Matching Rods & Reels to lines Lines and Lures

Started by hooked, March 02, 2006, 10:53:40 AM

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hooked

I've been stocking my rod and reel locker over the past year.
If you've seen my posting about "how many rods are needed-My research"
http://ultimatebass.com/bass-fishing-forum/index.php/topic,4301.0.html, you know I study to learn to do it right--or as right as I can!  lo

One thing that confounds me is matching the different rods with appropriate reels and then the right line to the right size lures.

Rods come with lure weights and line strengths marked like this one from St. Croix:
 Cranking Stick, PC70MF, 7', M pwr, Moderate action, 8 - 14 Lb line, 1/4 - 5/8 oz lure  4.2 rod weight.
On this rod I have a Shimano Curado CU200B 12 Lb/150 yards. 8.5 oz reel wt.


What happens if I load 17lb or 20 lb line OR if I tie on a 3/4 oz lure?
What if load 60 LB braid? Or heavy cover fluorocarbon?

The question is do I HAVE to only use 8-14 Lb line and only 1/4 to 5/8 oz lures on this rod?
So much to learn...such smart fish!

skeet39

All that is info that the manufacturer put on the rod.  Weights are really only recommendations, and is strictly up to you as angler to decide what kind of feel you prefer, but these rods are built then put through tests and the higher dollar rod manufacturers such as G Loomis, St. Croix, Falcon, etc. do enough testing of their products to obtain maximum performance from their rods.  Line size mainly has more of a direct effect on the action of the bait than anything else. 

I will give you an example:

If I take a Falcon Cara( CC-4-17M M   8-17 lb. 1/4 to 1/2 oz. 7' 10)
with a Shimano Curado and fish a Zara Spook on 12 lb Berkley XL,
there will a drastic difference in the action of that bait if I took the same rod, reel and bait and put say...17lb XL. 

The lure weights are recommendations made by the manufacturer, and if you fish a heavier or lighter bait than what is recommended, then you can really throw out the action of the rod because the manufacturers classify the strength, or action of a rod by what size lure you choose to fish on it.
I will try and make a few suggestions.

1.  Experiment and figure out what you prefer(As far as rod action and feel)
2.  Once you find a brand of rods and reels you like, try and stick with them - consistency can improve your casting accuracy tremendously- (I have fished with some guys that will fish a All Star, Falcon, Berkley, and Cast-Away rods with four different reels through the course of a day and want to know why they can't control their bait).
3. Match your style of fishing with the rod action.

LoonyToon

 ~c~ Very good information shared by both--------------just remember that the co-efficient drag of Braid is alot less than any other line, meaning your cranks will run a little deeper, and there is virtually NO Stretch to braids so let the fish have the bait good before trying to set the hook............One other thing to remember is Rods, Reels, and Lines are tested under Ideal Conditions so you must use trial and error when trying heavier line/lighter line: and even though extensive research was done on 99% of large manufacturer's Rods it would be foolish to Overload your Rods capabilities....It is all relevant to the tips action, composition, and structure as to how well a bait will perform on each rod used

Keep the Rod Tip up and the Hook Sharp

topcat

~c~ I agree with Okuma......and don't forget the drag when you are using a much higher test line than the rod call for.......

Topcat

Pferox

Good info guys.
Now if I can put it the way I understand it.

The line weight, heavy - the rod is designed to a certain breaking point, the line should break before the rod does. It also effects casting performance, if heavier line is put on the rod, it will "hold back" the bait in the cast.
The line weight, light - many times lighter line than suggested will foul in the guides, and won't work as well and can break when casting the suggested bait weight.

Bait weights- For optimum casting, a rod must "load Up" and kind of whip the bait out. Too light a bait and not enough load up......short casts. Too big of a bait, and too much load up, erratic, hard to control  casts.

The ratings on a rod aren't etched in stone, I have used light and heavy baits on rods, and with practice you can cast them reliably.....it just takes more effort and practice, and shouldn't be held against the rod's performance.
"If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito" - African Proverb.  Jim

topcat

~c~ Pferox I like the way you explained that......now answer me this...what do you do when the reel is recommended to hold 14 lb test...do you ever exceed the reel recommendation.....

Topcat

OHbassaholic

Geez, you guys sound like fly-fishermen.  Throw whatever you need to on the dang things and go fishin'.  Riiiiiight.

Good info folks!


Sc Bassin

Well said Pferox. I would add one thing & that is a manufacturer's warranty is voidable if you exceed the rods recommendations.

Pferox

Thanks SC, I forgot to mention that.

TC, to me reel specs have alot to do with their strength and line capacity, they are also tested and rated with mono line, which you have to keep in mind.

And reels aren't so easy to explain, because they are so different.


You need to separate reels in to the classes, closed faced reels like the zebco 33 as an example will work with many line weights, but they are more reliable within the line weights suggested. I have used heavy pound test braids on em with mixed results, usually destroying a reel with a too big fish on it, I would rather break the line than the reel, so I only use monos on em.

I have found with spinning reels, if it is rated at 12lb, you need to keep the line size around that, which means heavier braids can work, but you will find some not strong enough for em.

