Jerkbaits are my weakness

[shrapnel]

I will assume the guys having trouble casting are using too short of a rod for jerks like Rogues.  My JB set up is a 7'1" St Croix Rage M action with a soft tip.  I fished them a TON this year on 8-15lb fluoro on Daiwa Tatulas, casting is not an issue.

I would never even consider braid or a heavier action rod for jerk baits.

[176champion]

I'm throwing my JB's on a 7 foot medium ugly stick with 12 pound mono on my spinning reels.

[balsabee]

I'm using an old 6' medium action Bionic Blade with a pistol grip.  I've tried several others but always keep returning to it.  8lb test green excel mono.  I know it's not $$$ and glamorous but It works extremely well for me.

[Jim Elam]

On 12/24/2016 at 10:50 AM, vernon said:

I have a rather subjective question regarding the Falcon rods referred to above.  Are there really noticeable, practical use differences between the Lowrider, Cara and McClelland models for the money?  

On Mr. Babler's recommendation I have two of the McClelland Micro swimjig bait casters and two of the Jeff Kreit Squirrel Tail spinning rods and absolutely love them both.  In fact, I like them both way more than my G.Loomis rods that cost a $100 more.

That being said, I was gaining interest in the Cara's mentioned in this thread and upon further review noticed that there are lower priced models with the exact same spec's in the Lowrider.  I even messed around with a couple of the Lowriders in the weightless worm and finnese jig models at Cabela's and thought that they felt surprisingly good in my hand.

So, back to my original question - for practical purposes and in the hands of a mediocre recreational level angler like myself does the difference really justify the cost?  I get that there are "measurable" technical differences in so far as materials used in construction but what's the REAL difference when the metal meets the meat?

The forum is loaded with posts from guys that swear by their lower priced or off brand "specialty" rods that they wouldn't trade for all the tea in China.

And, since I like the Falcon's that I have now more than the higher dollar Loomis' might I find the Lowriders to be the equal of the Cara's?  

I really don't care that much about the money as I have spent (no pun intended) my entire life always buying the "best" of whatever I could afford and I've always believed that you get what you pay for.  If I can't afford the best I just don't buy anything until I can scrape together the bucks necessary to get whatever it is that I really wanted in the first place.  I've been able to pretty much eliminate "buyer's remorse" with this philosophy and have seldom had any regrets.

Again, I realize this is all pretty subjective but it is winter and other than Christmas what's there better to do to than discuss tackle? 

Thanks and the Merriest of all Christmas' to each and every one of you!

I am certainly not the caliber of many on this forum with JB, but I currently own a few Lowriders and a Cara and can honestly say they are some of the best feeling blanks I have tried.  I have fished and own lots of rods, and feel like I can discern what fishes well and what does not fairly well.   I can't really tell much difference between the Lowrider and the Cara when fishing a jig or spinnerbait.  Sensitivity seems pretty subjective to me, and I personally can't see much difference in the two when it comes to sensitivity and overall fishability.  

I suspect the components on the Cara are lighter and higher quality, but I have had no troubles with my Lowriders using braid or mono/floro.  Cork is very good quality, no issues with fit and finish, guides, balance, etc.  They are well thought out solid performers.

20 years ago I feel like you had to spend pretty serious money to get a light, sensitive, powerful, and durable blank (especially if you wanted something longer than 6 feet ).  Now we are blessed with lots of very fishable options even in the $100 category.  A guy that is patient can occasionally find a Lowrider for $100, and that weightless worm model is an absolute steal at that price IMO.

 

JE

 

 

[Hammer time]

I use a 7'3" meaduim action rod with  8 lb fluorocarbon line. This lets me cast farther and on a 6.3 gear ratio reel not moving the bait too fast. The longer in the strike zone the better.

 I also use deep diving suspending smithwick rouges exclusively, they get the bait deeper from the first jerk all the way back. Mostly I use a single jerk pause and depending on the bass mood will speed up the cadence if they are active. Usually start with a 5-7 second pause and ajust accordingly.

 I also use clown 99% of the time unless stained water, then black back gold side and red belly. Bluffs on the channel and swings are my favorite places to use rouge. Just a few if my techniques I use with good results. IMO these combinations have produced the best results.

[vernon]

13 hours ago, Jim Elam said:

I am certainly not the caliber of many on this forum with JB, but I currently own a few Lowriders and a Cara and can honestly say they are some of the best feeling blanks I have tried.  I have fished and own lots of rods, and feel like I can discern what fishes well and what does not fairly well.   I can't really tell much difference between the Lowrider and the Cara when fishing a jig or spinnerbait.  Sensitivity seems pretty subjective to me, and I personally can't see much difference in the two when it comes to sensitivity and overall fishability.  

I suspect the components on the Cara are lighter and higher quality, but I have had no troubles with my Lowriders using braid or mono/floro.  Cork is very good quality, no issues with fit and finish, guides, balance, etc.  They are well thought out solid performers.

