Pros’ Preferred Ledge Rods

The most versatile sticks for the ledges

With the Walmart FLW Tour event on Lake Chickamauga right around the corner and the offshore action hot throughout the south, right now is the time to be chucking big stuff on the ledges. We quizzed four of the best offshore anglers around on the rod that they get the most out of and why they like it. If you need a new rod and have ledges on the brain, these four are worth your consideration.

Randy Haynes – Kistler KLX 7-6 Heavy Action 

“I’ve got six of them, and that’s my all-purpose rod. It has a good heavy action with a lot of backbone and just a little bit of tip,” says Haynes.

Haynes throws all the typical slow stuff such as jigs and Carolina rigs with the KLX, but he also uses the rod for big spinnerbaits, swimbaits, “the old size” flutter spoons and is comfortable pressing it into service for a big crankbait as well. He almost always matches it with a Lew’s Tournament Pro in the 7.1:1 gear ratio and will comfortably use anywhere from 12- to 25-pound-test fluorocarbon.

Jason Lambert – Duckett Micro Magic Pro 7-6 Extra-Heavy Action

“I like the micro guides because of the extra casting distance you get with them,” Lambert says. “I usually have five or six on my deck all the time.”

Lambert also mentioned that the Duckett rods tend to run a little bit light, so the extra-heavy-action model he uses behaves like some other companies’ heavy models. As far as baits, the Tennessee pro mostly sticks to swimbaits, jigs and smaller flutter spoons with it. That said, the rod is in the sweet spot where it could be used for more that that. Lambert’s usual reel is a 6.3:1 Duckett 360 Casting Reel, and he nearly always uses 17-pound-test Vicious fluorocarbon.

Clent Davis – Phenix Ultra MBX 7-7 Heavy Action

“It’s light and sensitive and strong as an ox. I’ve learned you need to keep them coming to you out on the ledges, and that rod never gives the fish a chance,” Davis says.

Davis leans on the Ultra MBX primarily for throwing big swimbaits, magnum spoons, 10-inch worms and giant crankbaits. He likes to fish a reel with a 6:1 gear ratio to help slow down his retrieve, and he opts for 20-pound-test Yo-Zuri Hybrid instead of fluorocarbon for his workhorse rod.

Michael Neal – Cashion Flipping Rod 7-6 Medium-Heavy Action

“I never use anything shorter than 7-3 for fishing deep,” says Neal. “I like the length of it; it lets you cast big baits all day without getting tired, and the carbon fiber handle lets you feel them bite.”

Neal, who is a favorite for Chickamauga, says he’ll put the Cashion to use with a bucktail jig, all his swimbaits, big vibrating jigs and Scroungers. Though he usually goes with a lighter rod for worms and football jigs, Neal says that the 7-6 Cashion could handle them as well. He pairs the rod with a Lew’s reel with a 6:1 gear ratio and always uses 20-pound-test Sunline FC Sniper fluorocarbon.