Recommend a rod for fishing Senkos / Flukes

I bought a Falcon weightless worm rod, and missed a lot more fish on it than normal last weekend. Its super sensitive, accurate and casts with nice distance, but I feel like it doesnt have the backbone to drive the hook through on larger fish. Thinking of sending it back and doing an exchange. I mostly throw a split shot rig, but with a probably a 1/16 split shot.

Looking at the G Loomis E6X in a 7MH or Dobyns DC 704SF, thinking they may have a fast enough tip but enough sensitivity. Any thoughts on those two or others?

Braid to leader and thinner wire hooks solve a lot of issues with weightless senkos and flukes.

I've had good luck with 703, but I'm also looking to upgrade for handling larger fish. I'm looking at the 734 so that I can maintain the same kind of tip but with a stronger backbone. I fish weightless 90% of the time with this setup and usually with a fluke. I haven't tried braid to leader with this setup yet, but I can see the benefits to doing so.

I like thinner wire hook idea as well.

Falcon 1610 mh

The Champion 734 is perfect for it

If the thinner wire hooks don't work out for you, the G. Loomis E6XT 853C JWR is a fine rod for what you're needing it for.

^^^^^^^
yep. shouldn't have any trouble sticking a big fish with that setup.

think about it this way, its no problem to hook a big fish using a fairy wand on a drop shot without a hook-set.

G Loomis GLX 893C

Use thin Trokar hooks.....they will require a minimum of power to set.

The weightless worm is way to light for those baits. I use it for topwater baits and it's good for that. I use a 7' medium heavy trap caster for senkos and flukes unless I'm fishing the big flukes, then I use a heavy.

My vote would be for the Dobyns Champion rod. GREAT rod for those applications and still a good amount of backbone in it. Of course, I LIKE the MH rods with a fast tip for a LOT of applications. But, this rod is VERY good for the application you want it for. Hope this helps. Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Thad Rains

Duckett Ghost or Veritas 2.0 MH 7'3".

I use 20 lb Flouro.

Gamakatsu 3/0 EWG.

I fish them quite a bit around a variety of cover. If I get a hookset, I seldom lose a fish!

I've caught a lot of big fish on the Cara Weightless Worm rod. What type line & hook were you using? I primary using for wacky rig. 40# braid with 15# Fluoro leader with Gamakatsu wide gap finesse hook.

However, the Finesse Jig Rod is great for weightless Senkos/Fluke too and has more backbone. It use it for weightless texposed with a Gamakatsu superline hook.

Thanks, I have an email into Dobyns to see if someone can give me a call back to firm up my choice. I have a couple of 7'3" TFO bass rods that work fairly well and older Falcon rod. Dobyns is about only rod manufacturer I dont have in the arsenal, so interested to try one

On flukes I use a Gamakatsu 3/0 EWG. On Senkos, I feel I get better hookups with a round bend offset, usually a 4/0 if potential for big bites is there.

Wacky rigged senko type bait I use a 683 Powell Max 3D and fishing the senko and fluke tx. rigged weightless I use a 684 Powell Max 3D, I like a rod shorter than 7ft because for this technique I twitch the baits with the rod tip pointed at the water.

On the tx. rig I use an Owner 4/0 J hook for both the senko and the fluke.

I use a Dobyns DX 743, it works very well for flukes and senkos fished weightless.

I like the EWGs as well. It adds a little more of a keel to the bait and keeps it from rolling when twitching the bait.

If you want to stay with Falcon rods, this year my partner and I have been using a Falcon Cara McCelland 7'2" MH for senkos and split shot flukes. He has used it more than I have and has been bragging how much he likes it. He is pretty hard to impress when it comes to rods. I just need more time on the water with it.

http://www.falconrods.com/mike-mccelland.html

I have never like the weightless worm rod for those techniques even though a lot of people do. Finesse Jig Rod is perfect for both techniques. CC-5-1610MH

^^^^ that would be my other pick of falcon rods. I own a couple of them. Coach

I fish flukes A LOT and my normal fluke rig is the Dobyn's Champion 703C. I love that rod for flukes, both the standard 5" and the mag 7". Unfortunately it has a broken guide and I just haven't replaced it yet so in the meantime I have been using a H20 Express Matrix 7' MH Fast w/micros and I must say that, for a rod that was apparently originally part of a combo which I talked the managed down to $50 bucks for, I really really like that setup...you know, if you are on a budget. Just my $.02

4/0 trokar ewg is all you need.

Just to close the loop, I called Dobyns and walked the gentleman on the phone through what I was trying to do and the issues I had with the Falcon weightless worm, and he recommended a Champion 704C, so its on order with some thinner wire hooks to go with it

I think you will like it. I have the 703c. It's good but sometimes I'd like more backbone.

TFO 7'3" MH

I am sure you will enjoy it and it will fit the bill for you. CONGRATS!!!!!!!! Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Thad Rains