Bait casters are a whole different ball game, I have found that if you can live with a full spool of line only being 1/2 the recommended line capacity, you can put almost twice the line weight on the spool with just mono, although you will proly find memory problems, and stuff like that.

When you start talkin braids, the whole world opens up for you.

Thats the beauty of braids, I can get a reel rated at 10lb test, and put about 1.5 times the amount of 20lb braid on it, its lighter, and the drags on better reels usually can handle that about right. Thats with either a better quality spinning reel or a baitcaster.

I have reels rated for 40lb line, I spool almost twice the 40lb on it which helps fighting big fish which take long runs. Or I can use the same reel and spool the normal amount of 80lb braid on it and crank the drags almost all the way down and horse em in.

Reels are so diverse, and manufactured differently by models that its hard to generalize.

Some examples:

I have a Mitchell Advocet that is reccomended for 8lb line, I put about the same length of 20lb braid on it, and pull in 8 to 15 lb cats, through the junk found on our shores, with it. It is proly harder on the reel, but it has held up so far.

On the other hand I had an older Shakespeare reel which I did the same thing too. I screwed up and tied braid directly to the spool, I got spooled by a big fish, then the spool was pulled off of the reel, taking the guides with it, down the river.



"If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito" - African Proverb.  Jim

Pferox

Quote from: OHbassaholic on March 13, 2006, 09:36:27 PM
Geez, you guys sound like fly-fishermen.  Throw whatever you need to on the dang things and go fishin'.  Riiiiiight.

Good info folks!


Funny you should say that OH, the hardest thing I had to learn down here was to throw a weightless fluke on a 7ft MH rod and a Garcia 6600 reel with 20lb mono on it.  :shocking: Now I can just about throw anything with that rod........and clear out backlashes pretty fast too.  lo
"If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito" - African Proverb.  Jim

topcat

~c~..Great information....Pferox......thank you very much for sharing that with us...I feel...... a whole lot better about...... putting 17 lb line on a reel tested for 14 lb........I follow the rod recommendation and I follow the drag recommendations...but I was not sure about the reel..... thank you very much...I need to hear that..............

Topcat

Sc Bassin

When I match my equipment I stay within the design specifications. This way I will not have to buy something twice. I like to use copolymer line in which the breaking strength is higher than the line rating. Example, Yo-Zuri Hybrid 12 # test line has a breaking strength of 19.5. My rod of choice would have a line rating of 12 to 20 lbs.  This way I can set the drag on my reel properly & not have to worry. I use high modulus custom rods & don't want to pay for one twice. With a little pre-planning you can get the set up you need & not have to worry. If you must use braid with a 40# breaking strength on a 20# line weight rod make SURE your drag is set loose.

Pferox

SC, I agree with you on the drag thing, I usually set the drag to the rod not the line when I'm usin braids.
If the rod is rated for 20lb, and I'm usin 40lb line it will be set for 20lb line.

Usually, I have found that drags on the smaller reels aren't strong enough to not slip at 40lbs, of course that depends on the reel and the drag.
"If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito" - African Proverb.  Jim

Sc Bassin

How true Pferox. I was surprised on how many people either don't set the drag or tighten it all the way down so the line don't slip.

hooked

and how do you setting the drag for a 20# rated reel with 40# braid?
So much to learn...such smart fish!

Pferox

Quote from: hooked on March 15, 2006, 10:29:44 PM
and how do you setting the drag for a 20# rated reel with 40# braid?

I would set it about 18 to 20 lbs. if you are able to get it to crank down that far. Many reels don't have enough drag to get it set that tight, without lockin it up totally.

You have to remember that the "weakest link" will break first. Thats where the drag comes in, you set that as your "weakest link" to save other components from breaking, in a matched situation, like a 20lb setup with 20lb mono and a locked drag, the line will break first. Unless there is a flaw or someting like that in the other components.

If you get hung up, you don't want to use the rod and reel to max-pull you out anyways, you want to break the line or what ever you are stuck on. This means wrappin the line around a dowel or something and using that to pull.......saves alot of expensive equipment that way.
"If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito" - African Proverb.  Jim

topcat

~c~ Very good Pferox..I usually set my drag at 2/3 of the line test that I am using...Example...if the line is 20 lb test I set the reel at
13 to 14 pounds..and the drag kicks in.......need a good scale to
set the drag right.......

Topcat

hooked

will somebody describe to me how you'd set up to use a scale to set the drag?

is the reel on the rod? do you use a pully?
Like nail the scale to the wall so you can read it. fix a sigle pully at the base bard of the wall. Run the line directly from the reel down through the single pully and up the wall to the scale? would it be something like that?
So much to learn...such smart fish!

topcat

Hi...Hooked.....here is what I do....... The reel should be attached to the rod and line passed Thur all the guides..... Attach fishing line to the scale's hook end..... Set the reel drag by pulling line off reel using the scale....... the reel drag is accurately set when the scale indicator matches corresponding line test calibration.......hope this helps you and don't forget to take the drag off after every fishing trip.....don't want to mess anything up.........

Topcat