We're getting some good information on what hook everyone is using... how about the rod?
I mainly use a Shimano Cumara drop shot rod in a 7'2" Medium action with a fast tip. This rod is ultra sensitive, very light, and very forgiving when a big fish tries to run or shake it's head at you. I also have a Shimano Crucial 7' Medium action fast tip as a "backup" since I REALLY like to drop shot!! Yes, I keep two drop shot rods in the boat at all times. ;D
I was using a St. Croix premier 7' medium, fast until it had an "accident" with the car door. :-[
I upgraded it to a Kistler Argon 6'11 MH Fast at the end of last season and it seems to work good so far. It behaves more like a medium power and is very sensitive.
I use a B & R Outlaw 7 1/2 ' ML or M both have a lot of bend and with the 7'6" length take up a lot of line with the sweep of the rod. THese are very sensitive rods
Dick
I had a nice B&R that I used for shakey head. Loved the rod. It's at the bottom of Wabasis Lake. Want the coordinates? :-[
The rod I am going to use for dropshotting is the Teton Medium 7 foot blank. It has a fast tip and is mainly for fishing walleye. It has good backbone for a fast action rod. After that it was good line and a lazer sharp hook.
I am also going to give the Quantum KVD 7 foot dropshot spinning rod a try too. Same kind of action as the Teton but with a little more backbone.
BD ;D
I'm using a 7'6" md fast St Croix Legend elite.. I Just orderd another one.. I use it for d.s and draggin also.. Very nice stick.. I was useing Shimano 7' ml and felt I did not have control..Slimm
last year I used a St. Croix Avid 6'9" mxf. It worked very well.
I was actually thinking about getting a Mlxf this year. It is rated for slightly lighter baits. I often use a 1/8 oz. ds weight in calm and shallow water.
I have the B & R outlaw rod, (med 7' I believe). I was planning on selling it to help offset the cost of the new Avid. I figure it's worth about $60. I've had it several years, but haven't used it much. It is a sensitive rod, but it's too parabolic for me. It does make a pretty good shakey head rod.
6'10" Fenwick Elite-Tech drop shot most of the time. I really like everything about it. I used to use a 6'8" Shimano Crucial but it broke and Cabelas didn't have any in stock when I exchanged it. I also use a 7'2" M Crucial for heavier baits.
I got the Fenwick at 50% off at the Novi show last year and wish I had bought all of them that were 50% off. Look for them on the first day if they are there again at Franks.
Powell 701L " Kevin Barrows " Signature series. Bought them 2 years ago and they still look and perform like brand new. great to see all the different rods guys are using. confidence is the key to what ever you use.
I use Grandt's XS170LRP - 7' Lite Reserve Power. I have a special drop shot edition that was developed with Captain Rick Lapoint for those big spots. http://www.bassguidepro.com/
love my shimano crucial 6'6" casting rod for this. as for hooks i do use the "stand out" ones and never have had a problem w/them. as for line use 8lb 100% flourcarbon w/a small swivel to avoid line twist.
G. Loomis 7' IMX it has a fast tip but it also has the back bone to set the hook on a sweap rather the a power hook set. I would use a longer rod but I can only put 7' in my rod locker.
Reelman
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Dobyns Champion Extreme DX 742 7'4" ML, and Dobyns Champion 702 SF 7' ML.
I use G Loomis and have been very happy with the DSR820s but there are situations where a light action rod is not ideal so I am going to try the BSR852 GLX this year on the big water. The extra fast tip on this rod is nasty!
Pretty happy with St. Croix 6'9'' Legend Tournament ML XFast. Very light and sensitive.
Quote from: TCook on January 04, 2010, 12:54:36 PM
I use G Loomis and have been very happy with the DSR820s but there are situations where a ML is not ideal so I am going to try the BSR852 GLX this year on the big water. The extra fast tip on this rod is sick!
what are the actions on those rods? The model numbers honestly don't mean much to me... since I don't own any Loomis rods.
That BSR852 GLX felt like the best spinning rod I ever picked up, expensive but I just had to buy one. It has more backbone than most medium action loomis rods with an extra extra fast tip. About 4/5 backbone and 1/5 extra fast tip. Its the only medium action 7 foot glx that loomis makes (other than the 842 blank they offer for customs) and designed as a senko rod to cast weightless stickbaits a long distance and for accuracy. But it feels like the perfect action for a dropshot rod on the big water when I got it in my hands.
The DSR820 is a light action rod with enough backbone to handle bigger fish and a soft tip. I would say 2/3 backbone and 1/3 extra fast tip. It really gives the perfect shake when dropshotting but you dont really need that on Lake Erie.
Quotewhat are the actions on those rods? The model numbers honestly don't mean much to me... since I don't own any Loomis rods.
I use the IMX PR844S medium fast action
Reelman
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Quote from: t-bone on January 04, 2010, 01:57:06 PM
Pretty happy with St. Croix 6'9'' Legend Tournament ML XFast. Very light and sensitive.
Do you think that there's that much difference between the Legend Tournament, and the Avid?
IMO, that BSR 852 is way too stout for drop shots, even on the great lakes. For me anyway. If you're stuck on Loomis and want a DS rod that has more backbone, look at the DSR 822, PR 8400S IMX.
Quote from: fiker on January 04, 2010, 09:55:45 PM
Quote from: t-bone on January 04, 2010, 01:57:06 PM
Pretty happy with St. Croix 6'9'' Legend Tournament ML XFast. Very light and sensitive.
Do you think that there's that much difference between the Legend Tournament, and the Avid?
I'm not sure if there's much of a difference that you can really feel. But the Legends I own were all on clearance when I bought them. Half price!!! Can't buy an Avid for that.
