Crankbait Rod

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Randall J DeFreese on June 13, 2011 at 5:25am

Doybn's 704CB.....Best crank rod I've had. I also have a Lamiglass but the Dobyn's is the one I prefer.

Permalink Reply by Joel Alinen on June 13, 2011 at 8:17am

Depends on what size crank your throwing.  I recently got the Phenix Ultra MBX Casting X-12 Rod, its a 7'6" rod and I personally think its the best rod crankin rod Ive used.  It can throw cranks as small as the speed trap up to the DD Little John no problem.  I recently used it with a Bommer 7A over a three day tourney on Banks and think it performed very well.

http://www.basstackledepot.com/phenix-rods.aspx 

Permalink Reply by BigBass Dez on June 13, 2011 at 8:57am

+1 ..The 704CB Champion series is awesome stick for cranks and Jerkbaits ...Randall feel free to go right into either 3 rivers marine or Auburn Sports marine too check this rod out . Dobyns offers a demo rod program too all retailers that will allow you to field test this rod for atleast a week , that way you can get a good feel of the product before making your final decision .

Randall J DeFreese said:

Doybn's 704CB.....Best crank rod I've had. I also have a Lamiglass but the Dobyn's is the one I prefer.

Permalink Reply by P.J. Koshi on June 13, 2011 at 9:11am

The Dobyns and the Loomis crankbait rods are the ones I am going to stick with from now on.  If you want a Lamiglas look long and hard for one that says composite crankbait on the blank.  I think they were made for a limited amount of time, but they are not heavy pigs like the majority of the glass crankbait rods Lamiglas makes because they are graphite on the bottom section of the blank and fiberglass where it counts.  This is the same design as the new Dobyns fiberglass crankbait rods, they are composite too.  I have a Gloomis crankbait rod that is all graphite and it's great.  Super light and it doesn't pull you because they have the action just right.

Permalink Reply by Erik Faiola on June 13, 2011 at 10:03am

XCF 705 Lamiglas is what I have and absolutely love it. Unfortunately I also broke my cranking rod last week and its in for replacement.

Permalink Reply by Marc Marcantonio on June 13, 2011 at 11:00am

My views on crankbait rods may differ from those of a lot of other people, but I am convinced that my views are worth considering no matter what brand of rod you choose for crankbaits.

 

Based on your statement that you liked your previous rod because "it was light, had a soft tip and strong backbone", my recommendation on a crankbait rod may not work for you.  Conversely, the advice you get from others touting their "brand" and why it is the best may work for you, but would not be close to what I consider to be the "best" crankbait rod choice.

 

To me, the BEST choice is the rod that puts more bass in my livewell, and also gives me the best chance of landing the bass of a lifetime.  In other words, my primary choice in my priority list of features is how well the rod increases my chances of catching (hooking and landing) both my biggest bass ever and the most bass.

 

Lightweight, comfort, etc. means nothing to me if I have to sacrifice size or numbers of bass landed.  Yes, the rod has to be at least comfortable enough to want to use it all day, but shaving a few fractions of an ounce of weight is unwise if it comes at the expense of hurting my success rate.

 

Crankbaits have a basic problem; i.e. they use treble hooks.  Treble hooks are easyfor a bass to throw, particularly when bass jump or when you have to change your rod angle and direction when playing a bass.  Because of this fact, a crankbait rod has to compensate for this weakness to minimize the frequency of poorly hooked bass, and being able to throw the lure once hooked.

 

Fiberglass is the best material available to date since it can be formed into a rod that has an evenly parabolic bend, and a slow recovery speed; both my primary wants in any rod that uses lures with treble hooks.  Sure, some manufacturers can taper graphite or boron to produce parabolic bends, but these tapers will likely break if the bend is sufficient to work properly, and no matter how they taper the blank it will always have too fast of a recovery rate to be optimal. 

 

To understand what I am talking about in "recovery rate or speed", imagine bending the tip of your rod down to a specific point, and then letting it go.  The speed the rod returns to the straight condition is it's recovery speed.  Fast is not good when trying to land a big bass that is shaking its head or jumping with a heavy crankbait using treble hooks.  That shaking and jumping and a graphite rod's recovery speed guarantees some slack in your line, and extra tearing of the flesh by the hook due to uneven pressure, and results in more lost fish.  

 

A graphite rod will certainly be lighter, and more enjoyable to use all day long, and may give one more "fishing" pleasure, but it will NOT give one more "catching" pleasure.  Yes, it is my personal and strong opinion; you make your own decision and choice.

 

Composite rods are not a "best of all worlds", but rather a compromise.  They are marketed to those who want features like you desire, but they do not work as well as a properly designed all glass rod.  Manufacturers make them because people want and buy them, and selling rods is their business.

 

All glass rods that are properly tapered are both durable and flexible.  They are also heavier in total weight, and appear even heavier (perception is many people's reality) because the blank's diameter is bigger.  That being said, there are lighter variations or blend's of fiberglass (like "S" glass vs. "E" glass cloth material).  Most glass rods use E Glass because it is more readily available and less expensive than S glass. 

