Crankbait

[bassin]

Looking for a new crankin stick. Any good recommendations/experiences?

Ever use an American Rodsmiths?

[waterfoul]

I"m using a BPS CRankin Stick and love it!! Can't beat the price or the warranty.

[slowpoke]

Looking for a new crankin stick. Any good recommendations/experiences?

Ever use an American Rodsmiths?

If I do I'll sell it to you cheap. Where do you live?

[bassdisaster]

What exactly is a crankin stick?
Well i bellieve its a rod designed specifically for DIVING crankbaits.
So the QUESTION is what MAKES a good CRANKIN rod, what are the benifits of it and why?
Ive been led to believe a MH rod 7ft or so, with a moderately slow action is ideal, to me this would be so as NOT to pull the hooks loose, conversely ive seen BASS Pro's on TV using the same basic SLOW action rod's for JIG fishing?
Lets see what we as a whole believe a CRANKIN stick should be?

BD

[wolverines]

I think a slower action is important so the trebs aren't ripped out...
I think the power is needs to be matched with the size of the bait...

With that being said, I think some of crankbait rods on the market are a little to "weak" if you will for fishing our weedy lakes in MI. I think they're made for guys fishing off-shore structure down south (excluding FL of course). You need to be able to rip the bait out of the weeds up here...I think a medium power 7' casting rod with a nice soft tip is the way to go for lakes around here. I've always heard fiberglass rod, slow geared reel in the past...not a good set-up for weedy lakes IMO...

[waterfoul]

My Crankin Stick is a Medium action composite/glass rod. I don't have too much trouble getting it out of the weeds.

[sea nympho]

ALL depends on what crank you're-a-crankin' and, like wolverines said, where you're-a-crankin' it.

Better buy a few! ;)

Last year I reluctanly boought a composite/glass rod for cranks, to satisfy my curiosity w/ the craze. It kinda went against what I always used and belived in, so I had to try it - lest everyone else know something I didn't.

With certain cranks, like a DT10 (one 'o my fav's), it works GREAT, better than the stiff graphite rods I used to pitch it on. Gives the crank better action, but my verdicts still out on the whole hookset thing. I prefer to stick the fish the second it licks my bait(no big hookset, I just lift the rod tip while reeling), and the glass makes that hard. I really don't get why that delayed response is BENEFICIAL w/ cranks, I think it's cost me fish. I started fishing cranks @ 10yo w/ no one telling me squat on how-to except to troll 'em. So what I've learned has beed thru my own experience, others might have come to different conclutions.

[Bailipanga]

I bought this one (berkley tactix) last year and loved it. It has alot of flex because of the glass and allows my crankbaits to really work. I have it matched with a 5.2.1 pflueger trion and 10 lb mono. This set up will cast a mile. The price isn't to bad either.

http://www.berkley-fishing.com/prod.php?k=96687&sk=50172&u=TXC

[jim sasser]

I bought a composte/glass crank'n rod at the ultiment fishing show last year. its a grant guide series med.action of course a bait caster set up.thing that sold me was the send it back to us broke we'll give u a new one.handles dt-16 rap's and big normans crank baits great....

[Jason Ammerman]

Fenwick elite teck reaction bait rod, 60-40 split, Great rod soft tip good backbone! $229.00

[wolverines]

My Crankin Stick is a Medium action composite/glass rod. I don't have too much trouble getting it out of the weeds.


Our Mediums must be very different, which one do you use? I hardly use mine anymore because it's too soft, even with flourocarbon. If I use it at all it's for Baby 1-'s.

I'll use my MH and H both 7' 99% of the time. I think the composites are great rods and deffinately serve a pupose, but the way I've been throwing cranks latety I think I'd do just as well with a graphite rod. Don't get me wrong, my H is perfect (keep in mind it's a H composite cranking rod not a broom handle;)) for what I do, I just think I could get away with the right graphite rod too.

[RJSwirlz]

Like a couple have mentioned already, it really depends on what type of crankin' you're into. For shallow weedless flats or deeper offshore structure, I use a fiberglass 7' med St. Croix. For cranking and ripping out of weeds, I use a 7' med/heavy graphite Gloomis. The gloomis works well for rat-l-traps as well and is more versatile for michigan fishing.

[stinky reinke]

RJSwilrz is full of ****, I saw him and his partner on ESPN a coupld months ago and it looked like they didn't know what they were doing.

[waterfoul]

Our Mediums must be very different, which one do you use? I hardly use mine anymore because it's too soft, even with flourocarbon. If I use it at all it's for Baby 1-'s.

I'll use my MH and H both 7' 99% of the time. I think the composites are great rods and deffinately serve a pupose, but the way I've been throwing cranks latety I think I'd do just as well with a graphite rod. Don't get me wrong, my H is perfect (keep in mind it's a H composite cranking rod not a broom handle;)) for what I do, I just think I could get away with the right graphite rod too.


