# River Sticks!



## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Hey y’all,
I’m just curious as to what everyone uses as their primary river rods (small-med rivers, like LMR, GMR, etc). Do you use spinning rods? Fly? Baitcaster? What brand, length, and power?

I’ve always been on the ML spinning rod train, and recently my main is a 7’ St Croix Premier, with 6 or 8 lb mono on a Pflueger Arbor. I like that I can toss light 1/16 oz jigs up through 1/4 oz, and I can play most big fish on the drag if need be. That said, I’ve been considering upping to a 7’ M rod with 10 lb braid lately, for better hookset power and controlling fish, though I would probably need to buy a bunch of new heavier tackle. Looking at a Fenwick HMG (I’ve got a couple UL Fenwicks for the creeks that I like a lot), though I will say when I handled it in the store, it was a big stiff broom handle. I feel like the rod wouldn’t load well with baits in the 1/16 or 1/8 category, which is usually what I’m throwing.

Let’s talk gear!


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## Fishin4meat (Apr 24, 2017)

I fish gmr and feeder creeks a ton and primarily use my med bionic blade i believe its a 7 ft with micro guides with a pfleuger president...generally alwaya 6lb excel mono....fish everying from panfish jigs i tie that can be as small as 1/32 head but i remove collar so maybe 1/50th oz ...ill run them under float or on double rig normally.....up to maybe 1/4 oz for tube swimnait or even live bait rig.....caught several 4 lb smallies and many 10 to 15 lb cats on this set up but not to big to take fun away from smaller fish .....may switch to braid with floro leaders to try but never have any issues with my cheap mono so idk


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## Morrowtucky Mike (May 2, 2018)

I have 2 main setups I use. For throwing small 1/8oz rooster tails, tubes and jigs I use a cheap Shakespeare micro series rod. 7’ light action with a size 20 Quantum throttle topped with 8# power pro. My other rod is a Fenwick silver hawk ll 7’ ML with a Pflueger supreme size 25 topped with 10# power pro. I use it for Ned rigs, 1/4 jigs and spins and whatever else I need more hook setting power. The Fenwick is very sensitive and great for early spring Ned rigging when the smallies barely pick up the lure.


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## Aaron2012 (Mar 26, 2014)

I have 4 setups for thr river. It depends on where I'm fishing on witch ones I take. One spinning a 6'8" m I use for neds, grubs and tubes. I have 3 baitcaster setups all 3 are 7'. Two mediums one med hvy. One medium is a dedicated topwater, crank bait rod the other is for weightless to lightweight soft plastics. The med hvy is for bigger topwaters and heavier baits.




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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

I use a 6.5' medium action spinning rod, pretty much works for everything you would want to use.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

kingofamberley said:


> Hey y’all,
> I’m just curious as to what everyone uses as their primary river rods (small-med rivers, like LMR, GMR, etc). Do you use spinning rods? Fly? Baitcaster? What brand, length, and power?
> 
> I’ve always been on the ML spinning rod train, and recently my main is a 7’ St Croix Premier, with 6 or 8 lb mono on a Pflueger Arbor. I like that I can toss light 1/16 oz jigs up through 1/4 oz, and I can play most big fish on the drag if need be. That said, I’ve been considering upping to a 7’ M rod with 10 lb braid lately, for better hookset power and controlling fish, though I would probably need to buy a bunch of new heavier tackle. Looking at a Fenwick HMG (I’ve got a couple UL Fenwicks for the creeks that I like a lot), though I will say when I handled it in the store, it was a big stiff broom handle. I feel like the rod wouldn’t load well with baits in the 1/16 or 1/8 category, which is usually what I’m throwing.
> ...


if you switch to braid the med/light rod will set the hook with just a tug of the rod. the 1st time I used braid in the head waters I used 15# braid. we started fishing after dark. I was using eagle claw feather light rod. on the 1st bite I set the hook pretty hard. and the line snapped like a twig. from then on I set the drag a little loose and just tugged with the rod to set the hook. with braided line with low poundage line you have to think that you have no stretch line.
sherman


