Longer, Stronger, More Versatile

The trend in rods for muskies and heavy-duty pike fishing continues to move away from shorter, stiffer pool-cue models to longer rods with faster tips. This has been going on since In-Fisherman first began to write about the need for such rods in the 1980s.

Initially, new-generation rods in the 7- to 7.5-foot range with medium or medium-heavy power and fast actions (fast tips) were used to throw inline bucktails, while jerkbait rods were shorter—6 to 7 feet—and stiffer. Today, top anglers use rods in the 7- to 8.5-foot range for most applications—and, with a few exceptions, the preference continues for medium to medium-heavy power and tips with a bit of give.

So, while anglers fishing for bass and walleyes have been demanding ever-more-specialized, technique-specific rod designs, pike and muskie anglers have headed in the opposite direction. At least among top anglers, rod selection has been simplifying. Longer rods suffice for a variety of presentations, from crankbaits to jerkbaits, topwaters, and spinners. Four or five rods still may be readily at hand as an angler approaches a day on the water, but the rods are mostly of the same basic design, even though different lures are tied on each one.

Long rods also are the norm for casting oversized muskie lures, like double-bladed bucktails or magnum soft plastics weighing close to a pound. St. Croix’s Legend Tournament Elite “Big Dawg” is among the first non-custom rods made to handle massive muskie lures. At 8.5 feet, the Big Dawg is an X-heavy-power, fast-action rod for casting the Musky Innovations Magnum Bull Dawg.

The design of these heavy-duty rods has been a dilemma for rod maker and angler alike. It isn’t easy to balance rod-blank construction, length, and blank stiffness to handle baits that weigh 3 to 8 ounces more than standard lures. For anglers, longer and stiffer means more torque as a lure is retrieved and a fish is fought. It’s more difficult to keep a steady bend in these rods, too, which can result in slack line and lost fish.

Whether it’s 5 feet or 8 feet, a pool cue is still a pool cue, not a fishing rod. Even when a rod needs to be a real beast to get the job done, a design with measured give in the tip section—a rod that loads and unloads more slowly than a super-stiff blank—is going to perform the best.

For anglers not caught up in the bigger-is-better tidal wave, new options abound for lighter pike and muskie lures, thanks to the swimbait craze going on in bass fishing. Many top anglers have relied on bass-style flippin’ sticks in the past, when fishing lighter baits. They still work well with the right lures. The new swimbait rods usually are slightly heavier and more powerful and have faster tip actions. Some options include the St. Croix Legend Tournament Mega Swim Bait rod; Fenwick’s Elite Tech Swimbait Rod; and the Shimano Crucial Swimbait rod. These rods make outstanding rods for jigs, topwaters, small- to mid-size minnowbaits, and traditional bucktails.

A new rod-handle material called Syncork is something to check out this coming season. Cork traditionally has been a sturdy and reliable material but gets slick when it’s wet. Holding onto it while fishing with gloves on late in the season is a challenge, as well, and rod holders also can be hard on cork.

Syncork was developed by master rod-builder Gregg Thorne. He and brother Paul founded Thorne Bros. Custom Rod and Tackle and can claim a list of rod-building innovations, from a number of custom muskie-rod designs to the first custom ice-rods. Lighter than natural cork, Syncork can be sanded or turned on a lathe into any shape. It’s impervious to gasoline, bug spray, and sunscreen, and when shaped with coarse sandpaper, it has a textured grip that’s never sticky or abrasive, yet is perfect for wet conditions.

With so many rods to choose from in a variety of price ranges, from so many different custom rod makers and traditional manufacturers, there’s no excuse for fishing with something that doesn’t do the job efficiently and effectively. With the fundamental advice offered here and a little homework, you can find something that works superbly for you.

*Rob Kimm has been a frequent contributor to In-Fisherman magazine, covering muskie topics.