Spinning reels for crankbaits

[bayvalle]

I've been using the Dobyns fury 705CB for cranking here in Ohio. No doubt it's a good rod but I'm having more success with a slow action spinning rod. Just curious who else may be using spinning gear for crankbaits.

[bayvalle]

I've been using the Dobyns fury 706c for cranking here in Ohio. No doubt it's a good rod but I'm having more success with a slow action spinning rod. Just curious who else may be using spinning gear for crankbaits.

[crypt]

use them with smaller cranks. have a mhx blank, med. action with a Penn 430ssg 

[MN Fisher]

Most of my lipless cranking is on my Trion-30 - currently on an 6'0" M/F Ugly Stick, but that's being upgraded to a 6'6" M/F Aird-X this winter. I've also run Jointed Shallow Shad Raps, DT-4s and DT-6s on that rig.

[Sam]

I do, especially when throwing Rapalas. 

 

There are so many variables to selecting a reel to go with a rod and a technique that we could go nuts trying to figure it out.

 

Sometimes we need a slow retrieve. Other times a fast retrieve. Then we may need a heavy presentation to go deep.

 

Think about your technique throwing crankbaits on your spinning setups; look at the rod's line test and bait weight parameters and stay within them; check out the reel's line test parameters; and decide what retrieve ratio is best for your presentations. Then balance the rod, reel, line test, and baits to get the maximum performance.

 

Good luck.

[Bluebasser86]

I use a 30 size President for throwing small cranks.

[Bluebasser86]

I use a 6' 8" M Ethos with a 30 President and 8lb AbrasX to throw small cranks like shad raps and 1.0s.

[Todd2]

I do on small to medium lipped cranks..it's always made sense to me. They run deeper on lighter line and longer casts.

[Fishes in trees]

I've tried various iterations of this concept over the years.   I have the big Diawa 2600 spinning reel,  I've put it on a 7'6" Medium spinning rod to throw deep diving cranks.  ( used 20 or 30 lb braid as the main line, 2' fluorocarbon leader)

Experiment worked ok - not great.   I've tried several other combinations with mixed results, using light braid, wireline, and mono lines.  again - mixed results.  Biggest hassle was wind knots caused by throwing into the wind and cross wind.  Casts with the bait caster offer less distance but much fewer wind knot issues.

 

No doubt, spinning gear is the way to go when throwing lighter cranks  (primarily size 5 & 7 shad raps, with all various lip sizes ).  Currently using a 6'6" Med Light rod (Fenwick I think ) and a 1000 size spinning reel.  Haven't noticed a significant difference between the 1000 or 2000 size reels distance wise - so currently I'm just going with the lighter one.  I have a couple of the old US reels Supercasters, with the much bigger spool, might try those again next year.

They work ok, but I was never impressed with the loose feel of the reel in general, so I quit using those.   I did get a little bit better distance with those reels though.  ( and more wind knots, which I think comes with increased distance )

 

So for me, cranks & spinning gear is a work in progress.  Now if the subject is lipless cranks, the jury is in.  The Falcon Bucco trap caster and a Calcutta 250 TEGT - 17 lb mono - works much better than any spinning rig I've tried ( half ounce & better baits). I can throw over 100 feet (with the wind ) and be confident I can set the hook at that distance.

[bayvalle]

Great info here. Things I hadn't thought of. In SW Ohio I am either wading or fishing from a kayak and I rarely throw large or deep diving cranks here so I like the extra distance from my spinning gear but wind knots are an issue. I've use baitcasters most of my adult fishing life but just started using braid the last three years and for me throwing cranks from a Kayak into the wind requires adjusting the brakes or using heavy thumb pressure resulting in much less distance. Would mono on my BC result in less backlash and more distance into the wind?  I have been considering either using all mono on a spinning rig for my Ohio crankbaiting or picking up a DC reel for my Dobyns FR705CB rod. 

On the Chesapeake Bay (boat fishing) I've had good results with an Ugly Stik spinning gear for cranks and topwater trebles to get added distance. Plus the slower action rod  keeps the fish pinned. Since we are using heavier baits for Striper fishing the Chesapeake wind knots are rarely a problem and braid to mono works well.

[Fishes in trees]

Continuing on this topic, I think that throwing cranks into the wind, with spinning gear or bait casting gear, is asking for it.  If I'm controlling the boat, I won't do it unless I got to. First, I'll try to maneuver to where at least I'm throwing cross wind, and only if there aren't any other good options will I try to throw into the wind.  In that case, throw side arm if possible, keep the bait as low & straight as possible, understand your distance is going to be less and don't try to muscle it.

Never fished from a Kayak so I've no clue about the mechanics of fishing from that position.  I have fished a little bit from canoes from time to time (not lately) and I wasn't a big fan of it.  I have a buddy who has a Blazer, a brand of Ozark Float boats.  It is 18 1/2 or so long, maybe 4 feet wide, raised at both ends.  It is designed to fish Ozark float streams.  That boat is great to fish out of, that that is just standard sit down fishing, just like the old days when you fished sitting down out of your bass boat.

[WRB]

Unless you manage your line every trip by running behind a boat  without anything tied on to untwist it, crankbaits will twist the line severely using a spinning reel.

I suggest going to a lighter power moderate action casting rod.

Tom

[bayvalle]

On 11/16/2019 at 3:14 PM, WRB said:

Unless you manage your line every trip by running behind a boat  without anything tied on to untwist it, crankbaits will twist the line severely using a spinning reel.

I suggest going to a lighter power moderate action casting rod.

Tom

Any recommendations?

[WRB]

44 minutes ago, bayvalle said:

Any recommendations?

Depends on the budget, Loomis PR845C popping rod isxwhatbyouvexspectvfo I use for smaller crank baits. I also use Major Craft Iovino Splash-It rod works good for 3/8-5/8 oz crank baits. line, Sunline Defier Armillo 11 lb. excellent casting line.

Tom