St. Croix 3S76MLXF cut to 7 feet. Very light, very sensitive. My son & I have handled several 5+ smallies on 6# fluoro with these sticks, and we've never felt out gunned.
Quote from: BryanP on January 04, 2010, 10:43:00 PM
IMO, that BSR 852 is way too stout for drop shots, even on the great lakes. For me anyway. If you're stuck on Loomis and want a DS rod that has more backbone, look at the DSR 822, PR 8400S IMX.
You might be right I just wanted to experiment with a stiffer rod this year. If I have bad results I can easily find a better use for the bsr852 and go back to the dsr820s to dropshot with. I also have the SHR822s that I should try. I wonder if the Shakey head has the same blanks as the dropshot series? I never compared both rods of the same action.
Quote from: TCook on January 04, 2010, 11:09:25 PM
Quote from: BryanP on January 04, 2010, 10:43:00 PM
IMO, that BSR 852 is way too stout for drop shots, even on the great lakes. For me anyway. If you're stuck on Loomis and want a DS rod that has more backbone, look at the DSR 822, PR 8400S IMX.
You might be right I just wanted to experiment with a stiffer rod this year. If I have bad results I can easily find a better use for the bsr852 and go back to the dsr820s to dropshot with. I also have the SHR822s that I should try. I wonder if the Shakey head has the same blanks as the dropshot series? I never compared both rods of the same action.
The Loomis dropshot rods are slower than the Shakey head rod. The Shakey rods are about a Fast action and the DS are more moderate.
The st croix tourn. the blue blank 6'8" med X fast is the best I have found.
If you like the blue blank LT ,try the legend elite...
Quote from: Waterfoul on January 04, 2010, 02:15:21 PM
Quote from: TCook on January 04, 2010, 12:54:36 PM
I use G Loomis and have been very happy with the DSR820s but there are situations where a ML is not ideal so I am going to try the BSR852 GLX this year on the big water. The extra fast tip on this rod is sick!
what are the actions on those rods? The model numbers honestly don't mean much to me... since I don't own any Loomis rods.
varies by company, but typically the first characters are a product line code, the next 2 digits are the length in inches and the 3rd number is the power. For instance an DSR822 would be model line "DSR" (which i assume means Drop Shot Rod or something to that effect), 82" = 6' 10", 2= ML power.
Power is typically 0 = Light, 5=hvy
Doesn't tell you much about the action, however MB, IMB, FS, etc are typically fast-to extra fast where a PR (popping) or CB (crankbait) fall into more moderate actions.
in the case of st croix, the numbers make a little more sense - 3S76MLXF -
3S = SCIII graphite (ie avid) numbers range from 2 to 6 these days i think
76 = 7'6"
ML & XF should be self explanitory
of course "action" and "power" are relative to the company making the rod. The same numbers on an IMX loomis will not necessarily mean the same thing in real life as any other manufacturer or even a GLX loomis. Typically the construction of the blank dictates what kind of taper (action) is achievable.
Well, there you go! Thanks Dude. Dang... I still have to get a couple rods up to your place....
Quote from: thedude on January 08, 2010, 10:51:21 AM
Quote from: Waterfoul on January 04, 2010, 02:15:21 PM
Quote from: TCook on January 04, 2010, 12:54:36 PM
I use G Loomis and have been very happy with the DSR820s but there are situations where a ML is not ideal so I am going to try the BSR852 GLX this year on the big water. The extra fast tip on this rod is sick!
what are the actions on those rods? The model numbers honestly don't mean much to me... since I don't own any Loomis rods.
varies by company, but typically the first characters are a product line code, the next 2 digits are the length in inches and the 3rd number is the power. For instance an DSR822 would be model line "DSR" (which i assume means Drop Shot Rod or something to that effect), 82" = 6' 10", 2= ML power.
Power is typically 0 = Light, 5=hvy
Doesn't tell you much about the action, however MB, IMB, FS, etc are typically fast-to extra fast where a PR (popping) or CB (crankbait) fall into more moderate actions.
in the case of st croix, the numbers make a little more sense - 3S76MLXF -
3S = SCIII graphite (ie avid) numbers range from 2 to 6 these days i think
76 = 7'6"
ML & XF should be self explanitory
of course "action" and "power" are relative to the company making the rod. The same numbers on an IMX loomis will not necessarily mean the same thing in real life as any other manufacturer or even a GLX loomis. Typically the construction of the blank dictates what kind of taper (action) is achievable.
Well maybe I should of explained it that way, I thought you were talking about those two particular rods I mentioned. G Loomis uses 0-5 at the end of the model number to rate power: 0=L 1=ML 2=M 3=MH 4=H 5=XH
Sh at first I thought that was a sheep head rod but I guess it makes more sense as a shaky head
I use a Kistler med. 6.5 ft. and a St. Croix Tournament Legend 7ft. med.
Hey Ed. I see you made the leap of faith to join up at GLB. Have you been out doing any more ice fishing. A buddy of mine just sent me pictures that I'll post on my blog. He caught four steelhead through the ice on Manistee. Big fish.
That G.Loomis DSR 822 is actually rated at a Mag-Medium I believe and has quite a bit more power than a typical Med-lite. In the standard SJ series, a 2-power is a straight Medium.
I use a 7' ml-fast tip cheapo gander mt. rod and it works for me. Am i missing some bites? maybe/probabaly, but i still have fun...later
I use a 7'1" mossyback G.Loomis and hate it.... Actually I think I'm going back to the stand by Shimminao Crucial 6'6" M fast tip
Don L
Interesting Don. Why do you hate it?
I just seem to lose allot of fish using this rod. maybe to fast of a tip I'm thinking.