Well, ask anyone I fish with... I don't throw a lot of cranks. But when I do it's usually in more open water with sparse weeds so I'm probably not the BEST person to say whether or not it's a great rod for ripping out of the weeds. But I've never had an issue with the Crankin Stick. I throw mostly DT's on it but have been known to tie a rattle-trap at times. Usually I throw my rattle traps on a Medium Shimano 7' Compre though.

[RJSwirlz]

sTINKYrEINKE, anytime you want to challenge me to a crankbait only fishing contest, just let me know.

[Jnamo]

I throw mostly DT's on it but have been known to tie a rattle-trap at times.

Don't throw very many Rat-L-Traps or Red Eye Shads???

I am surprised...

Don't know why, but I am!

[wolverines]

But when I do it's usually in more open water with sparse weeds so I'm probably not the BEST person to say whether or not it's a great rod for ripping out of the weeds.



It might be just fine. Two different manufactures Mediums can be quite different. Mine's a Loomis 7' M CBR and it's like a noodle rod as far bass fishing goes:lol:

I'll sell it for $100 if anyone wants it:evilsmile

[waterfoul]

Don't throw very many Rat-L-Traps or Red Eye Shads???

I am surprised...

Don't know why, but I am!


I do actually throw traps and red-eye shads often... but there is a reason I don't throw them for very long. Due to a minor stroke I had 1.5 years ago my left hand just can't palm a bait cast reel for any period of time, a couple minutes and my hand just aches. I just ordered two left hand retrieve reels in the hopes I can learn to reel in a crank or trap with my left hand.

[Jnamo]

That is why I use both left and right hand baitcasters, my back hurts if I just use the one hand all day. I have to switch things up for the sake of my health...

This response could look really bad if someone looks at this the wrong way...!!!:D

[waterfoul]

That is why I use both left and right hand baitcasters, my back hurts if I just use the one hand all day. I have to switch things up for the sake of my health...

This response could look really bad if someone looks at this the wrong way...!!!:D


No... not on this site!!:lol:

[bassdisaster]

I do actually throw traps and red-eye shads often... but there is a reason I don't throw them for very long. Due to a minor stroke I had 1.5 years ago my left hand just can't palm a bait cast reel for any period of time, a couple minutes and my hand just aches. I just ordered two left hand retrieve reels in the hopes I can learn to reel in a crank or trap with my left hand.

Im thinking? why dont I have a problem with all day use of a baitcaster?
I have had wrist surgery, my left arm is now 1/2" shorter than my right after multi reconstruction surgery's!
And yes I hold the rod with my left hand!
I think it has to do with how you use it, I see Pro's cast then change hands and then they crank with the same hand they casted with! I dunno why? I cast with the same hand I hold the rod with, no changing hands!
I snap a buzzbait off the water as its hitting, cant do that changing hands unless you change hands befor it hits the water and that means BACKLASH CITY!

Mike will you still be casting with the same hand, if so You may consider changing casting hand's too? It's alot to learn but may well be worth it!
Just a thought?


BD

[waterfoul]

My hope is there will be NO hand changing at all with the left hand retrieve. To top it all off I have tendonitis in my left elbow from my 15 years at JCI. Add it all up and my left arm is just not up to all day fishing. This is one reason I like my spinning rods so much and tend to finesse fish more than most... it's simply easier on me. Plus it seems to work most days anyway. :D

[Flash]

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/guides/crankbaits.html

The above is consistent with other articles I've read on crankbait rods. Slower action, typically fiberglass or composite. If I am not mistaken, KVD uses a fiberglass for cranks as does David Fritz and others. In my short time fishing, I have learned that when the fish are biting, one can catch them on just about anything. When they are not, then that is when the skills of the angler (and their equipment) are tested. But then some of us think it is simply fun and enjoyable to retrieve a crank and feel the action of the lure itself. But we are probably sick or something.

[wolverines]

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/guides/crankbaits.html

The above is consistent with other articles I've read on crankbait rods. Slower action, typically fiberglass or composite. If I am not mistaken, KVD uses a fiberglass for cranks as does David Fritz and others. In my short time fishing, I have learned that when the fish are biting, one can catch them on just about anything. When they are not, then that is when the skills of the angler (and their equipment) are tested. But then some of us think it is simply fun and enjoyable to retrieve a crank and feel the action of the lure itself. But we are probably sick or something.


KVD talks about that in one of his books...I went to one of his seminars at DNR a while back and he talked about crank'n some of our local lakes. Graphite rods, high speed reels...totally contradicting his book. You've got to get a set-up that works for you how and where you're going to use it...

IMHO....KVD, Fritz, and other great pro's don't crankbait fish a lot of weeds like we have here in MI. I could be wrong but this has been what I've observed. There're crank'n over grass, rocks, wood, and along deep ledges where those set-ups they describe shine. You use that set-up and run that bait down into some milfoil and all you're going to come up with is a great big gob of milfoil...