Best Medium Action Rod/reel Under $200

[J.Bass]

I'm looking to make a crank bait rod/reel set. Below are the dynamics I want. What is your best rod and reel for under 200 bucks (Each under $200 or Both totaling $200). I want a bait caster reel/rod.

 

**Medium action rod 7 ft

***Bait caster reel medium or fast speed

 

Thanks for your help!

 

 

 

[kylek]

I use the  Abu Garcia Veritas 7'M rod ($99.00) and the Lews Speed Spool in 5.4 ratio (99.00) and it does a pretty good job. They do offer the reel in a 6.4 ratio also.

[roadwarrior]

This is my favorite:

 

Pinnacle Perfecta DHC5-701CAMCB   http://www.pinnaclefishing.com/shop/p-87-perfecta-dhc5.aspx#page=page-1

 

Pinnacle XLT   http://www.pinnaclefishing.com/shop/p-78-optimus-xlt.aspx#page=page-1

 

 

 

 

[BassinLou]

LOL. I just answered a rod question on another thread. I would have to agree with the Lews speed spool, I would say a BPS Carbonlite rod. Falls way inside your buget, and that is a heck of  combo. 

[born2fish94]

Denali jade wood in the medium cranking rod. and a Lews bb1. That combo should ring out about 250. The Jadewood is a durable rod and pretty sensitive and a great value for $100 and the lews BB1 holds a lot of line and will allow you to cast the crankbait a country mile

[mjseverson24]

I would go with the shimano clarus crankbait rod 7' M rod with a lews tournament MG 80.00 for rod 130 for reel 210 total, pretty good setup for that price.

 

Mitch

[J.Bass]

I use the  Abu Garcia Veritas 7'M rod ($99.00) and the Lews Speed Spool in 5.4 ratio (99.00) and it does a pretty good job. They do offer the reel in a 6.4 ratio also.

I like the Lews! I see a lot love them as well. I might have to buy another one

This is my favorite:

 

Pinnacle Perfecta DHC5-701CAMCB   http://www.pinnaclefishing.com/shop/p-87-perfecta-dhc5.aspx#page=page-1

 

Pinnacle XLT   http://www.pinnaclefishing.com/shop/p-78-optimus-xlt.aspx#page=page-1

 

 

 

 

 I know Road Warrior your gear selection is one of the best advice on here. I'll have to look at these Pinnacles. I seen a few of these before fished.

 

Do they have any sales on Lews or Pinnacles this winter?

[DogBone_384]

For $99 a BPS Carbonlight or Abu Garcia Veritas are my choices.  Go check them out in person because they feel very different from one another.

 

I've never used a Lew's reel, but I have 3 BPS Pro Qualifiers that, for $99 (though they might be on sale right now) I feel are great values, especially after you give them a clean & lube job.

 

Best of luck...

[DelcoSol]

I would go with the shimano clarus crankbait rod 7' M rod with a lews tournament MG 80.00 for rod 130 for reel 210 total, pretty good setup for that price.

 

Mitch

I have the same setup but a MH and a Lews BB1 in the 5.1 ratio. I think the rod was $80 and the reel was around $150 but can be found cheaper. 

[ww2farmer]

I have had three $100 (or less) cranking rods for my shallow/mid-depth/lipless cranking dutys. Currently I am using a 7' M Abu Veritas "Winch", before that, I had a 7' MH/M St Croix Mojo "crankbait", and before that I had a 7' M BPS Cranking Stick. My thoughts on each:

 

BPS Cranking stick: Good bang for the $, at the time I owned it I was not much of a cranker, I used it for lipless cranks, wiggle warts, and sub surface cranks like a Manns baby 1-.  and that was the extent of my cranking...period. It handled all three fine, casted all of them fine, and sensitivity was decent, probably could have been better had I used braid back then, but I used 12lb mono on this rod.

 

Mojo 7' MH/M cranking rod......light, and sensitive. It's rated for 3/8's to 1oz. I loved it for lipless cranks, but for anything else I did not............I can't explain it really. It fished the larger versions of my go to baits better than the smaller...........like the KVD 2.5, or  a 3/4 oz. RES....BUT I use the 1.5 and 1/2 oz. RES more.....so this rod was not a good fit for me.

 

Veritas 7' M Winch......this rod is the lightest and best balanced of the 3, so thats a plus, and it fishes the 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 oz. baits I use most often better than the Mojo, another plus. I have used some bigger baits onit, like the 2.5, and 3/4 oz. RES and it's OK, not great, but OK with those. For now I can live with it being just OK with those sized baits, since I fish the smaller ones more often. I crank with braided line/fluoro leaders, and grass is the primary cover around here, with a ittle wood and rock. Even with a pretty limber taper, the braided line, with a tight drag, allows me to "pop" the baits off/out of grass just fine.................If it's too thick or grabby, generally running cranks through it is not the best option anyways, but if it is, I just switch to one of my faster action rods to get a cleaner rip/pop instead of just loading up the rod.

