Texas Rig/crankbait Rod

[JHudd11]

What type of rod would be best for both texas rig and crankbait fishing?

[jj'sbassinforfun]

I perfer a moderate action for cranks and a fast action for T-rig. Something with a medium fast action would be somewhere in the middle. But you'll probably need to curb you hooksets with cranks if you start missing a lot of fish.

[guitarkid]

6'9" MH/R (regular) daiwa ballistic.

-gk

[Jig Meister]

to me, that requires two rods.

if you only have two rods, you should get a Medium/Moderate for treble hooked lures, and a Meadium-Heavy/Fast for single hooked lures.

that should cover anything you need.

to further that, I would have two medium/moderate, one spinnnig setup for light cranks, and one baitbaster for heavier cranks.

same can go for the medium-heavy/fast

4 setups can cover almost everything

[bassinbrian]

A 7' MH fast action rod and just back off on your drag a little when you throw a crankbait. It'll work just fine

[LuckyHandsINC.]

A 7' MH fast action rod and just back off on your drag a little when you throw a crankbait. It'll work just fine

Get two rods. This is not an adequate solution.

[bassinbrian]

Get two rods. This is not an adequate solution.

It's adequate if you don't want to the spend the money

[Arv]

I would also suggest getting two rods since these are different enough that it will make a difference. Depending on what other set ups you have I would probably buy a MH/F rod since that will be more versatile and get a cranking set up later.

[KSRonH]

I have to agree with the two rod recommendations. These are very different techniques. I prefer a fast action for t-rigs and a moderate action for cranks. I think you wouldn't be happy if you try to do both techniques with the same rod.

[Bankbeater]

I will say use two rods also. Your not going to be throwing cranks in thick slop, and your not going to be burning a t-rig through the water.

[roadwarrior]

For enthusiasts, technique specific gear is fun

to collect. However, three rigs cover all the

basics:

#1 6 1/2' or 7' MH baitcaster for jigs, some

soft plastics and spinnerbaits

#2 6 1/2' or 7' MM baitcaster for treble hook

lures

#3 7' MF spinning rod for lighter lures and a

variety of techniques

[bassinbrian]

What type of rod would be best for both texas rig and crankbait fishing?

No one else is really answering your question other then offering 2 rod recomendations. Since you only asked for 1 rod I still stand by my recommendation. I fish from the bank a lot after work for a bit and it's quite adequate but does spending more money on 2 rods answer the question? Kinda, but not your original question. Honestly just because it's labeled a "crankbait" rod doesn't mean it's the best for all crankbaits. Take lipless cranks for a example, A fast action rod will help rip your bait through the weeds when you pop it up and down or on a straight retrieve. Squarebills is another example on were a fast action rod will help because your usually tossing shallow to shore with weeds or over submerged weeds and I love the extra feel you get when cranking them through brush (You get that little extra sensitivity you need not to get hung up as much.) Both are my personal Preferences and depends greatly on your location and how you like to fish.

If you were to want 2 rods I would recommend a 7'+ MH F or XF for your Trig and as for the crankbait rod it would be 7''+ M or MH fast action depending what cranks you throw the most. Generally speaking shallow to medium divers get a M and Medium to Deep divers (Also if you throw lipless cranks) get the MH.

Good luck

[J Francho]

I have one rod that I'd throw cranks and t-rigged plastics. Saint Croix LTBC70MF "Teaser." However, this is for light, finesse t-rigs, and the cranks I use with it are usually shallow square bills or traps. The fast tip aids in snapping treble hooks off weeds, but the medium power is very forgiving.

[smalljaw67]

Like most have said, 2 rods is the reality, and while you could use 1 rod for both it would be like trying to use a driver for both driving and putting on a golf course. J Francho gave you the best alternative which is a medium power fast action rod, the fast action will work for single hook lures like the t-rig but it will also be forgiving enough that you can fight fish hooked with treble hooks without pulling the hooks out if you are careful. The biggest drawback to this is you are going to have to limit your t-rig to light wire hooks and small weights in sparse cover because the medium power rod just isn't going to drive a superline type hook through a plastic worm or creature into the jaw of a bass in thick weeds so you will have to make some exceptions in the techniques you plan to use with the single rod for both techniques.

[smalljaw67]

Like most have said, 2 rods is the reality, and while you could use 1 rod for both it would be like trying to use a driver for both driving and putting on a golf course. J Francho gave you the best alternative which is a medium power fast action rod, the fast action will work for single hook lures like the t-rig but it will also be forgiving enough that you can fight fish hooked with treble hooks without pulling the hooks out if you are careful. The biggest drawback to this is you are going to have to limit your t-rig to light wire hooks and small weights in sparse cover because the medium power rod just isn't going to drive a superline type hook through a plastic worm or creature into the jaw of a bass in thick weeds so you will have to make some exceptions in the techniques you plan to use with the single rod for both techniques.

