By George J. Roth
In fishing, there are no absolutes. When I considered the information I was going to share in this article, I had some “absolute” ideas. I then left my familiar stomping grounds of deep water, Idaho reservoirs, and traveled to the FLW Series tournament on the California Delta. Participating as a co-angler, I had my eyes opened to situations where the absolute rules do not apply. With that in mind, I’d like to discuss some “general” applications that can guide you when purchasing a new rod for a given technique.
Graphic copied and used with permission of Advanced Tubular Composites rod blank catalog – 2007.
If you are a visual-type person, the action a blank possesses is best described in the adjoining picture. The Extra Fast (X-Fast) action has the least amount of flex along the length of the blank, with the Slow action demonstrating the greatest amount of flex. When the X-Fast blank is loaded, then released, because of its stiffness, it will return to the static or neutral position very quickly. The Slow action blank is less stiff and will therefore be “slow” to return its static or neutral position. The Fast (F), Mod-Fast (M-Fast) and Moderate (Mod) actions therefore lie between these extremes. By knowing the action the action of a blank, you can utilize that blank’s properties to enhance a particular technique.
One other item to mention is that the “Action” of a blank may vary between manufacturers. There is no universal definition or criteria used to describe a blank’s action. As an example, a Fast action GLoomis blank may have different flexion characteristics when compared to a Fast action St. Croix or Rogue blank.
It is important at this time to insure that you understand the difference between “Action” and “Power”. Power measures the amount of resistance a particular blank has to flexing. The power for most blanks may range from Ultra-Light to Heavy. It does not equate to “Action” as we are discussing in this article.
The primary benefit of an X-Fast blank is its sensitivity and quick access to the blank’s power. The stiff blank will generally relay vibrations to your hand much better than a softer action blank. The X-Fast blank has found favor among worm and jig anglers, where sensitivity is a key issue. The stiff blank also produces the power to sink the hook point into the tough tissue of a big fish’s mouth. With the primary benefit of this blank being sensitivity and power, the blank will loose some of the fish fighting qualities that a softer action rod would possess. As the fish surges towards cover or beneath the boat, the “unforgiving” blank may tear a hole in the fish’s mouth, allowing it to throw the bait and escape the weigh-in. The blank also returns to the neutral position very quickly, making it more difficult to maintain tension on the line which could allow the hook to become dislodged during the fight.
The Fast action blank maintains most of the sensitivity found in the X-Fast blank, but has a bit more flex, enhancing its fish fighting qualities. A number of blank manufacturers build a series of blanks that are light weight and possess a Fast action, which make them suitable for a number of techniques where sensitivity is important. These may include jigs, t-rigged worms, c-rigs, etc. I used a Fast action casting rod to throw ¾ oz. Mini-Me spinner baits on the Delta and it worked admirably. One of the primary benefits in that situation was the ability to rip the bait through the loose reeds. A more limber rod would have a more difficult time generating the required power to perform that task.
The last categories I want to discuss are the Moderate-Fast to Slow action blanks. These usually consist of rods reserved for crank baits, rattle baits and jerk baits. A blank for these moving baits should have a soft tip action. Here, sensitivity is typically of less importance than the ability to keep the fish hooked up. The wire diameter of a treble hook is typically thinner than a single hook, thus less pressure is required for the hook to penetrate the fish’s mouth.
The soft tip will cause the blank to achieve a neutral position more slowly than a stiff or Fast action blank. By reacting more slowly to the fish’s abrupt action, the pressure is more easily maintained on the line, thus keeping the hook engaged. This blank property will be increasingly important as the fish attempts to dive beneath the boat or a nearby piece of cover. This will also reduce the likelihood of tearing a bigger hole; therefore it reduces the risk of the bait being thrown.
This point was well made as I was retrieving a lipless crank-bait over the weed beds at a fast rate, attempting to trigger a reaction bite. At the end of the retrieve, I was watching my bait as it was about to be lifted out of the water. At that point, a 3-4# largemouth came streaking from out of the weeds and aggressively attacked the bait. With a mere 4’ of line past my rod tip, it was paramount that the rod flex with the fish while it was fighting. I was using a Custom Built Seeker BS 706 S-glass rod that flexes well in the tip along with a Mod-Fast action. I was still able to tap the power in the butt section to move the fish when needed, but the tip would bow to the fish with every surge, thus maintaining steady pressure on the hook. I believe that the flexibility of the fiberglass blank was responsible for my ability to lead that fish to the net.
I also consider swim-baits and spinner-baits to be “moving baits”, but they may utilize a single hook rather than a treble hook. When fishing swim baits on the Delta, I discovered that those baits with treble hooks were impossible to retrieve over weed beds that were lying close to the surface. I settled on a 6” Mission Fish which incorporates a 6/0 Super Line EWG hook. The hook point was buried in the back of the bait to make it weedless. These baits require a blank that has more stiffness in the butt to insure a solid hook set. The hook point must be pulled through the plastic, and then it has to penetrate the mouth tissue. Remember, when you are fishing a swim-bait, you are fishing for BIG fish. Their mouth tissue becomes hard, requiring a sharp hook point and plenty of power to drive it home. Once the fish is hooked, the blank also needs to flex so pressure will be maintained on the hook.
The blank I used for the Mission Fish swim-bait was a Rogue BB 796. This blank is also advertised as Byron Velvick’s Jr. Swimbait rod. It is rated for 1-4 oz, thus it was able to handle the weight of the lure (1.4 oz) while casting. The bait was retrieved easily along the top of the weed beds, allowing the fish to get a good look at the offering as it appeared over the open holes. In most instances, the strikes were solid. The power in the butt of the blank insured that there was good hook penetration. The flex in the tip worked to maintain pressure on the line / hook.
As I stated at the beginning of this article, there are no absolutes in fishing. With my limited experience, drop shotting was primarily performed using a spinning rod with a soft, limber tip and 4-6# test line. Attacking the Delta with that type of equipment doesn’t make any sense, once you’ve been there. By adapting and selecting a different blank action, I was able to use a modified drop shot rod. I selected a Medium-Heavy casting rod with a Fast action and 12# test line. It was not what I was accustomed to, but by keeping an open mind and adjusting, I was able to put a couple more fish in the live well.
Use this article as a guide, and then apply that information to the conditions and techniques you are faced with. I hope that it will make your choices more productive and put more fish in your livewell!
