Your Favorite Crank Bait Rod (1/2 oz. 1.5 Square Bills and 1/2 oz. Red Eye Shads) ?

[ChrisD46]

13 hours ago, CrankFate said:

The BPS is more of a composite type feel, no matter what they call it, but light and soft and flexible at the top. The DF is stiffer graphite/glass normal “mod” action made for heavier applications and has nicer looking components.

*Looks like it's possible that the DF Perfect Crank rod might be a bit more versatile for ripping and such . Conversely , I read where people had guide problems with the rod . The BPS rod feel nice in the hand .

[KP Duty]

Imx-pro 864 deep flex.  

 

[CrankFate]

On 6/27/2019 at 9:17 AM, ChrisD46 said:

*Looks like it's possible that the DF Perfect Crank rod might be a bit more versatile for ripping and such . Conversely , I read where people had guide problems with the rod . The BPS rod feel nice in the hand .

I usually go with the softer tip rod. But everyone’s different and also doing different things. You have to go with what matches what your doing. 

[Navrik]

I have 2 x older Powell Max 703 Glass Rods and they beautiful for cranking. I find them perfect for throwing a Red Eye shad around.

 

Reel of choice are the older Quantum KVD Tours especially the 5.3:1 but recently got my hands on some second hand Shimano Calcutta DC reels and I am very keen to give them a try.

[Deleted account]

On 6/26/2019 at 7:31 AM, ChrisD46 said:

OP here : Thanks for the replies - a lot of varied opinions here ! I'm wondering if one crank bait rod can throw both a 1.5 square bill and a red eye shad of the same weight in open water ? For ripping a lipless  crank out of grass I can see where you need to move up to a MH action crank'n rod .

I throw the 1.5 and the smaller RES with the same rod. The 1/2 RES I use a beefier stick for. None are cranking rods, as they are too soft (slow) to rip lures out of grass. I also like a shorter rod for working squarebills shallow around hard cover, and a longer rod for covering grass with a lipless, I'm hardly ever throwing either in open water.

[Tizi]

Shimano SLX 7’2” medium

[pauldconyers]

On 6/25/2019 at 8:11 AM, A-Jay said:

I fish those baits on Quantum KVD Cranking Rods

The TKVD746MB P3 model is a 7' 4" MH moderate composite number that may be my favorite stick.

Here it is for just over  $100 and free shipping.

https://www.amazon.com/Zebco-Medium-Cranking-1-Piece-7-Feet/dp/B00IS3UKH4/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1CL7MNZJUOYAI&keywords=kvd+quantum+tour+cranking+rod&qid=1561467854&s=gateway&sprefix=QUANTUM+TOUR+KVD+cranking+rod++%2Caps%2C164&sr=8-4

It's caught a ton of great fish for me and I have several in that line.

(There's 3 in this pic)

A-Jay

Is this the rod you are throwing your RES on? The link is dead, I am having trouble finding this exact rod somewhere to check it out.

[MN Fisher]

On 11/10/2019 at 8:13 PM, pauldconyers said:

Is this the rod you are throwing your RES on? The link is dead, I am having trouble finding this exact rod somewhere to check it out.

With KVD moving from Quantum to Lews, it's going to be tough to find those Quantum-KVD rods as they're selling out and none more will be made.

TW does seem to still have some

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Quantum_Tour_KVD_Crankin_Rods/descpage-NKV.html

[A-Jay]

2 minutes ago, pauldconyers said:

Is this the rod you are throwing your RES on? The link is dead, I am having trouble finding this exact rod somewhere to check it out.

I like the 7 ft MH for RES.

Check this link

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F233314426604

A-Jay 

[pauldconyers]

On 11/10/2019 at 8:16 PM, MN Fisher said:

With KVD moving from Quantum to Lews, it's going to be tough to find those Quantum-KVD rods as they're selling out and none more will be made.

TW does seem to still have some

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Quantum_Tour_KVD_Crankin_Rods/descpage-NKV.html

Yeah, to the point I've thought about waiting a bit and seeing what product Lew's makes up for him. I know he is real particular about his smaller crank rods.

On 11/10/2019 at 8:17 PM, A-Jay said:

I like the 7 ft MH for RES.

Check this link

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F233314426604

A-Jay 

Would you still recommend the 7' MH if I also want to throw 1.5/2.5 sq bills and 3XDs with it? I know this rod is supposed to be a "blend" of glass and graphite having personal experience with this rod does it truly "feel" or react different then a straight graphite rod? I read so much positive and negative about using a glass rod that the idea of splitting the difference with a composite that was smartly put together is appealing to me.

[A-Jay]

11 minutes ago, pauldconyers said:

Yeah, to the point I've thought about waiting a bit and seeing what product Lew's makes up for him. I know he is real particular about his smaller crank rods.

