Opinions on a new DS rod

[legendaryyaj]

Since I started fishing Erie for smallies last year and I am able to target them more often now, I've been dropshotting a lot.

Before I was fishing Erie, I had the black Cumara 6'8" DS rod and felt it was too tip heavy so I got rid of it. I didn't think I was going to be dropshotting much anymore so I picked up a Tatula 7'1" ML to replace it. Smallie season is almost here and I'm itching to get a new DS. I'm looking at the Orochi XX DS, NRX 852s, and NRX 822DS rods. Anyone else have any other suggestions that's not crazy ridiculous?

I watched Aaron's video on his Orochi XX and he can pretty much double it over. It seems way to whippy for me. I've also watched some footage of him setting the hook like 3-4 times with the rod doubled over. It makes me think it doesn't have enough power to just lift and reel as you do with drop shotting. He obviously doesn't think its enough to set the hook either.

I'm reading that the NRX rods are designed with fishing it either vertically or some other way. I don't ever fish vertically and normally drag my DS after bombing it out. I want a longer rod as well since I plan on casting it and not vertically fishing it. I've thought about the Orochi Shakeyhead rod as well. Budget is $350'ish.

[cndbasshunter]

if i were to pick one for erie ds it would be the NRX852S or Shakeyhead. Has the power you need and both more than sensitive enough.

i've owned the nrx852, 822, xx shakey head, steez ags ml, and xx drop shot.

[Mothra]

Hate to sound like a broken record, but i love my ALX - diplomat

[legendaryyaj]

if i were to pick one for erie ds it would be the NRX852S or Shakeyhead. Has the power you need and both more than sensitive enough.

i've owned the nrx852, 822, xx shakey head, steez ags ml, and xx drop shot.

How much more powerful is the 852s vs the Shakeyhead? My local store doesn't have a 852s for me to fondle.

[Lucky Craft Man]

I fish Erie a lot for Smallmouth. I have the NRX 852S JWR, NRX 822S SYR, and NRX 822S DSR. The one I use for all my drop shot needs is the NRX 822S DSR. It claims it is designed for drop shot fishing and they are right. I find the tip of the 852S to be just a bit too stout for drop shotting and the 822S SYR is by far the least sensitive NRX I own. I tried my buddies 822S SYR thinking I had a bum rod and his felt dead as well. I have been fishing the NRX 822S DSR for Lake Erie Smallmouth both in casting the flats or dragging through a drift in 40ft of water (never just vertical fishing) since 2010 (when the NRX came out) and it has handled Smallmouth over 6 pounds fine. Just a great rod and one I highly recommend for drop shotting.

[legendaryyaj]

I fish Erie a lot for Smallmouth. I have the NRX 852S JWR, NRX 822S SYR, and NRX 822S DSR. The one I use for all my drop shot needs is the NRX 822S DSR. It claims it is designed for drop shot fishing and they are right. I find the tip of the 852S to be just a bit too stout for drop shotting and the 822S SYR is by far the least sensitive NRX I own. I tried my buddies 822S SYR thinking I had a bum rod and his felt dead as well. I have been fishing the NRX 822S DSR for Lake Erie Smallmouth both in casting the flats or dragging through a drift in 40ft of water (never just vertical fishing) since 2010 (when the NRX came out) and it has handled Smallmouth over 6 pounds fine. Just a great rod and one I highly recommend for drop shotting.

Oh the decisions!!!! Thanks for the input.

Do you give out GPS coordinates too?

[cndbasshunter]

if i were to pick one for erie ds it would be the NRX852S or Shakeyhead. Has the power you need and both more than sensitive enough.

i've owned the nrx852, 822, xx shakey head, steez ags ml, and xx drop shot.

How much more powerful is the 852s vs the Shakeyhead? My local store doesn't have a 852s for me to fondle.

The 852 is xf and loads much faster than the SH, SH is F with and loads slower. Power wise they are both more than capable, upper end of M.

[Lucky Craft Man]

I fish Erie a lot for Smallmouth. I have the NRX 852S JWR, NRX 822S SYR, and NRX 822S DSR. The one I use for all my drop shot needs is the NRX 822S DSR. It claims it is designed for drop shot fishing and they are right. I find the tip of the 852S to be just a bit too stout for drop shotting and the 822S SYR is by far the least sensitive NRX I own. I tried my buddies 822S SYR thinking I had a bum rod and his felt dead as well. I have been fishing the NRX 822S DSR for Lake Erie Smallmouth both in casting the flats or dragging through a drift in 40ft of water (never just vertical fishing) since 2010 (when the NRX came out) and it has handled Smallmouth over 6 pounds fine. Just a great rod and one I highly recommend for drop shotting.

Oh the decisions!!!! Thanks for the input.

Do you give out GPS coordinates too?

For enough money, I do

[legendaryyaj]

What about the 842s compared to the bunch?

[21farms]

i've seen aaron martens dropshotting on major league fishing and have noticed the same thing: a rod that is too soft and repeated hooksets with the fish on the way up. however, i've fished with the orochi XX ML dropshot rod for the last season and a half and it's not like that at all. definitely a lot more backbone and, boy, the XX can really launch dropshot rigs a looong ways (casting DS rigs or fishing DS rigs deep are its forte, IMHO). balancewise, this rod seems to have been designed to be held with all of the fingers in front of the reel stem which i do not do.

this year, i picked up an NRX822S and an NRX852S. i know some people dropshot with the 852S but i would only do so in a pinch because the tip section just isn't light enough for the way i like to gently shake a DS rig. as far as the 822S, i'm in love...i love everything about it except that i keep loosening the rear twisting part of the reel seat when i set the hook or when i'm playing a fish. amazingly sensitive.

[21farms]

okay, i just watched the video of the XX dropshot rod at tacklewarehouse...i would say that's exactly how it fishes. i'm not sure which megabass rod a-mart uses on MLF but it definitely looks less powerful than the orochi XX DS rod. i regularly dropshot in 20-40 feet of water but almost never drop straight down...i rely on long casts and i've never felt underpowered with the orochi XX DS.

[legendaryyaj]

Where's that video at? I looked at the one on Youtube with Aaron introducing the XX rod and he had the DS on hand but didnt flex it.

Aaron bends the rod at the 1:30 mark in this video and it makes me think it I'm going to be underpowered fighting smallies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwOXKeP0Aso

[pbird]

What about the 842s compared to the bunch?

In my opinion, this rod slots perfectly between the 822 dsr and 852s. More backbone than the dsr and a livelier tip than the 852. I use mine primarily for shakeyhead use with a 2500 CI4+, for which it is perfect. Much better for my taste than the 822 syr. For 5/16 or 3/8 oz drop shot, the 842s is fantastic.

[21farms]

Where's that video at? I looked at the one on Youtube with Aaron introducing the XX rod and he had the DS on hand but didnt flex it.

Aaron bends the rod at the 1:30 mark in this video and it makes me think it I'm going to be underpowered fighting smallies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwOXKeP0Aso

it's the product video on the page for the orochi xx spinning rodshttp://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Megabass_Orochi ... BRXXS.html

[Bronzeye]

Boy--that is a soft rod! Can anyone confirm that the 6'10" Enigma rod, which he also designed, is about the same in power and taper?