Can You Catch Bass With A Spinning Rod? Detailed Guide

You’re undoubtedly perplexed by the many bass fishing rod and reel configurations available in the market if you’re new anglers bass fishing. There are currently three types of fishing rods: baitcasting, spin-casting, or spinning.

The question is can you catch the bass with a spinning rod?

The answer: the spinning rod is definitely great for fishing for bass. They have many advantages that can help you catch more fish under certain conditions.

We’ve put together the ultimate bass spinning rod configuration that will cover you in 90% of all bass fishing situations you may encounter. Read this article together to make sure your decision is correct.

What Is A Spinning Rod?

The spinning rods are a particular type of fishing rod; it is available in various sizes, ranging from light-action rods to medium and heavy-action. When used for fishing, the spinning rod bends due to the force of a bite on the line. The reel is under the rod while the handle is in the angler’s non-dominant hand.

Many individuals are aware that there is more to picking a fishing rod than the price and performance of the reel. Anglers will benefit greatly from understanding the distinctions between a spinning rod and a baitcasting rod since it will assist them in selecting appropriate rod-based techniques.

Related post: How To Choose A Spinning Rod

What Is Bass Fishing?

Bass fishing is a sort of fishing in which you set out to capture specific types of fish, such as largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. When pursuing this game fish, a bass angler must consider a few distinct varieties of bass. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are the most prevalent. The largemouth bass is most frequent in lakes, ponds, and other areas of still water that contain plenty of vegetation and are regarded as ideal bass fisheries. They favor sand or gravel-bottomed lakes and ponds that also sustain other species.

Smallmouth bass prefers cooler water and is most frequent in the Great Lakes region. These are more invasive species and are not as desired as largemouth bass. Both are substantial fish with plenty of flesh if you’re fishing for food. They are also relatively easy to catch, are noted for putting up a terrific fight when detected, and are a favorite of any skilled angler.

How To Catch Bass With A Spinning Rod?

Spinning rod length: 7 feet

Regarding spinning rod length, 7′ is optimal because it is an optimum compromise between a shorter pole (which allows for more accurate casting) and a longer rod (which enables greater casting distance). The exception is if you’re looking for a topwater rod, which must be shorter since the rod tip must be pointed down to the water surface during lure retrieval. 

Power: Medium or Medium Light

Medium or medium-light rod power is the best option for a bass fishing pole configuration. We don’t want to buy a spinning rod that is too light since you need enough backbone to place your hook in a bass’s bony jaws. If you hook into a big fish that weighs more than 5 pounds, you’ll need enough rod force to draw it away from any surrounding cover.

Action: Fast

When it comes to action, fast action is the way to go since it is ideal for casting lightweight lures and setups and accurate control of lure movement during recovery.

Great Line Setup For Bass Fishing With A Spinning Rod

Mainline: braided line weighing 10-15 lb

You can easily use any of the fishing lines (monofilament, braid, or fluorocarbon). However, we propose the following combination: As your mainline, use a 10 or 15 lb braided line with a 6 to 10 lb fluorocarbon leader.

Leader: 6-10 lb fluorocarbon

Because the braided line has little to no stretch, you can feel every small tug on your lure during retrieval, perfect for detecting delicate bites. It’s also better suited for longer throwing distances, although it has the drawback of being extremely visible in the water. To prevent bass from detecting your line, attach it to a fluorocarbon leader.

The fluorocarbon leader must be long enough—at least 20′ or 24′. You want the lure to sink quickly into the water, which fluorocarbon does well with, but braid does not since it floats on its surface.

Which Lures & Baits, And Rigs Are Best For Spinning Tackle

There are countless baits for bass fishing that work well in the spinning tackle. An essential rule of thumb to help you determine what to use is to look at the weight of the bait or lure you’re using. Any bait or lure under 3/8 oz seems to throw really well into an established spinning rod and reel setup. The small shaker head, square beak crank, and drop rig work well on spinning tackle. The baits are heavy, and the rig doesn’t throw very well into the spinning tackle. Once you get through and hit the 3/8 oz mark, sometimes you’ll be better off with a baitcasting setup.

Rigs are good to use with a spinning setup for bass: Micro jigs, small worms, tubes/soft plastics, drop shot rig, shaky heads, ned rig, wacky rig, Neko rig.

