Fishing for different bass species can leave you asking do I have what I need, or am I just guessing? Choosing the correct rod can help you not only land a bass, but it will help you determine the difference between a bite or just being hung up on something.
You will need to decide which fishing technique will be used. Dragging crankbait or using live bait will surely set aside some rod choices. Finding yourself with a cheap, lightweight rod in Large Mouth territory is never much fun but trying to catch a Redeye bass with a heavyweight rod isn’t much fun either.
Each species deserves its own rod strength and action type; let’s review them individually.
The Largemouth
Angling for largemouth can give you one of the best adrenaline rushes freshwater fishing offers, but having the correct gear is where you should start. Most largemouth basses are found in the slow-moving waters of lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers.
This type of fishing will include many crankbaits and swimbaits. The best rod you can choose for the typical largemouth is the Ugly Stik GX2 Casting Rod. This will be an all-around great rod for all types of lures used for largemouth fishing. Its strength and sensitivity combined will arm you with what is needed for a day out on the water.
Smallmouth Bass
When you are fishing the more quickly moving waters of the riverbanks in search of smallmouth bass, you need to make sure your rod is up to the challenge. Your rod will be fighting the current as you will be casting downstream and reeling your bait back upstream. You will need something smooth, firm, and up to an all-day power struggle with a rod that won’t wear you out. The perfect solution to this type of fishing is the Abu Garcia Veracity Casting Rod. This rod is lightweight and ideal when landing the toughest fighters among the bass family. This rod also doesn’t sacrifice its strength for being a light, fast-action rod.
The Florida Largemouth
As size goes, these lunkers are supreme. They weigh in as the heaviest and grow faster than any other black bass family. In all scenarios that include this fish, you will be in calmer waters that are usually not clear, and they can put up quite a fight.
Choosing a rod to battle these fish will take some thinking as they will eat almost anything that other bass will consider food. I would consider choosing the St. Croix Bass Glass Casting Rod as it has set itself apart as one of the best crankbait rods on the market. It would easily handle topwater and live bait, which the Florida Largemouth also love.
Alabama Bass
This bass, as with smallmouth, won’t stray too far from flowing water that is usually on the clear side. It tends to be very carnivorous and will eat many other fish as well.
Look for a rod that will offer excellent swim bait technology that can still handle other baits such as crank, jerk, and spin baits. The Alabama Bass also shares waters with the smallmouth, and you will find yourself landing some of both, so prepare yourself with a strong rod that can handle diverse prey and environments.
Spotted Bass
The spotted bass is diverse. They can be found in all the Gulf States and the states surrounding them, such as Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and more. They enjoy rocky areas where the water is constantly moving like rivers and streams. They can get to a decent size and resemble the largemouth in color and appearance.
These bass have been found in lakes chasing shade in schools but prefer rivers. They will be located at rocky coves and inlets, so keep these fishes’ environments in mind when preparing the proper rod.
Guadalupe Bass
Calling only the State of Texas home, the Guadalupe Bass is small and likes to live in fast-flowing rivers and streams. Its diet is typical for the bass species, consisting of insects, crayfish, and other small fish.
Choosing a rod for this bass isn’t too difficult as you should need a medium-strength fast, action pole that will be pared with crankbaits, streamers, and plastic worms.
Shoal Bass
The Shoal Bass can get big and prefer lures like small crankbaits, grubs, worms, and soft plastic crayfish imitations. We are leaving rod selections wide open. Again, a strong pole with a fast action tip is a great choice when angling for the famous spotted bass. You can find an excellent rod selection on our Top Ten best Rods for bass fishing page.
Suwannee Bass
Native to the river systems of just Florida and Georgia, the Suwannee bass holds its beautiful turquoise color, especially during the mating season, making them easy to pick out. This fish loves shallow, fast-moving waters over limestone patches in the river. Their diet consists of almost entirely crayfish, narrowing down your pole selection now that we know this species strict living quarters and diet.
Redeye Bass
These small species of the black bass family are native to the Coosa rivers system of Georgia and Alabama. They enjoy the river systems’ calm, fast-flowing waters, as do their prey. The Redeye bass feed mainly on insects like dragonflies, making this Black Bass species high susceptible to anglers who enjoy fly fishing. Check out our Top Ten best Rods page for a nice flyfishing rod.