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

kingofamberley said:


> Hey y’all,
> I’m just curious as to what everyone uses as their primary river rods (small-med rivers, like LMR, GMR, etc). Do you use spinning rods? Fly? Baitcaster? What brand, length, and power?
> 
> I’ve always been on the ML spinning rod train, and recently my main is a 7’ St Croix Premier, with 6 or 8 lb mono on a Pflueger Arbor. I like that I can toss light 1/16 oz jigs up through 1/4 oz, and I can play most big fish on the drag if need be. That said, I’ve been considering upping to a 7’ M rod with 10 lb braid lately, for better hookset power and controlling fish, though I would probably need to buy a bunch of new heavier tackle. Looking at a Fenwick HMG (I’ve got a couple UL Fenwicks for the creeks that I like a lot), though I will say when I handled it in the store, it was a big stiff broom handle. I feel like the rod wouldn’t load well with baits in the 1/16 or 1/8 category, which is usually what I’m throwing.
> ...


What do you plan on tossing with this rod? When I river smallie fish I mainly use my saugeye rods med-light 7'. With 10#power pro. But definitely wish I had something medium. Would use it more often when tossing topwater,heavier tube jigs,and med diveing cranks. 
You cant go wrong with a st.croix. I've used about every price range they make,and stick to the premiers for the price,and usually find them on sale somewhere.


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

Early in the season when they are still sluggish I use a 7’ medium light, fast action St Croix Premier spinning rod with a Shimano Nasci 3000.

When it warms up and they have a bit more fight to them I roll with a 7’ medium power, fast action St Croix Avid X casting rod with a Lew’s Tournament MB 6.8:1 ratio. Just never know when you’re going to hook into a catfish and need a stout rod, plus I prefer the feel of a bait caster particularly for top water


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Saugeyefisher said:


> What do you plan on tossing with this rod? When I river smallie fish I mainly use my saugeye rods med-light 7'. With 10#power pro. But definitely wish I had something medium. Would use it more often when tossing topwater,heavier tube jigs,and med diveing cranks.
> You cant go wrong with a st.croix. I've used about every price range they make,and stick to the premiers for the price,and usually find them on sale somewhere.


I mostly throw curly tail and paddle tail jigs from 1/16 to 1/4 oz, with some tubes, inline spinners, and crankbaits mixed in. I’m planning to get in to topwater more this season as well. I like catching multiple species but mainly target smallmouth. So far I love my St Croix Premier, though I will say it doesn’t have the most ergonomic grip for my personal style (reel between my middle and ring finger).


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

kingofamberley said:


> I mostly throw curly tail and paddle tail jigs from 1/16 to 1/4 oz, with some tunes, inline spinners, and crankbaits mixed in. I’m planning to get in to topwater more this season as well. I like catching multiple species but mainly target smallmouth. So far I love my St Croix Premier, though I will say it doesn’t have the most ergonomic grip for my personal style (reel between my middle and ring finger).
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Gotchya,I put the reel between my pointer and middle finger,with my index finger laying on the blank of the rod. If you search you can find them in both split grip and straight grip. 
I toss all my paddle tails and twister on a 7' med light and have used up to 3/8 oz weights with it and was able to present my jig how I want. But like I said. Of I had a med action I'd use it more for some of the heavier traditional bass lures. When I'm tossing spinner baits an buzz baits I actually break out the bait caster with a medium hmg,it handles the baits better,and I get more casts to a target as I float bye it in my kayak then with the spinning reel(thanks for that one ogf!


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## gLoomisSR781 (Aug 8, 2012)

I mainly use a 7 1/2 foot St Croix Legend Extreme medium light with a 2500 Stradic Ci4 spooled with 10lb super 8 slick. I can pretty much throw anything I want with it.


