Hi there,
I'm looking to get some expert advice on crankbait rods and reels for largemouth bass.
I've been fishing for a while, but inconsistently- from a time commitment perspective and species. I'm going to buy a new rod and reel specifically for crankbaits and have been doing a fair amount of research (maybe too much) to inform my decision on rod selection. Most of the forum questions, debates, etc seem to focus on brands (Dobyns, St. Croix, G Loomis and many more) and less on specific qualities/specifications of rods. From what I can tell and for my purposes (I fish on lakes where the max depth is 20' in some places; don't fish rivers; lures are mostly under 1 oz; and I'd like some versatility to be able to throw the occasional spinnerbait, lipless crank or popper lures), the ideal crankbait (spinning) rod appears to be a 7' medium power and fast action and either graphite or glass. A reel's gear ratio seems to range from 5:1 to 6.3:1, but since I mostly fish in shallow waters that are under 12' deep I should probably go with the 6.3:1 gear ratio. Does that sound about right to folks? Any additional insights/considerations are greatly appreciated too. For what it's worth, I'd like to spend under $250, which is a decent chunk of change, but I'd rather buy 1 great rod (for now) and not waste time and money. This leads me to my next, but less pressing question- if a rod meets all the necessarily qualifications/specs for it's intended technique, why spend a ton of money on a brand?
Thank you very much,
el Largo