Related post: Seven Advantages of Spinning Tackle

The Best Spinning Rods For Bass Fishing

The Ugly Stik Elite Spinning Rod

You’ll immediately notice its extraordinary power and sensitivity when you hold a Shakespeare Ugly Stik Elite Spinning Rod in your hands.

Stik Elite is a graphite rod with Ugly Technology, making it lighter and more sensitive. The rod is stronger and more durable due to the increased graphite content of 35%.

The stainless steel guides provide optimum durability and eliminate insert pop-out.

Cadence CR7 Spinning Rod

The Cadence CR7 is a 40-ton graphite spinning rod that is robust and light. Thanks to stainless steel guides and SIC inserts, this rod is particularly sensitive, with high-level casting performance.

This spinning rod’s component quality, various lengths, and action changes make it an excellent addition to any angler’s fishing arsenal.

The Cadence CR7 rods can handle almost any bass species, even that prize bass.

Ugly Stik Tiger Elite Spinning Fishing Rod

It’s a heavy-duty fishing rod ideal for frogging, bass fishing with a frog topwater bait, or inshore striper fishing.

It also works well on trout, pike, walleye, and other species. The Tiger Elite is ideal for bass anglers searching for a spinning rod to handle a wide range of larger fish.

The Ugly Stik Tiger Elite Spinning Rods are made with Ugly Tech, the strongest and most durable rod construction. Ugly Tech blanks are made with a high-modulus graphite/fiberglass core and an E-glass outer layer for strength and sensitivity.

Abu Garcia Veritas Spinning Rod

The Veritas rod family has been long, but it has never been more powerful. The Veritas was redesigned by Abu Garcia to be stronger, lighter, and more responsive. Veritas Spinning Rods are the ideal combination of power and delicacy.

These premium rods are made of 30-ton carbon fiber and finished with 3M Powerlux resin, which is robust and lightweight. The Powerex resin boosts strength, decreases weight, and improves the impact and fracture resistance of the rod. Powerex 100 is an ultra-thin resin system that equally distributes nanoparticles between carbon fibers, preventing rod material splitting.

The Abu Garcia Veritas blends strength, sensitivity, and a lightweight design to offer you a competitive advantage in the water. Abu Garcia continues to set the standard for fishermen searching for a robust, light, and long-lasting performance, with a three-year guarantee included.

Spinning Rod With IPC Technology

It is built to withstand whatever Mother Nature may throw at you while also assisting you in launching a winning attack on the bass in your lake.

These technique-specific benefits from high-modulus SCIII graphite make them exceptionally durable, exceedingly sensitive, and lightweight, thanks to their unique Integrated Poly Curve (IPC) tooling technology.

High-quality Fuji DPS seats with black hoods keep your reel securely in position in any situation. The aluminum-oxide strong rings and slender frames of the Kigan Master Hand 3D guides minimize weight for smooth casting performance that gets you to the fish faster.

Shakespeare’s Ugly Stik GX2 Spinning Rod

Shakespeare’s Ugly Stick GX2 Spinning Rod has enhanced components, eye-catching styling, and a lighter feel for a more pleasant fishing experience.

The Ugly Stik GX2 is a spinning rod that will endure for years. It is built to take a hammering and provide you with the strength you require. The Ugly Stik GX2 delivers whether you’re fishing in choppy waters or searching for a strong casting rod.

Croix Bass X Spinning Rods

The Bass X Series offers remarkable performance at an incredible value. Each model in the Bass X Spinning Rod portfolio has high-value features based on the classic, high-quality St. Croix design.

The Bass X Spinning Rod strikes an excellent blend of lightweight durability and low cost. The SCII graphite blank is lightweight and has a double-coated Flex-Coat slow cure finish for long-lasting corrosion and abrasion resistance.

Conclusion

A 7′ medium power/fast action rod paired with a 2500 medium speed spinning reel with a 15 lb braided mainline and an 8 lb fluorocarbon leader is the optimum bass rod configuration with a spinning rod and reel.

This configuration is one of the most fantastic bass fishing rod and reel setups for finesse approaches since it can be utilized effectively with a wide range of lures weighing less than 1/4 oz.

If you’re searching for a rod for a specific bass fishing application, check out our in-depth evaluation of the best bass spinning rods. We analyze rod models for additional bass fishing methods, including drop-shot rigging crankbaits and topwater lures.

Read more: 7 Best Spinning Rods For Bass – Buyer’s Guide