20 years ago I feel like you had to spend pretty serious money to get a light, sensitive, powerful, and durable blank (especially if you wanted something longer than 6 feet ).  Now we are blessed with lots of very fishable options even in the $100 category.  A guy that is patient can occasionally find a Lowrider for $100, and that weightless worm model is an absolute steal at that price IMO.

 

JE

 

 

Thanks Jim.  

Your experience seems to parallel what I was wondering and I also gotta think that your mention of 20 years ago is important.  Like I said, I don't mind paying extra for the best when there is a discernible difference but it really seems like the advantage gained by spending more is becoming less and less as years go by.  Unless we're talking Snoopy Rods (and I saw a video a while back of a young lady landing a pretty danged nice bass on one of those too!), even the lower end of quality brands seems to be pretty dang good nowadays.  Similarly, everything else from reels to outboards to boats to electronics seems to be improving at a remarkable pace.

I used to split hairs constantly when choosing a brand/model of something trying to ensure that I got the absolute best of the best - and I still do although I'm beginning to wonder if it's really worth it anymore.  EVERYTHING just seems to so dadgum good anymore that it's becoming more difficult to go wrong.

One example might be that, like a lot of guys, I always thought that Ranger Boats was the undisputed Cadillac of bass boats and, while I still do, I'm also aware that it's actually  more a matter of brand loyalty than an arguable fact.  All the top boats out there right now are so good that it's more personal preference than a matter of quality.

I guess that's what's at the heart of my question about the Falcon rods.  Am I getting what I pay for or am I just spending extra cause I can.

Thanks again for the advice - I really appreciate your insights.

[Champ188]

Vernon, I would echo Jim on the Cara being lighter overall than the Lowrider. Donna has a 6-9 MH-Xfast Lowrider spinning rod that she loves for shaky heads. I bought it because it had a bit more backbone without being too stiff than I could find in other rods to help her penetrate the hook better.

I will say that on something I'm gonna throw all day like a jerk bait or spinner bait, I want the lightest rod I can put in my hands both for increased feel and to save wear and tear on my aging joints and muscles.

The aforementioned Cara in the weightless worm model does the job for my jerk baits, while my primary spinnerbait rod is the Jason Christie-designed Cara swim jig model. I believe it's 7-2. Love that stick. When I'm fishing spinnerbaits tight to cover, I switch to a 6-9 MH/Fast Duckett Micro Magic.

[Donna G]

6 hours ago, Champ188 said:

Vernon, I would echo Jim on the Cara being lighter overall than the Lowrider. Donna has a 6-9 MH-Xfast Lowrider spinning rod that she loves for shaky heads. I bought it because it had a bit more backbone without being too stiff than I could find in other rods to help her penetrate the hook better.

 

I'm glad Champ188 knows what I need and does a fine job outfitting me.  I love the finesse jig rig he set me up with.  I'm a typical guide client, though...just put it in my hand. I don't know what it is.    However, I must say that I can definitely tell the difference in the right rod / reel combination over the wrong one these days.  I fished every bait and presentation on the broomstick rod way back when, along with the big Ambassador 5000 reels.  We've come a long way, baby.

[vernon]

On 12/28/2016 at 1:10 PM, Champ188 said:

Vernon, I would echo Jim on the Cara being lighter overall than the Lowrider. Donna has a 6-9 MH-Xfast Lowrider spinning rod that she loves for shaky heads. I bought it because it had a bit more backbone without being too stiff than I could find in other rods to help her penetrate the hook better.

I will say that on something I'm gonna throw all day like a jerk bait or spinner bait, I want the lightest rod I can put in my hands both for increased feel and to save wear and tear on my aging joints and muscles.

The aforementioned Cara in the weightless worm model does the job for my jerk baits, while my primary spinnerbait rod is the Jason Christie-designed Cara swim jig model. I believe it's 7-2. Love that stick. When I'm fishing spinnerbaits tight to cover, I switch to a 6-9 MH/Fast Duckett Micro Magic.

Thanks James!  I was hoping you'd chime in.  Do you know is the Jason Christie design you refer to the model CCB-5-172SJ S?  I ask because I can't find anything that actually has Christie's name on it that matches your description.  And, if so, do you think there's a discernible difference between that rod and the McClelland model swim jig that I like so much?  As I mentioned earlier, I really like the McClelland for spinnerbaits and also found it surprisingly effective for some other stuff as well.  The reason I ask is the specs (other than the micro treatment) listed on the Falcon webpage are identical for the two rods.  Really, the only difference that I can spot is the $20 in the price.  

Certainly no biggie, mostly just curious and, I guess, a little bored!

If you don't mind another one, do you find the weightless worm casting rod useful for any other applications besides the jerker?  Duh, and weightless worms I guess.

Thanks!

[1farmer]

Vernon, I'm not James, I do have two cats though, I throw a topwater more with a weightless worm rod than I do a jerk bait.