Crankbait Spinning Rod

[Big Easy Bassin']

I'm one of this strictly spinning gear guys, and I've been doing some research about a rod for lipless cranks (because that's the only crank I throw). I bank fish in a park and 99% of the time I fish these lipless cranks in pretty shallow water over pretty thick grass. I'm in the process of designing a custom rod, and I just need a little more input. I was thinking about a glass rod at first, but bc of the vegetation in the waters I fish, I've decided against that. My last decisions are:

1 - 6'8" or 6'10" or 7'??

2 - Medium or Medium-Heavy power??

3 - Moderate or Moderate-Fast or Fast action??

I'm just looking for a few more opinions before I make this decision 

One more thing to add... I throw a 1/4oz lipless crankbait 95% of the time. Occasionally I will go to a 1/2oz, but that is a very rare occasion. 

[Bluebasser86]

I have a 6' 8" M/F Ethos with 8lb mono that I use just for small cranks. I don't fish traps on it but it would fish 1/4oz ones just fine. Where it really shines are Shad Raps and KVD 1.0 size squarebills. 

[Yudo1]

I would say a 7' medium/ fast.  I use a medium/ fast casting rod for traps, but used to use a spinning rod before.  You need that fast tip to rip it through the vegetation.

[Big Easy Bassin']

Thanks everyone. Y'all just helped me make a final decision. I'm gonna go with a 7' medium fast. Only difference in my setup will be that I like braid with a flouro leader. I normally use 20# Power Pro with 3-4' of 10 or 12# Trilene 100% flouro. Was thinking about trying Sunline though. I've heard nothing but good things about their Flourocarbon and all of their other lines in general. 

[Fishes in trees]

If you're bank fishing and shore line vegetation isn't too outrageous, I think longer is better for distance casting.   I'm pretty certain that 7' would work fine, but if you're custom building 7 1/2 would work better and I think 8' would work better yet.  I also think that the extra length would come in helpful in controlling fish that hit close to the shore line.   Years ago, I had a bank fishing situation - fishing for whites and hybrids in the Truman Dam tail race.  I got an eleven and a half foot Predator rod out of the Cabelas catalog.   It was marketed as a heavier action European style bank fishing rod.   Anyway, that rod with a large Diawa 2600 reel filled with 14 lb Fireline could throw a quarter ounce lipless crank way over a hundred feet.   Put an ounce and a half lipless crank on it and a hundred yards was doable ( it took a wind up and some practice )    I only caught a couple hybrids on this gear - the issue wasn't the gear, it was timing the situations when the hybrids chased the shad that far up the tail race.  Different story.

Any way, the point is if you're wanting more distance throwing quarter ounce lipless cranks - and you're considering building your own rod - go outside the box and build a true distance caster.   JMO

[blckshirt98]

I think you're making the right choice with 7' M/F, but you may want to try throwing your cranks on straight braid.  A fluoro leader doesn't seem to matter with a reaction bite, and, if you get hung up having one less failure point and the extra strength of braid can help you pull your lure out if you';re fishing in thick vegetation.  I throw small cranks on spinning gear and will go straight 15 lb braid (with a Norman Speed Clip).

[burrows]

18 hours ago, Big Easy Bassin' said:

I'm one of this strictly spinning gear guys, and I've been doing some research about a rod for lipless cranks (because that's the only crank I throw). I bank fish in a park and 99% of the time I fish these lipless cranks in pretty shallow water over pretty thick grass. I'm in the process of designing a custom rod, and I just need a little more input. I was thinking about a glass rod at first, but bc of the vegetation in the waters I fish, I've decided against that. My last decisions are:

1 - 6'8" or 6'10" or 7'??

2 - Medium or Medium-Heavy power??

3 - Moderate or Moderate-Fast or Fast action??

I'm just looking for a few more opinions before I make this decision 

One more thing to add... I throw a 1/4oz lipless crankbait 95% of the time. Occasionally I will go to a 1/2oz, but that is a very rare occasion. 

Why don't you like baitcasters?

[Big Easy Bassin']

Fishes in trees, I can't go with anything much bigger than 7'. You hit the nail on the head when you said shoreline vegetation is an issue. It's a big issue lol

blckshirt98, the only reason I use the flouro leader is to help with pulling the hook. And I just realized that the last time I bought line I decided to try P-line Floroclear, which is actually a co-polymer. I've had that in 15# test and it has seemed to help me with pulling hooks 

crankzilla, I honestly just don't want to take the time to learn. I work Monday thru Friday, usually 10-12 and some 13 hours a day. So on Saturday and Sunday all I want to do is fish. And I've tried to use them but I get one backlash and I put it down so I can keep fishing and never pick it back up. I also feel like I can do pretty much anything I need to with spinning gear

[burrows]

3 hours ago, Big Easy Bassin' said:

Fishes in trees, I can't go with anything much bigger than 7'. You hit the nail on the head when you said shoreline vegetation is an issue. It's a big issue lol

blckshirt98, the only reason I use the flouro leader is to help with pulling the hook. And I just realized that the last time I bought line I decided to try P-line Floroclear, which is actually a co-polymer. I've had that in 15# test and it has seemed to help me with pulling hooks 

crankzilla, I honestly just don't want to take the time to learn. I work Monday thru Friday, usually 10-12 and some 13 hours a day. So on Saturday and Sunday all I want to do is fish. And I've tried to use them but I get one backlash and I put it down so I can keep fishing and never pick it back up. I also feel like I can do pretty much anything I need to with spinning gear

That's good brotha I got ya and you can do pretty much everything with spinning. I guess its your comfort zone.

[jerzeeD]

I personally use M/MF Fenwick HMG. I prefer the softer tips on my dedicated crankbait rods. I had more issues with hooks getting fouled by the line when casting with fast tips. Plus you don't really need the hook setting power with treble hooks.