Would you still recommend the 7' MH if I also want to throw 1.5/2.5 sq bills and 3XDs with it? I know this rod is supposed to be a "blend" of glass and graphite having personal experience with this rod does it truly "feel" or react different then a straight graphite rod? I read so much positive and negative about using a glass rod that the idea of splitting the difference with a composite that was smartly put together is appealing to me.

I prefer the 7 ft for RES because the shorter rod seems to rip the bait out of the grass / weeds a little easier. I do prefer the 7'4" for most every other crank including 1.5 , 2.5, 3xd up to 5xd. Also fish spinner baits and vibrating jig with this one. The 6xd gets the 7'11" rod.

 As for being different than graphite Yes Yes yes.  Much different.   I can not tell you if you will like them, but I do and have landed a Ton of trophy brown bass with them.

Good Luck 

A-Jay 

[pauldconyers]

1 minute ago, A-Jay said:

I prefer the 7 ft for RES because the shorter rod seems to rip the bait out of the grass / weeds a little easier. I do prefer the 7'4" for most every other crank including 1.5 , 2.5, 3xd up to 5xd. Also fish spinner baits and vibrating jig with this one. The 6xd gets the 7'11" rod.

 As for being different than graphite Yes Yes yes.  Much different.   I can not tell you if you will like them, but I do and have landed a Ton of trophy brown bass with them.

Good Luck 

A-Jay 

So if your budget only allowed for 1 I assume you would go with the 7'4" MH? 7'4" just seems a like a little bit of overkill for a little 1.5 but having never done it I can't speculate. So wait, this is the rod you are throwing your chatterbaits on too?

[A-Jay]

2 hours ago, pauldconyers said:

So if your budget only allowed for 1 I assume you would go with the 7'4" MH? 7'4" just seems a like a little bit of overkill for a little 1.5 but having never done it I can't speculate. So wait, this is the rod you are throwing your chatterbaits on too?

 Yes.

I've passed what I can.

Please do not buy an of theses rods. 

You"ll surely hate them and then blame me.

A-Jay 

[pauldconyers]

Just now, A-Jay said:

 Yes.

I've passed what I can.

Please do not buy an of theses rods. 

You"ll surely hate them and then blame me.

A-Jay 

Oh no! I am getting ready to buy one pretty much based upon your recommendation! And as for using it for chatterbaits I've always thought that the characteristics that would make a good treble hook bait rod would not be the same for a single hook chatterbait and that you'd want something with a firmer tip to it. Do I have this wrong?

[A-Jay]

4 hours ago, pauldconyers said:

Oh no! I am getting ready to buy one pretty much based upon your recommendation! And as for using it for chatterbaits I've always thought that the characteristics that would make a good treble hook bait rod would not be the same for a single hook chatterbait and that you'd want something with a firmer tip to it. Do I have this wrong?

All of this is opinion & personal preference - 

While it's right for me - it may not be right for you.

In advance of my own R & D, I like to have info & input from others who have more experience than me in a certain area.

It gives me a place to start and allows for some level of base line experienced based knowledge in advance of my own findings, which is what will always drive my purchases. 

The way I determined what was right for me in this case, was to purchase & fish an assortment of different sticks to present an assortment of different bait in various situations, until I came up with what I liked & worked the best for me & my fishing.

It took some time (insert a couple of seasons) and some effort and there were some wins & some losses. 

But as time went on, it became obvious to me that there were usually 'several' ways to reach the same objective.

Some were clearly better than others in my mind and some were close to the same.

This is almost always how I 'learn' what any deal may or may not be.

As I mentioned previously, I can only tell you what I prefer and not what is right or wrong.

In the end, the composite rods I like are for the most part, bigger & heavier than what many seem to like.

They are fairly moderate, in that they 'bend' more than most all graphite blanks; both on the cast & when fighting a fish.

I like that - a lot.

YMMV

A-Jay

 

[Fishingmickey]

On 11/10/2019 at 8:21 PM, pauldconyers said:

I read so much positive and negative about using a glass rod that the idea of splitting the difference with a composite that was smartly put together is appealing to me.

You might want to check out the Kistler S2 feel and reel rods. It is a graphite rod with a glass tip that has been spliced on. Kistler often runs sales and you can usually get this rod much cheaper then TW's price.

FM

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Kistler_KLX_Feel_N_Reel_Series_Casting_Rods/descpage-KFNR.html

 

[johnD.]

I use a Falcon Jason Christie squarebill rod , and a 13 omen 7'3 mh for traps.

[ChrisD46]

On 11/10/2019 at 8:16 PM, MN Fisher said:

With KVD moving from Quantum to Lews, it's going to be tough to find those Quantum-KVD rods as they're selling out and none more will be made.

TW does seem to still have some

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Quantum_Tour_KVD_Crankin_Rods/descpage-NKV.html

*Of the 4 or 5 models of KVD cranking rods - which two would you think would make a nice pair to cover majority of cranking situations ?