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## BuzzBait Brad (Oct 17, 2014)

Typically I use a medium 6’6”-7’ spinning rod for anything swimbaits, crank baits, grubs, etc and a medium 7’ baitcaster for top water, spinners, etc.


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## fvogel67 (Nov 15, 2010)

6'8' Loomis E6X 803S/ Stradic FJ 2500
7' MF St Croix Legend Elite/Diawa Tatula LT 2500
6'8" MXF St Croix Avid X/Citica 6:3:1
7'1" MHF Cabelas Tournament ZX/Carbonlite 2.0 8:3:1


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## BMagill (May 5, 2004)

6'9" ML Fenwick HMG is my workhorse, 1/10 ned rig is what I have been throwing lately but also good for swimbaits, jerkbaits, and grubs.


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## 3 dog Ed (Apr 25, 2014)

6’6” medium St Croix
7’0” medium light St Croix
Covers almost everything top to bottom.


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Got some 10 lb Power Pro braid to try out on the ML! I've used braid while saltwater fishing in Florida, but never freshwater. I'm excited to give it a shot!


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## ARNfishin (Apr 22, 2011)

7'0 Ugly Stik GX2 (medium heavy I believe) with a Pflueger Arbor reel, 15-30lb test braid. I typically throw topwater on the LMR. Braid floats, the rod has a moderate fast tip so I dont rip it out of the fish' mouth. The line diameter and tip of the rod allow me to still throw curly tail grubs on small jigheads, but I have the power to horse bass over logs when im throwing topwater. and if I snag a tree, the line is strong enough with no stretch to hold my boat still in current.


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

Far from a daily driver, the image below shows a combo I feel very fortunate to possess. It’s a 6’8” medium power, extra fast action St. Croix legend tournament paired with a Shimano Stradic MgFA. The reel is buttery smooth and has just the right retrieve rate where a natural pace imparts great action in big josh swim baits. The rod is so sensitive I can feel virtually every pebble on the stream bed providing a great mental image of bottom composition and strike indication dragging a tube or similar finesse presentation. The combo is extremely lightweight with great balance. I used to take ‘er more often but with parts for the reel harder and harder to source and the extensive bushwhacking required to get to the least pressured holes leading to concern of potential damage, that rig sees limited action apart from boat outings. If you can find a similar setup, perhaps a newer Stradic, it’s a dream to use.


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## fvogel67 (Nov 15, 2010)

Two more 
Diawa SS1300 on a 90’s Abu 7’ medium Super Seven. My dedicated GMR Channel







stick
Diawa BG 2000 on a SCII First gen St Croix Mojo 7’medium
Just a killer crankbait stick.


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## Sleprock (Dec 16, 2005)

fish lmr a lot, I got one of those baitcasters on sale from cabellas the bps turny thats silver and blue and paired it with a 6 ft red crappie rod, I can throw low like 1/8 oz jigs and 1/4 spinners but can go heavier, got almost same setup but 6,6 rod, last couple years been using light action micrographite caster with my baitcaster, like a shorter rod cause I float from a canoe and stand while fishing so I can hit lots of angles on my casts and lmr my way not that wide that I need long rod.


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## dtwarrow (Mar 30, 2007)

I waded the LMR for 12 years or so with one setup. 6'8" "Wacky" St Croix Mojo rod with an Abu Garcia reel and 8 pound Suffix Siege moss green Mono. I also probably only used 3 or 4 lures. Senko (duh), Fluke, and a tube. Every once in a while I would throw a shaky head with a Zoom Trick worm.

I have a bass boat now and have 4 spinning rods ML and M 6'10" to 7'6". all of them are spooled with 10 to 15 pound braid. I just tie on whatever leader i want and never change the braid. 

I would imagine a 7 foot med-fast rod with 15 lb braid and a 6 to 8 pound Mono leader would be great for wading the river. I would shy away from floro, its never been good to me around rocks, or on a spinning rod.


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