Ideal crankbait spinning rod and reel specs

[el Largo]

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

 

 

[Angry John]

Most of what your talking about in baits can be easily and cheaply fished on an ugly stick.  The are everywhere and cheap.  Their only drawback is weight, but the toughest rod around.  Cranking is one of the least expensive rods you will need.  DS is the opposite.

[TylerT123]

Gear ratio doesn’t matter with spinning reels and crankbaits, your retrieve matters. If your going too fast the crank won’t run right. If you like to reel very slowly get a higher gear ratio reel, if you like to reel faster than get a slower gear ratio reel, this would be different if it were a baitcaster. People have their own reasons to buy specific brands, customer service, rod quality, warranty, loyalty. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. ?‍♂️

[Deleted account]

7 hours ago, el Largo said:

(maybe too much) to inform my decision on rod selection. 

FIFY.

 

 

[fishnkamp]

Your research has led you a little astray.  The 7 foot medium power is fine but you want a moderate action to fish any treble hook bait. This means the rod bends down further on the blank.  The fast or extra fast actions are much more suited to single hook bottom baits like jigs and texas rigs.

There are lots of good 6'6"  to 7'6 inch medium moderate rods to choose from.

 

 Your budget of $250 is high enough to get a nice combo put together.  By the way, most anglers go to baitcasters for cranks, rattle raps, and jerkbaits. However, my wife is a good example of an angler that CAN handle all types of gear including even fly rods, but prefers not to fish a baitcaster.  I have spent a bunch of time over the years to find  good rods that act the same as my baitcasters for certain techniques.

 

First look at a Berkley Lightning Shock rod. They have a 6'6" medium moderate model that handles 1/8 to 3/4. They are a composite rod  That rod handles crankbaits, rattle traps and even jerkbaits beautifully.  It would handle a spinnerbait or something like a Pop R just fine as well.  My wife owns and fishes a dozen rods, some of which cost over $300. That Berkley is her rod of choice for these techniques and it cost around $50.  I use 2 of basically the same rods, but in their  baitcasting models, as my backup rods for chasing stripers with traps. I often have 4 rods with different colors and weight traps tied on.

 

If you want to spend a little more money, between $75 and say $150 then look at an Abu Garcia Veritas 7 foot medium moderate rod. They run heavier than advertised so do not worry about the rating only going up to 5/8. My friends regularly throw 3/4 and 1 ounce traps on them.  That rod will cost around $99.

Either of these rods will work well and what I would do then is consider a nice reel like a Pflueger Supreme or Supreme XT.  That will run you between $100 and $150 depending on what you choose.

We fill that out with some Berkley Original Fireline in 14 pound test (6 pound diameter) and these combos work great.

There are other rods out there I am sure, but I know these two will work because I know they are in use for these techniques.