 

 As for reels.............I have always liked a 6.something :1 for this work. Baits I fish on these rods don't pull hard, and it's easier to burn a bait on a 6:1 reel than it is on a 5:1, and on the flip side, it's easier to reel slowly with a 6:1 reel, than with a 7:1 (not to mention the 6:1's will have a little more power) if that is what needs to be done. The Mojo, and now the Veritas both have/had a Curado 51E on them, which is the same as the newer Chronarch 51E. I like this reel so much, I am willing to look past the foolish-ness( in my own head LOL) of having a Shimano reel on an Abu rod.

[lmbfisherman]

The Carbonlite-BPS Pro Qualifier combo, this is an easy question. 

[J.Bass]

The Carbonlite-BPS Pro Qualifier combo, this is an easy question. 

I like caronlite. I have one but not one for a crankbait. They are good.

 

I have had three $100 (or less) cranking rods for my shallow/mid-depth/lipless cranking dutys. Currently I am using a 7' M Abu Veritas "Winch", before that, I had a 7' MH/M St Croix Mojo "crankbait", and before that I had a 7' M BPS Cranking Stick. My thoughts on each:

 

BPS Cranking stick: Good bang for the $, at the time I owned it I was not much of a cranker, I used it for lipless cranks, wiggle warts, and sub surface cranks like a Manns baby 1-.  and that was the extent of my cranking...period. It handled all three fine, casted all of them fine, and sensitivity was decent, probably could have been better had I used braid back then, but I used 12lb mono on this rod.

 

Mojo 7' MH/M cranking rod......light, and sensitive. It's rated for 3/8's to 1oz. I loved it for lipless cranks, but for anything else I did not............I can't explain it really. It fished the larger versions of my go to baits better than the smaller...........like the KVD 2.5, or  a 3/4 oz. RES....BUT I use the 1.5 and 1/2 oz. RES more.....so this rod was not a good fit for me.

 

Veritas 7' M Winch......this rod is the lightest and best balanced of the 3, so thats a plus, and it fishes the 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 oz. baits I use most often better than the Mojo, another plus. I have used some bigger baits onit, like the 2.5, and 3/4 oz. RES and it's OK, not great, but OK with those. For now I can live with it being just OK with those sized baits, since I fish the smaller ones more often. I crank with braided line/fluoro leaders, and grass is the primary cover around here, with a ittle wood and rock. Even with a pretty limber taper, the braided line, with a tight drag, allows me to "pop" the baits off/out of grass just fine.................If it's too thick or grabby, generally running cranks through it is not the best option anyways, but if it is, I just switch to one of my faster action rods to get a cleaner rip/pop instead of just loading up the rod.

 

 As for reels.............I have always liked a 6.something :1 for this work. Baits I fish on these rods don't pull hard, and it's easier to burn a bait on a 6:1 reel than it is on a 5:1, and on the flip side, it's easier to reel slowly with a 6:1 reel, than with a 7:1 (not to mention the 6:1's will have a little more power) if that is what needs to be done. The Mojo, and now the Veritas both have/had a Curado 51E on them, which is the same as the newer Chronarch 51E. I like this reel so much, I am willing to look past the foolish-ness( in my own head LOL) of having a Shimano reel on an Abu rod.

You've really went around on rod/reels. I like your stories. I will be generally using squarebills in and around 5 ft of water. I also like to burn my squarebills. When I burn my squarebills on the canal where I live, the bass go crazy. They think it's a fish fleeing. I use bluegill color mainly. I also like the 6:4:1 ratio which I will use on the reel. On the rod, I was thinking of saving a $100 bucks more and getting a Dobyns Champion. I think ill be getting a lews reel.

 

For $99 a BPS Carbonlight or Abu Garcia Veritas are my choices.  Go check them out in person because they feel very different from one another.

 

I've never used a Lew's reel, but I have 3 BPS Pro Qualifiers that, for $99 (though they might be on sale right now) I feel are great values, especially after you give them a clean & lube job.

 

Best of luck...

I love BPS rods/reels. Always have and always will. I'll give these consideration also.

[MacP]

I've got a Speed Spool on the older style full cork Clarus that it's awesome for what you're describing.

 

I don't think you can really go wrong with a BPS Pro Qualifier, especially if they are still at the 80 dollar price.

 

I've not fished them but everyone always seems to recommend the *** ***.  It's like 100 even.

 

I have fished and love the Okuma EVX line.  Lighter than anything in the price range and look amazing!  They, too, are 100 even.

 

St. Croix Premiers are nice, but a little bit more money.