I recently got hold of a low profile baitcaster & not sure which rod to pair it with. I've always bottom fished, new to this artificial lure jazz. Any suggestions? We're going to check out matagorda bay next week. Thanks!

What reel do you have? Braid or mono? Length and Price range. Will get you some responses

$50 and under Ugly stick inshore
50-60 H2O Ethos Medium or MH
My go to is the Falcon XG coastal m 7'6 runs around 89 but you can catch it on sale.
Best bet is to go and touch them yourself though what we like you may hate.

I have a Penn Pursuit baitcaster, never used braid but could give it a try. & a friend lent me a penn legion rod / extra fast action, though gotta say it feels super stiff... tried flicking a 5/8 oz jig but doesn't go too far.. 20ft at most... practice practice practice i suppose.

It takes some practice. You may need to loosen the cast control and adjust the centrifugal brakes to get more distance. If you are near a fishing tackle unlimited check out the bayrunner they aren't high but they have a nice backbone and they aren't stiff.

Ok.will try them oit. Thanks!

Get an abu garcia black maxx rod.

It is an older rod, but my All Star Classic Coastal Special, casts most lures a mile.

It is a 7'6" 17lb class medium / moderate fast coach whip and casts just about anything up to an ounce. It is also a great rod for catching slot fish, bigger fish take more work to bring in.

For 1/2 inch and up baits I like to use Academy's Angler series rod, 7ft medium. It casts well, is very inexpensive, and will take on the bigguns well, surprisingly.

Haha Pferox that's teasing. That rod is a hard to find item, along with the shrimp tail I know because I have been looking for both of them. They don't build them like that anymore.

I like the TFO Mangrove bait casting rods and then Castaway rods

Yea I know, I have been fishing Academy's Tournament Choice Roughneck spinning rod, got a 7ft M, it is a 14lb line class and works with lighter stuff pretty well. It is kind of like a $20 version of an Ugly Stick GX2, but nowhere as stiff. I was amazed at how sensitive it is though. For summer Bayou fishing I put a 2000 Penn Fierce on it, and 8lb Hi Viz Cxx, and I can feel the little gafftops taking the bait off of the hook. It makes for a good croaker catching rod, probably for other stuff too, but haven't caught anything else since getting sick. Thinking about relining with 832, now that would be a great set up for catching some fish.

^^^^ walmart has the 7 ft ugly stick inshore for $20.00. I like those a little more than the gx. I'm going back to highlands reservoir. I got some nice drum and some small hybrids. I'm yet to get a crappie.

Really, wow! I haven't seen them around here, then again Baytown's Wal Mart kind of sux.

The Backwaters 7' - 7'6" Medium is $29.00 at Wal-mart and they are not stiff lots of action.

The Falcon Coastal 7' - 7'6" is $89.00 (best) for all around use bottom and soft baits.

The Ugly stick Intercostal is a good choice but a little stiff IMO for more than bait on the bottom.

Any bass rod is good... my buddy and I always kill it with lures and artificials. We use our bass gear but it's not that cheap. From ducket rods to falcons and carrot stix to caenans and curados. I would suggest to get yourself one of those ethos rods from academy. Castaways are real nice and so are St. Croix but I don't know your budget.