Looking at Getting another rod????

[BBushy]

Hey Kevin,
I'm thinking about getting another rod for jerkbaits and walk the dog surface lures. I've been checking the St.Croix Premier rods especially the
7'6" in medium and Heavy or the 8ft. After using custom built 7'6" rod and
having too get that fixed and never seeing it again I wonder if the extra 4
inches make that much of difference. I just would like some feedback on rods
from somebody that is out on the water everyday.

[Regulator]

How much money do you want to spend??? I would go with a St. Croix Legend Tournament 7'6" XHF. Thats what I have and its the second best rod i've used for jerkbaits. The only other thing thats better is getting a Thorne Bros. Custom Predator XH cut down to 7'6". These aren't cheap rods, but they are the best out there and you they come with St. Croix or Thorne Bros customer service.

Pair one of these rods with a 400TE and you got yourself a top of the line set-up.

[Kevin Cochran]

I do not throw baits with rods shorter than 8'6" on lakes. I do have some shorter rods that I use when fishing small rivers when casting from the sitting position. I personally like 9ft plus rods. I have a custom 9'3" Predator rod that Frank built me. This is a Thorne Bros. blank and it is the lightest rod I own (aside from my old skool DBacks).
On the lower price scale I got the chance to play with the new Tackle Industries 9ft XH rod and it feels like a high quality custom rod with a $100 price tag. James told me that he is having trouble getting these rods back in stock so it might be awhile until he has them.

[Regulator]

Yeah, Kevin's right that longer rods are the way to go for most situations. I think when your using WTD and rhythmic style jerkbaits, a shorter rod is going to help with your consistency and rhythem. Don't get me wrong, I have used a 9 footer to throw AP lures or phantoms or whatever, but I think your better off getting a 7'6" legend tournament or a predator cut down to 7'6" if the rod is going to be strictly a jerkbait rod.

[BBushy]

Hey Regulator,
After careful consideration I took your advice and got a St.Croix Legend
Tournament Series Jerkbait rod. After all it was on sale and thanks to gift
card burning a whole in my pocket since Christmas that made the purchase
not that bad. After getting it all set up with a Daiwa Luna and Suffix braid
I took a few cast with it off the dock at the lake and the thing cast like a
dream and I think I'll like this rod. So come on June 5th and hopefully the
Muskies on Mantrap will be hungry.

[Regulator]

Yeah, you'll love that rod. Now is the time!!. Saw quite a few fish on my Legend this weekend working AP lures. Did you get the chance to toss around some jerkbaits with your new rod Bushy????

[BBushy]

Hey Regulator,
Yeah, I just got back into Moorhead from Park Rapids. We fished Mantrap
and Elk and the best day was Saturday for us. We saw 8 fish and had one
up too the boat 3 times in the 48 to 50 inch range but she just wouldn't go.
My buddy had one come up and miss his jerkbait. The rest of the weekend
was tough. Monday we fished Elk and never evan seen a musky. Which is never a suprise I've fished that lake now 3 times with out a fallow we also
saw Cochran out on Elk it looked like he was filming.