[MN Fisher]

3 minutes ago, ChrisD46 said:

*Of the 4 or 5 models of KVD cranking rods - which two would you think would make a nice pair to cover majority of cranking situations ?

As I fish from a canoe, I don't get rods longer than 7' and keep the number of rigs down. So I'd personally go with the 7' MH as the sole crank rod in my arsenal...if I was to buy a Quantum.

[Columbia Craw]

Champion 705CB and a Diawa OG Zillion.

[pauldconyers]

On 11/10/2019 at 10:33 PM, A-Jay said:

I prefer the 7 ft for RES because the shorter rod seems to rip the bait out of the grass / weeds a little easier. I do prefer the 7'4" for most every other crank including 1.5 , 2.5, 3xd up to 5xd. Also fish spinner baits and vibrating jig with this one. The 6xd gets the 7'11" rod.

 As for being different than graphite Yes Yes yes.  Much different.   I can not tell you if you will like them, but I do and have landed a Ton of trophy brown bass with them.

Good Luck 

A-Jay 

Hey A-Jay, I just wanted to thank you for your recommendation 2 weeks ago of the Quantum Tour KVD rod that I bought on Black Friday! On your advice I went with the 7' MH if I wanted to make sure I could rip from grass consistently. Haven't had a chance to fish seriously yet but it feels like what I was looking for when I threw a few from the bank the other day.

 

I am now in the market for a different deeper crank rod, mostly for 5XDs and 6XDs. I have a Lews David Fritts 7'6" MH and for a few reasons I am just not happy with it. I am thinking about jumping up to the 7'10" Quantum Tour KVD model. I scoured the internet to see if I could see what KVD threw these 2 baits on and it indeed was the 7'10" model but it was nearly impossible to find what action he recommended. I would have assumed with such a long rod with a moderate taper he would go with a MH. To my surprise the ONLY article I could find on the subject was from back in 2016 where he said he used the 7'10" MEDIUM for these baits. I just wanted to see if you had an opinion or some experience to offer whether you should look at the M or MH in the 7'10" model?

[kayaking_kev]

I have the Fury 703c and the Champion Glass 705cb. I think the 703c might be a bit better at 1.5's, but both will do a good job. You can really feel the lure with the 703c and it's an excellent spinnerbait & jerkbait rod as well. I bought it for Senkos, but it seems to be better with the mentioned lures.

[deadadrift89]

On 6/26/2019 at 6:31 AM, ChrisD46 said:

OP here : Thanks for the replies - a lot of varied opinions here ! I'm wondering if one crank bait rod can throw both a 1.5 square bill and a red eye shad of the same weight in open water ? For ripping a lipless  crank out of grass I can see where you need to move up to a MH action crank'n rod .

    TTU701MRB  Daiwa Tatula Shallow Crank, Jerkbait, Light Topwater Rod is what I use. It's a Medium power/regular action. I use one primarily for KVD 1.5 and rattletraps. 1/2oz is in the rods sweet spot anything over and it feels like it's pushing it even though it's rated for more. I also have another that's dedicated to topwater walking baits (Sammy100 and Spook jrs.) I love the action on these rods with baits that have trebles in that 1/2oz range.

[Fishes in trees]

OK, for me these are definitely two different rods - because these are two baits that I have tied on nearly all the time.

I don't throw Strike King Red-eye Shads because I prefer an old half ounce Berkley Frenzy lipless crank.  Weight and action of these two baits is very similar.   I have a Falcon Bucco 7' Trap Caster paired with a Calcutta 250 TEGT.  I love this rod.   Paired with the 10 ball bearing reel, I can throw half ounce lipless cranks a long ways AND be very confident that when I get bit 10' from where the bait landed, I'm confident that I can set the hook and land the fish from 100+ feet away.   

Most of the square bills that I throw are around half an ounce and, once again, I'm undecided as to what rod I like better for throwing that bait.    I have an old 7'4" BPS Extreme that I like quite a bit, however it doesn't fit in my inside the truck rod rack quite as well as the 7' All Star Graphite cranking rod.   I have an old Bud Erhardt 7' graphite cranking rod that I'd put into the rotation in a second, if the guides weren't messed up.  I got a new All Star crank rod from Academy (on close out, the purple one) and it hasn't seen water yet, got to decide what reel.   Yeah, the jury is currently out again on what square bill rod is going to start next season.

[Dirtyeggroll]

I fish 1.5’s with a Dobyns Champion 705CB composite and a Curado 70.

 

I can launch a 1.5 squarebill on 10 or 12 lb fluorocarbon further than I will ever need to. Loads up great on the cast and on fish.

 

Not usually a $150 rod, but if you can find one at that price, I’d argue it’s one of if not the best you can get.