[J Francho]

The biggest drawback to this is you are going to have to limit your t-rig to light wire hooks and small weights in sparse cover because the medium power rod just isn't going to drive a superline type hook through a plastic worm or creature into the jaw of a bass in thick weeds

This rod will work fine....

3/8 oz. tungsten, 4/0 Owner Wide Gap Plus, Rage Craw, 12# CXX:

[.ghoti.]

I have one rod that I'd throw cranks and t-rigged plastics. Saint Croix LTBC70MF "Teaser." However, this is for light, finesse t-rigs, and the cranks I use with it are usually shallow square bills or traps. The fast tip aids in snapping treble hooks off weeds, but the medium power is very forgiving.

For a one rod approach I'd agree with this recommendation completely. I have two of these rods and don't go anywhere without at least one of them. Another candidate is another LTB; a 7' MH-XF. This particular rod is not the usual St Croix. It seems to me to be a true MH. It has about the same backbone as the rod JF mentioned; maybe just a hair more power in the butt, and a nice soft tip. I have one of these, and it always goes with me. I usually have a small jig-n-craw or jighead/creature bait tied on. I have used it for cranks and it does that better than I would have thought.

[K_Mac]

For years I did not have a dedicated crankbait rod, using either a 6'6" MH power Fast action with a softer tip than most (an old Lightning Rod circa 1990) or a 6'6" M F Extreme spinning rod. I lost what I believe was a new personal best fishing a Bandit 100 this spring on the lightning rod that I blame in large part on the using the wrong rod for this application. I am now using a St. Croix glass rod that I have also had for years, but was in need of a couple of new guides. This rod is rated 1/4 -3/4 (same as the Lightning Rod) and is a much better choice IMO. My point is while you can get by using one rod, RW's three rod recommendation is a solid place to start.

[JHudd11]

The two rods that I have now are a 7' MH Veritas and a 7'3 MH Duckett that I use for jigs and frogs. I use my veritas as an all around rod and put on soft plastics, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, etc. But since crankbait and texas rig fishing are what i use most, I wanted another rod that I dedicate to just those two. So i was thinking like a 7' M with a fast tip duckett would work good?

[IMPACT01]

Simple the skeet Reese Carolina rig rod will give both great feel for cranking and plenty long for great casting as welll great power for pulling hogs from the slop.

They are quality and run $95 bucks. I only use the yellow skeet rods and they are tough and the Sglass rocks..

[deepvbasser]

 I also understand all the 2 rod recommendations.  They're meant to help and I get that and I'm sure JHudd11 gets that too. But I agree with bassinbrian...on pretty much all points, the main one being the question "What type of rod would be best for both texas rig and crankbait fishing?" wasn't getting an answer (except bassinbrian's)  Maybe at some point the question will progress to "what type of rod would be best for texas rig and what rod for crankbait fishing?"  but for now, sounds like he wants one rod to do both, which i can relate to.  When I first learned to bass fish and couldn't spend a lot much less have multiple rods, a tourney mentor recommended 1 rod to do multiple presentations, he said go with 7' MH/Fast.  I rarely lost fish because of the fast action when crankin' (but I've obviously lost my share, even with moderate parabolic rods).  He taught me to just not set the hook so hard and actually just sweep back reeling fast while loading up the rod.  This worked for lipless and squarebill and if i went deep, he said just point the rod straight so as not to wear myself out.  Worked great!  Also used it for spinnerbaits and the fast action gave it strength to drive in the heavy spinnerbait hooks. As for T-rigs, finess, split shot, wacky, shakey all worked with that one rod.  Just have to know how and what to apply for each presentaion.  And yeah, there's a loss of sensitivity but not so much... even subtle hits were detected and if in doubt, i just set the hook with a pretty good ratio of success.  That was a long time ago and I have way too many rods than I need now, multiples in all lengths, actions, and tapers, but my main go-to action/taper when I'm limited to just walking the shoreline or backseatin' with a primary boater will always have the 7' MedHvy/Fast and then 1 or 2 others.   I don't mean to offend anyone, I know all responses are meant to help.  

[shovelmouth83]

i use a med fast action tip. i can feel the bottom with it texas rigged or i can feel the wobble of my crank bait.  

[fishwizzard]

The only cranks I really throw are squarebills and liplesses, so they get thrown on whatever rod I have with me, usualy either a MH/F or a M/XF.  I like a faster tip for ripping grass as others have stated.  I have only lost a single bass that I can 100% say was due to bending/ripping out a hook.  It was last week and I hooked up right next to a dock and the bass went stright for the cables, I tried to turn it too quickly and bent a hook out.  

[Choporoz]

14 hours ago, deepvbasser said:

 I also understand all the 2 rod recommendations.  They're meant to help and I get that and I'm sure JHudd11 gets that too. But I agree with bassinbrian...on pretty much all points,

I'm going to go way out on a limb here and bet that @JHudd11 has more than one rod now

 

[bigfruits]

id get a MH Fast and just stay away from deep cranks.