With the bass fishing world continuing to get more specialized when it comes to rods, it is good to know that some rods can handle many different techniques.
Not everyone can have dozens of technique specific fishing rods, so we, with the help of Bassmaster Elite Series pro Justin Lucas, have narrowed it down to five rods that can cover just about every technique for bass fishing.
Abu Garcia Veritas 7’ Medium Casting Rod
The Veritas became a very popular rod, thanks in part to the price range that is right around $100. Even top-level anglers like Justin Lucas use these rods and according to him, the 7-foot medium is one of the most versatile models they offer.
“That rod is great for topwaters, jerkbaits, and crankbaits,” he begins. “It has a soft tip and is great for small crankbaits that dive down to about the 12- to 14-foot range. I use it for my Berkley Dredgers 14.5’s and Squarebull crankbaits.”
It also makes for an excellent topwater rod according to Lucas.
“I fish poppers and walking baits on it with a braided line and monofilament leader,” he says. “It is also really good for jerkbaits.”
Abu Garcia Fantasista Premier 7’3” Heavy Casting Rod
Lucas is a huge fan of this line of rods and says that is due to the strength and sensitivity. “It is hard to find a rod that is both sensitive and strong and these rods are. They are also light and really well balanced,” he says.
This model, in particular, is what he uses for jigs from ¼- to a 1-ounce. “You could pitch with it, but I mostly use it for casting jigs,” he says. It also doubles as an excellent rod for Texas-rigs.
One more application is small swimbaits.
“This rod handles swimbaits up to about six-inches really well. It is the rod that I use for the Berkley Havoc Grass Pig,” he shares.
Abu Garcia Villain 2.0 7’6” Heavy Casting Rod
This is the rod that Lucas reaches for when he plans to flip or punch with weights that are between ¼- and 1¼-ounces or when using six to seven-inch swimbaits.
“Anything bigger or heavier and you would want a specialized big swimbait or punching rod, but for most applications, this rod will handle it great,” he says.
What he likes about this rod is the bend of the rod.
“It has a nice parabolic bend and the tip is not too stiff,” he says.
Abu Garcia Fantasista Premier 7’ Medium Spinning Rod
Lucas began by saying these are the best spinning rods he has ever used. He also said that no single spinning rod can do it all.
“I use both the medium and medium-heavy in this lineup,” he says. “These rods are light, comfortable and very sensitive. With spinning gear, you are often fishing deep water and on the bottom, so you need to be able to feel the lightest of bites.”
FULL DIGITAL 2018 ABU GARCIA CATALOG HERE
The medium action rod is what he prefers for drop shot rigs, spinbaits, and wacky-rigs. “I like the medium rod for dropshotting with a size #1 hook or smaller, but it is great for a lot of other techniques,” adds Lucas.
Abu Garcia Fantasista Premier 7’ Medium Heavy Spinning Rod
The heavier or the two spinning rods is what Lucas uses for shaky heads, tubes, small swimbaits and when he is fishing a Texas-rigged dropshot around heavy cover for largemouth.
“If you are using a bigger shaky head with a big 4/O hook, you need more power to get better hooksets,” he says. The medium-heavy spinning rod does that and also works well for small swimbaits. “This is the rod I use for small swimbaits that are 2.-5- to 3.5-inches long.”
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Why Abu Garcia Rods?
There are many choices for rods and plenty of good ones on the market. For Lucas, he likes Abu Garcia because they are true to their rated strength and also very strong and durable.
“If you feel two different rods from different manufacturers with the same action, you will see differences. All of the Abu rods are true to their action,” he says.
Abu Garcia has also placed a big emphasis on comfort.
“Over the past few years they have changed their grips and reel seats to make them even more comfortable,” adds Lucas.
When looking for a rod, you can go ultra-specialized and find something designed for a single technique or go versatile. The five that Justin Lucas selected are rods that can work for many different situations you are faced with and they are what he uses to cover several fishing techniques.
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