How to Choose the Right Rod for Bass Fishing

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Having the right gear is like having the right key to open up a treasure trunk. Especially when aiming to catch a feisty and energetic fish, you will need the best equipment. Get to know how to choose the right rod for bass fishing, and you will be exploring a treasure underwater.

How to Choose the Right Rod for Bass Fishing

Anglers love to catch bass because this predator can be aggressive and puts up an intense fight against the anglers. You are not going to be casting the line and retrieving a big fish. On the contrary, this species will make you wind the reel, bend the rod, and use all your energy to get it out of the water.

Selecting the fishing rod that can take all this bending, winding, and forceful pull is a crucial step. You would not want to carry a device that is either too uncomfortable because of its weight or too light that it can snap. Choose the fishing rod that can handle the method and the hungry fish at various times of the year.

The best way to select the right equipment is to match it with the technique that you will use at the particular time of the year. Are you going for spinning or fly fishing? Or are you going fishing in winter when you will need a bait casting rod to lower the lure deep into the water through a hole in the snow?

A man in a white shirt, brown jacket, and black pants holds a slimy fish in his left hand and a fishing rod in his right hand in a river

Length of Rod for Bass Fishing

The most suitable length of fishing poles used for this active fish species is between six feet and eight feet. However, the method of fishing makes a lot of difference. Bass anglers feel comfortable with a fishing pole up to seven feet long. Rods longer than that can have a vertical limitation for narrow locations.

When you select the equipment, be sure to know what kind of technique you will be using on the water. The two categories of techniques used to catch this fish species are:

  • Tight line fishing techniques
  • Slackline fishing techniques

Tight line fishing techniques involve the use of spinner baits, jerk baits, crank baits, and buzz baits. When these baits are used, the pole in use has to be long enough to bend and simultaneously absorb the energy that the fish is using to break free.

Tight Line Technique and the Right Rod

Tight line techniques are all the techniques that keep the line tight. The right equipment will be able to bend and take the tension without letting the hooked fish break loose. A moderate action rod with a soft tip will work best.

Imagine that you present a crankbait or jig to the bass swimming in a lake, and one of them gets hooked. The rod’s tip will play a role in making the lure move naturally. Moreover, when the fish is hooked, and it swims here and there fighting to get away, you will need a soft rod that can bend and still take the tension without snapping. Fiberglass and some composite rods have medium action.

Summing it up, tight line techniques include spinning, bait casting and even fly fishing. Lures such as spinners, cranks, and buzz baits require a moderate action fishing rod, which can be provided by a six to seven feet fishing rod made of composite material. The medium action rods are a good match for these techniques.

Slackline Technique and the Right Rod

Pitching and flipping are slackline techniques that require fast action rods because the fish does not pull the bait as it tries to bite it. A rod with a stiff tip and fast action to identify the bite will be useful when anglers decide to go flipping or pitching. Graphite and composite material poles are fast action.

The lures used for these techniques are soft plastic worms, tubes, and jigs. With such lures, the hooks are hidden, and therefore there is tension in the line as the lure moves in the water naturally. When bass bites into these lures, the stiff tip of the fishing pole will allow the anglers to know about the bite, and they can take action accordingly.

The action of the Fishing Rod for Bass

Since bass is an energetic and aggressive fish, anglers need to use medium to fast action poles for it. The action of a rod is the ability to bend, which means fast action rods bend at the tip while medium action poles will bend at the middle. Low action poles will bend near the butt and are suitable for small fish.

A bearded man in a gray jacket and black pants sitting on a brown rock holding a fishing rod in a river

Power of the Fishing Rod for Bass

Many novice anglers aspire to catch bass, although they do not understand the basic terms that are used to describe the working of the fishing equipment. Many of you might confuse the action and power of the rod.

The power of the rod means the energy needed to bend the pole. If a big bass gets hooked, and it exerts a force on the device, and you reel in the line as the rod bends, the energy needed to bend the rod is the power of this device.

If you are at a location where there is thick plant cover or where there will be more weeds through which the lure needs to be dragged, a high-power fishing pole will come in handy. In clear waters, with no vegetation or rocks, the power can be lower.

Fishing Rod for Bass According to Location

Are you planning a fishing trip to a big lake where there are open spots, and even the secondary spots are expansive? Or is the trip going to be around narrow tributaries and streams? Whichever location you decide will play a role in deciding the best equipment.

The shorter rods, with lengths between 5.5 feet and six feet are good for narrow locations and places where you cast a light lure, like plastic worms and tubes. Since there will be lesser width, anglers will have to use a fast action rod that is not very long.

Longer fishing poles will work in places where there is more area, and anglers can cast the lure farther away from the boat. For winter fishing, you will need a heavy bait casting pole that can present the bait near the bottom of the lake. These rods can be short so that they are easy to manage when fishing through a hole in the snow!

Some of the Best Bass Fishing Rods

As technology is advancing rapidly, there are more than a few options for anglers to explore when they are looking for the right equipment. Some of the most popular fishing rods for anglers are:

  • Seven-foot, medium action spinning rod for novice anglers
  • Six-foot medium-heavy bait casting for anglers with some experience for more power and precision
  • Seven-foot medium-light action spinning rod for seasoned anglers
  • Six and a half feet long medium action flipping rod for experienced anglers

Wherever you plan your next fishing trip, make sure that you have the equipment according to the area and technique of fishing that you will be using. Spinning, bait casting, and fly fishing are tight line techniques that require medium action, whereas flipping and pitching will need fast action.

Conclusion

When anglers decide to catch some energetic and active fish, they worry about how to choose the right rod for bass fishing. The answer to this lies in the technique of choice. Moreover, you will need to know the action and power of the pole that will be beneficial for the technique you choose.