 

My personal favorite glass rod is no longer in production; it is the Lamiglas SPC 703, which used an "S" glass blank.  The reason it became discontinued was because the S glass made the rod more expensive, and anglers didn't understand the cost/benefit ratio and didn't want to spend the extra money.  Since then Lamiglas has made their current glass model as close to the SPC 703 as possible using E Glass (same glass as other rod manufacturer's), just to keep it competitive in price with other manufacturers. 

 

You won't likely find one of the discontinued Lamiglas models, because I (and several others) have bought every single one available from all the stores on the west coast.  For years we have begged Lamiglas to resurrect this model, but the problem has been the source of quality S Glass cloth material from Corning has been limited to huge quantities that could not be justified in rod sales.  We continue to be hopeful that Lamiglas will bring this rod back, and with modern handles and guide placement.

 

Sorry for the dissertation, and for not giving you a simple rod model choice, but there is much more to a good crankbait rod than lightweight and soft tip; and a strong backbone is a guarantee to lost fish.

 

That is my story, and I'm sticking to it.

 

ciao,
Marc Marcantonio

Permalink Reply by Joel Alinen on June 13, 2011 at 12:31pm

Thanks Marc that was some solid info!  I used to have a great 7 1/2ft fiberglass crankin stick but once I started throwing those big one ounce deep divers that rod just didnt have the nuts to fish those plugs.  I changed to a nice composite with a soft tip and good backbone and throwing those big cranks is now a breeze.  I havent had any issues with lossing fish yet.  What are your thoughts on those fiberglass rods and throwing those big cranks?

Permalink Reply by P.J. Koshi on June 13, 2011 at 12:47pm

I'm guessing an honest reply would include the words start hitting the gym somewhere in there... :) In all honesty though I agree with Marc there is a lot of compromise with this technique. My stature and strength play a big role in my choice of equipment for treble hook fishing.  I cannot throw a 7'6" fiberglass rod longer than maybe an hour without wearing out.  I may sacrifice some on the action using composite and graphite rods, but I don't sacrifice fishing time which to me is more important.  Plus I don't fish for a lot of money very often so comfort and fun take precedent.  Kun the Kistler you had was a composite rod if you liked it there are other good composite rods out there.

Joel Alinen said:

Thanks Marc that was some solid info!  I used to have a great 7 1/2ft fiberglass crankin stick but once I started throwing those big one ounce deep divers that rod just didnt have the nuts to fish those plugs.  I changed to a nice composite with a soft tip and good backbone and throwing those big cranks is now a breeze.  I havent had any issues with lossing fish yet.  What are your thoughts on those fiberglass rods and throwing those big cranks?

Permalink Reply by Zackery Shaff on June 13, 2011 at 1:17pm

I agree with Marc on this one, although I think graphite has its place for cranking (ripping through weedbeds primarily). My two favorite cranking rods are the Lamiglas SR705R which is discontinued I think, and a St. Croix GC70M 10-17lb line, 1/4-3/4 oz. which is also discontinued. The first one is great for cranks heavier than 1/2 oz, like deep little N's and DD22s, while the latter is best with 1/2oz cranks, primarily traps. You can get the Lami used, or just the blank from Mud Hole, and ST Croix looks to have some equivalent rods, like the 7' MH Glass rod from the premier series. The factors that make these rods great: light since they're fiberglass, soft action to keep fish pinned and increase hookups, and can cast a mile. I do not think all of these things can be matched in a graphite rod.

Permalink Reply by Zackery Shaff on June 13, 2011 at 1:32pm

I just think the rod you had wasn't compatible with the big cranks. Fiberglass rods are made with a heavier action and can throw them, you just have to get the right one. 

Joel Alinen said:

Thanks Marc that was some solid info!  I used to have a great 7 1/2ft fiberglass crankin stick but once I started throwing those big one ounce deep divers that rod just didnt have the nuts to fish those plugs.  I changed to a nice composite with a soft tip and good backbone and throwing those big cranks is now a breeze.  I havent had any issues with lossing fish yet.  What are your thoughts on those fiberglass rods and throwing those big cranks?

Permalink Reply by Kun on June 13, 2011 at 4:05pm

Thank for all of the reply.  Marc that was some great info.  I think I might try to look for a use that S-glass Lama rod, if I can find it.  I was thinking maybe I would go with a fiber glass or composite for deep crank and graphite for shallow.  How does that sound.

Permalink Reply by Zackery Shaff on June 13, 2011 at 4:49pm

I would say it depends on what you mean by shallow. If your throwing traps on shallow rocky flats, glass is necessary, for shallow weedbeds, graphite or composite would be more effective in my opinion.  

Kun said:

Thank for all of the reply.  Marc that was some great info.  I think I might try to look for a use that S-glass Lama rod, if I can find it.  I was thinking maybe I would go with a fiber glass or composite for deep crank and graphite for shallow.  How does that sound.

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