The Art of Buying a Bass Rod...
for jigs, worms and Carolina rigs
by Lake Fork Guide Jim Reaneau
As a guide, the first thing I look at when
someone gets in my boat is their bass rods.
Why? Because there are many times
when the style of fishing I plan on for the day will not match
someone's equipment. Most average anglers do not like to Texas
Rig or Carolina rig. The main reason is they hang up to much. The
problem normally is their rod.
 For jig
n' pig, for Texas Rigs and Carolina Rigs you need a
stiff rod. If your tip is too light when you drag the bait over
cover, the weight hangs and when you pull back the rod bends and
you are hung. If you have a stiff tip it will not bend and the
weight will hop over the obstacle. Most of the time I get one of
my rods in a customers hands before the day is over. This way,
the client can now feel with their own hands the differnece that
I am talking about between a soft rod and a good stiff rod for
jigs, Texas and Carolina rigs.
A soft rod doesn't mean it's a bad rod. It
just means that it is not good for jigs, worms and rigs. I have
seen some expensive rods that may have been designed to do a
certain thing but they were just too limber for jigs and rigs.
This is often the trap that the average angler falls into -- to
believe that spending more money buys them a better rod.
Unfortunately, cost is not always the answer. Here are a
few better guidelines than merely the price tag:
1) For worms and jigs in light to medium weights such as the
½ oz jig or 3/8’s worm weights, I always recommend a medium
heavy action rod.
2) If you plan on punching lures heavier than the above
weights through thick grass, I recommend a heavy action rod.
3) For the Carolina rig I like to use a seven foot heavy
action rod. Most of the time when using the Carolina rig you are
in deep water and you need all the help you can get on hook set.
The long rod will give you more hook setting power.
When one rod must do it all? As a
professional guide, I can get very specialized in my fishing and
my rod selections. However, I know that most of you don’t get
into specialty fishing as I do -- so you may normally only have
one rod to cover a lot of different fishing areas and techniques.
A good medium action rod can cover most of your fishing. I have
been using Falcon
Graphite Rods for as long as I have been in the guide business. I
feel that a Falcon Rod is the best quality rod for your money.
They have a good selection of rods for all fishing conditions:
1) They have a universal rod that will handle almost all of
your fishing needs. This rod is called the FC-5–166. This is a
medium action rod with plenty of tip for crankbaits and
spinnerbaits. It will handle a light jig and a Texas rig worm. I
have used this rod for Carolina Rigging.
2) If you plan on having several rods, I would recommend a
FC-7-166 as your second rod to especially handle a jig, a worm,
and a Carolina Rig with no problem. In my guiding trips, this is
the rod that I generally use for my customers to Carolina Rig.
3) However, if you plan on doing a whole lot of Carolina
rigging, then the FC-7-17 is the ultimate Carolina Rod.
4) Finally, if you plan to become a crankbait fisherman, you
will need to look at fiberglass rods. The glass rods will pull a
crank bait over the cover better and not wear out your arm.
Falcon also manufactures a good array of spinning rods should
you need one. If you have a question about any of the rods
mentioned here, please feel welcome to email me at bassone@peoplescom.net,
and I will help you to pick the rod best suited for you. Well
good fishing and I hope this will help you to make some good
choices on your next rod purchase.
Lake Fork Guide Jim Reaneau
| Author Information.
 Jim
has the experience to help you have a marvelous fishing trip
having been a full time guide for eight years. Uncle Larry Bolton
taught Jim how to fish as a young boy and got him interested in
bass fishing. Jim has been fishing for bass primarily since the
age of 13. He even hunted on the land before Lake Fork was built.
He is no stranger to fishing in tournaments
either. Jim started fishing tournaments in 1973 on Lake
Livingston -- winning a couple and placing in several. While in
the Houston area, Jim was a member of the Humble bass club.
Jim & his wife, Sherry, have been married for
28 years. Sherry is from this area. Eight years ago a move from
Houston brought them to the Lake Fork area permanently. As a
couple, being associated with the area for the past 28 years, it
was coming home.
Give Jim a call: Toll Free 1-888-918-5088 or
903 383-3320
Visit Jim's web site at http://members.tripod.com/~bassone/
Email Jim at bassone@peoplescom.net
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