aggressive with the fish, you can pull hooks pretty easily with these blanks. If you really want to keep fish hooked up, a rod that reacts and recovers more slowly is needed.

For a moderate action rod, take a Swampland RFLE 765 and chop it down to 6'6" if you need to. That blank has a lot of power in the lower half, and can be trimmed to the length you need without killing the lifting power. The Batson CB66M will not cut it. Mine is overloaded with small cranks like the Strike King Series 1. Throwing something like a Zara Puppy really requires a lob cast with that blank, and it just doesn't have enough power in the butt to set the hook well and move fish when needed. It might make a nice treble hook rod with braid, but I prefer mono in these applications. Whether the Batson CB66MH would work, I have no idea, because after I built on the RFLE, I saw no need to look at other blanks for cranking/treble hooks.

Joe

Anyone ever use the IC722 for topwater applications. Great advice so far, really appreciate all the input.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/2014 02:38PM by Jay Burns.

Jay Burns Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anyone ever use the IC722 for topwater
> applications. Great advice so far, really
> appreciate all the input.


Like someone said, everybody has different preferences. But, for me, the IC722 is the absolute best rod I've ever used for "walking the dog" lures. I can control the lure so much better.

I like a Batson Rx7 crank bait rod in a mh. Great for spooks and traps in grass. I just got another blank just figuring out what guides I'm going with.

The 3C62MXF makes a nice topwater for the little spooks IMO. You can always add length to the blank.