Great Lakes Bass Fishing Forum

For those who throw the "rig" what's your setup?  And is that a dedicated setup or a shared?

I've used my frog Rod, Dobyns 735 with a curado 201e7, but didn't feel I was getting enough distance on ththe casts.  Only tried a handful of times, so could just be lack of experience..

I don't have a dedicated rod because I don't throw it that often and that would just be another expense I don't want to incur. I've been throwing it on 7 or 7 1/2 foot rods with lots of backbone and doing a combination loop and roll cast to get it out there without tangling too often.

When I use the finesse Reaper Rig from Kustom Kicker Jigs (no longer being made though Al and Bobs apparently have some still) I use a 7 MH rod I use for long casting spinnerbaits (Grandt C10) and 20 pound test P-Line HALO co-flourocarbon line with the same lop-roll cast.

Depends on the overall size of your rig? Size / Weight of Baits & Jig heads, Head Weight of the Rig, and Length of the Arms on the rig all make a big difference in selecting the appropriate setup.

If you are using the traditional bama rig with big hollow bellow or paddle tails on 1/4-3/8 heads, a 3/4 - 1.5 oz 4-5 wire main rig then I would recommend finding a Heavy action Swimbait Rod with a Moderate or Parabolic Taper in the longest length you are comfortable throwing.

Anything with a Fast Tip puts too much "whip" in the cast with hinders in overall distance as well as puts a spin on the rig causing more frequent tangles. So that's why I would go with a the Moderate Taper. Heavy Action is for the backbone to not snap your rod throwing such a heavy rig.

Now if you are throwing a more compact rig like the Yum Tri-Pod then you can get probably away with a lighter power rod MH maybe? But I wouldn't deviate from the Moderate Taper. That seems to make the most difference in casting distance for me regardless of rig size.

Another recommendation is to throw it using 15-25 LB Co-Polymer Line. Most guys using Braid or Floro with this rig. But I've found that a polymer based line works a LOT better for casting distance because of its added stretch in the line. Helps to take away a lot of that "whip" in the line I was referring to.

Other than that like Dan said casting technique might make a big difference also. Roll or Lob type casts tend to work a lot better than other styles.

The longer the rod the better, definitely makes it easier to launch and manage the rig. A Dobyns 804C with a Lew's super duty has been my go to setup. I'll use it for light flipping as well.

A light flipping rod with a more moderate action would be a nice rod to use for the technique. I have a flipping stick I could use but it action is too fast to throw it well.

I've been throwing it on a Medium Heavy Bass Pro 7'11" telescoping Crankin stick for several years now.  Caught my biggest bass ever (7.89 lbs) and my biggest musky ever (47" ~20 lbs) on it.  Currently using a Shimano Curado bantam reel (the old green ones you can't get anymore) but would like a slightly heavier duty reel, just for longevity.