The West Coast is home to some of the best bass fishing in the country and offers a wide range of fishery types. The region's bass fisheries are similar but very different as Northern and Southern California can seem like worlds apart. Add in the Pacific Northwest and the Colorado River lakes and you have two more diverse regions that require a different approach.
Newly crowned U.S. Open champion Kyle Grover has spent years fishing throughout the western states and knows that each lake type requires a different approach, gear, and lures. The following are his favorite rod setups for fishing on the West Coast.
Fishing The Desert Lakes
When fishing Mead, Havasu, or Mohave, where he recently claimed the biggest win of his career, Grover said a spinning rod will get a lot of work. Looking back at the U.S. Open, he said that all but one fish came on the spinning rod.
"I like the 7-foot, 1-inch, and 7-foot, 3-inch medium rods in the blue St. Croix Legend Tournament Bass series," he said. "They are very sensitive and an extra fast tip. They are both very nice spinning rods that can handle all the finesse techniques you need in the desert."
Two other essentials for the desert lakes are a good jig rod and something to throw a jerkbait.
For his jigs, Grover is a big fan of spider grubs and round-head jigs and fishes them both on a 7-foot, 3-inch medium heavy in the same Legend Tournament Bass lineup. "It's a very sensitive rod and very balanced," he said. "I use that for fishing spider grubs and 3/8 and ½-ounce jigs. The round head made by Phenix and Boss are great and don't seem to hang up as much and do better coming through the grass."
For his jerkbaits, he likes a 6-foot, 8-inch medium, again in the same series. "It's got a nice short handle, so you can make those tight rod movements when you see one following it on ActiveTarget," he said. "It's got a nice, soft tip for working the jerkbait, but it's also a great rod for throwing a Rico."
Fishing SoCal Lakes
When fishing near his home in Southern California, Grover again believes his spinning rods are crucial, but he also goes to the opposite end of the spectrum and throws swimbaits.
"Obviously, you have to have spinning rods when fishing Southern California, but I still throw a lot of swimbaits," he said. "I like the St. Croix Grasp handles for fishing big baits. The 7-foot, 10-inch heavy is great for fishing a Huddleston and 7 or 8-inch line through. I also use it a bunch for fishing a big Trash Fish on Clear Lake."
Another good option for SoCal is a topwater rod. Grover likes the 7-foot, 5-inch, medium-heavy "Warhorse" model. "It's great for throwing a Whopper Plopper or super spook, and it doesn't 'shut off' as down the rod. It has a nice parabolic bend through the rod," he said. "This is important so you don't pull the treble hooks out when you get one hooked."
Fishing Clear Lake and the Delta
Grover has had plenty of success up north, including a Toyota Series win on Clear Lake and plenty of Top 10s there and on the Delta. When he fishes there, he brings many of the same rods but adds a few more.
You can't mention these two fisheries without talking about fishing a frog and punching. For flipping and punching, he prefers the 7-foot, 11-inch heavy "Power Flip'N Heavy," and his favorite model for the frog is the "Slop-N-Frog," a 7-foot, 4-inch heavy model, both in the Legend Tournament Bass series. The frog rod is also available in the Mojo Bass lineup.
"The 'Slop-N-Frog' is a rod you always have to have on the deck on those lakes, but I also fish it a lot on Havasu when the frog bite is on," said Grover.
Two other musts for these two fisheries is something to throw a ChatterBait and a squarebill crankbait. He prefers a glass rod in the St. Croix Legend Glass series for both.
"The 7-foot, 4-inch medium heavy is an excellent ChatterBait rod, and I'll also use it for spinnerbaits," said Grover. "I like the 7-foot, 2-inch medium for my squarebills. Both rods are glass but very light and have a lot of power. You can rip baits free from grass with no problem."
While the lakes throughout the West Coast have some similarities, there are always some must-have techniques you need to throw at certain fisheries. The rods listed above are Kyle Grover's go-to setups when he finds himself close to home in Southern California or when venturing to Northern California or the Colorado River lakes.
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