spinning rod for wading

rapman · 10-23-2009, 10:32 AM

looking for ideas. i am thinking about having someone i know build me a spinning rod for wading lakes for smallmouth and walleye. i throw mostly rapalas and only occassionally a jig. was thinking about a 7ft, 2pc, med. action rod. i want both the butt and foregrip to be a little longer than off the shelf rods.

any ideas or input..........and thanks.

1mecheng · 10-24-2009, 02:00 AM

I think the rod specs are fine for the walleye you intend to catch. Smallmouth will not require as heavy duty of a setup.

The only issue I see, based on my Maumee River wading experience, is that the medium action rod is heavier and you may cause your arm to to fatigue sooner because you will have to raise it from the shoulder, especially if you are wading into more than 3 ft. of water.

I have caught plenty of nice sized walleye in the Maumee with the spring river currents using a 6' medium light spinning setup.

rapman · 10-24-2009, 01:42 PM

thank you for the reply. the smallmouth i catch are usually in the 1.5-3 pound range, though i have caught a couple well over four pounds in the last two years, hence, the need for the medium action. have also hooked channel cats up to 30 inches and a couple of non-target muskies. figured the med. action would give me more leverage. i do use med. lts. for crappie or throwing the occassional jig for walleyes.

misfit · 10-24-2009, 01:56 PM

i see no problem with a good med. power rod for your intended purpose.but tossing jig and also cranks really would require different actions.
i.e. i like a fast tip for tossing jigs,but a softer one for cranks.but i think a moderate action tip would be a good compromise for a single rod.nothing wrong with lt/med power,but as you said,the medium would give you a little more backbone if needed.
weight difference would be minimal imo,and personall wouldn't be a deciding factor.but we're all different

RareVos · 10-25-2009, 09:31 PM

The Loomis Greenwater rods have the longer butts and foregrips you describe. They are dang pretty too.

Bucket Mouth · 11-02-2009, 04:35 PM

I've got a 7' St. Croix Triumph. It's a medium and is a 2-piece. I am a wader myself, and use this rod frequently when wading for smallies.

You can go down to 1/4 oz weights, and it handles rapalas well. The bigger sized lures tax the rod a bit, but overall it is very versatile, affordable (~$70-$80), and you get a good St. Croix warranty.

The only negative I have about this rod is that the reel seat likes to loosen up on me for some reason. I got the rod last year and have already had 3 or 4 instances where it got pretty loose before I realized it.

legendaryyaj · 11-03-2009, 02:16 AM

^My St. Croix Triumph did the same thing so away she went.

sploosh56 · 11-03-2009, 11:27 AM

The Shimano Crucial in the 6'8" Medium action is a terrific rod! I have two of them and I love them. They are perfect for wading and casting for smallmouths, white bass, crappies, yellow perch, catfish, carp, pike, and the list goes on and on and on. For $140 I feel that it is the best rod for the money