I'll let you know what I like, but preface by letting you know that there are many very good seabass anglers that prefer something totally different. Three different rods, for three different techniques. Keep in mind, I like LOOOONG rods. Why? Because I can cast further with them. I can move more line when setting the hook. AND, because I have a truck and transporting them is no big deal.
Jig Stick: (For dropper loop fishing) Rod in the rod holder with a heavy torpedo sinker near the bottom you do not want a stiff rod that will whip up and down when the boat rocks. This will tear off the squid, and look pretty stupid in front of a hungry seabass. I like my old 270 8' for this. Its a fiberglass rod, yes. Soft tip, but not so soft that I can't throw the surface iron with it. I can really lean on a seabass with this rod, and have been fishing 80# Spectra to 60-80# fluorocarbon on it. Slow action and softer tip that a typical jig stick, it absorbs head shakes like a Cadillac over a speed bump.
Medium Bait Stick: 9' Phoenix (I have no idea what the #'s are) 15-40# rod with cork handles and a trigger reel seat. Not as fast as a 20-40# rod, so I get that shock absorber thing going again. Light as a feather and graphite so I can feel a seabass looking at the bait with the Spectra and very short top shot. A small reel like a Trinidad TN14 with 300+ yards of 65# braid feels perfect on this rod. Use it for 25# to 50# topshots and the slider rig. Will turn a 40# yellow around, but still be fun to catch bass on.
Light Bait Stick: I will say that my new Abu Garcia "Volatile" VOLC80-6 (12-25#) rod with matching REVO Toro is hard to put down this year. But my fav is the Phoenix "Black Diamond" PSW 866-L (8-25#) rod. At 8'-6" its plenty long enough for me, with enough backbone to switch reels if necessary and fish the 30# topshot. I like the Trinidad 14N or one of my tricked out old Daiwa SL20's. Again, the sensitivity is more important than the action, but the action is perfect anyways! This is a great outfit for tournaments that require lighter lines for more points, or when I just KNOW the seabass are down there and want to get a bite on light line because they will not bite the 40#.
Seabass do not have soft mouths in the way that you can rip the hook out if you pull too hard. They have a soft mouth in the way that, when you are pulling on the fish, the hook tears a hole big enough for the hook to fall out if you do not keep tension on the line 100% of the time. Longer, slower rods help to keep the hook tight where it is, instead of falling out when the fish shakes its head (or does one of those famous "instant" changes in direction).
Often when fishing seabass, its the guy that casts far away from the boat and the chummed up bass that hooks the seabass or yellow. A longer rod does that for me. Yes the tip is soft, but with a 9' rod I can move 18' of line in one swift swing. (Keep in mind I am winding as I swing like Roland Martin). Just don't stand beside me when I do.
