Shad rap and light weight crankbait setup

[Lasher]

The silver and black shad rap number 7-9 is a huge confidence bait for me in several different lakes that I fish.  I am looking to find the best setup for this lure and other light weight cranks.  I've been going with a Berkely Series One 6'6 medium rod and Shimiano stradic 3000 with 8-10lb floro or Pline cxx hybrid line.  I'm looking for recommendations for a better setup.  I read that some use braid to floro and it helped with casting distance.

[Junger]

Budget?

[Spankey]

The best addition I made for throwing lighter to mid cranks was the purchase of an Abu Garcia Winch 7’ Med. / Mod. rod along with the Abu Garcia Winch Spinning Reel. I love it. But I understand to each his own. 

[jimmyjoe]

   Braid will increase your distance. I'd use 10 lb. test. Take your pick as to brand. Cranks won't give you nearly as many problems with line twist on spinning gear as in-line spinners will, so I wouldn't worry.

   If you want what might be a better rod, try the Powell Endurance 723 CB Glass MMF. It's good for crankbaits.    jj

[Jermination]

Usually throw them on a spinning reel with 8 lb mono. I do throw them on baitcaster occasionally, more so recently after buying a dawiwa CR80(little thing slings everything from shad raps to bandit 100 series w ease) on a 6'6 medium all star crankbait rod. Feels great and can sling it a mile

[Cityangler7]

6 hours ago, Lasher said:

The silver and black shad rap number 7-9 is a huge confidence bait for me in several different lakes that I fish.  I am looking to find the best setup for this lure and other light weight cranks.  I've been going with a Berkely Series One 6'6 medium rod and Shimiano stradic 3000 with 8-10lb floro or Pline cxx hybrid line.  I'm looking for recommendations for a better setup.  I read that some use braid to floro and it helped with casting distance.

The Berkley Series One is a very underrated spinning rod, I have a few and love them. For the 7-9 Shad rap I use a Dobyns Serria 701SF with a Shimano Stradic CI4+ with 10lb Suffix 832 and Copolymer leader. If money is not an issue, the Shimano Expride A Spinning Rod 6'10" Med Lt is a winner for that lure as well. 

[mrpao]

I dont consider the #7 and #9 as lightweight crankbaits. To me they cast fine on lighter baitcast gear, especially the #9.

While I dont use the #9 much,  I do throw the #7 often.

 I use 8lbs mono like big game or p-line. Mono will cast much better than fluocarbon. On a spinning rod, I would use trilene XL. 

I use a 7' med cumara reaction series and it seems to do very well with these smaller crankbaits. Try a 7' rod or longer and it'll help you with some distance.

 

[Bluebasser86]

A #7 is over 1/4oz and a #9 is over 3/8oz, shouldn't have any issues casting those on casting gear with the proper rod and line.

 

I fish the #5 (3/16oz), on a 6' 8" M/MF spinning rod with 8lb mono. Starts to feel a little overpowered fishing the #7 unless it's open water cranking (which I never do).

[Fishes in trees]

I have a lightweight balsa crank rig, but I don't use it very often.   Most recently I've used a Fenwick MHG 6'6"/ ML with a moderate action - found it on a close out and paired it with an old indestructible Diawa Regal reel ( medium size, forget the number).  I put some 10 lb nanofil and I get pretty good distance throwing the smaller shad rap.  Most of the lakes that I fish are kinda snaggy though, so this rig stays in the fishing truck most of the time.

[Mbirdsley]

I’m going to use my dobyns colt 7ft M/l spinning reel for Size 5/6 shad raps and flicker shad. I have a Okuma cemar-30 for a reel and im going to use 8lbs Seagar flouro.
 

 My skeet Reese 7ft  m crank rod with phlueger supreme 5:3:1 should throw anything size 7 and bigger. 10 lbs pline flouro clear.  It throws bandit 200’s with no problem

[4reelfishing]

On 2/28/2020 at 12:19 PM, Lasher said:

The silver and black shad rap number 7-9 is a huge confidence bait for me in several different lakes that I fish.  I am looking to find the best setup for this lure and other light weight cranks.  I've been going with a Berkely Series One 6'6 medium rod and Shimiano stradic 3000 with 8-10lb floro or Pline cxx hybrid line.  I'm looking for recommendations for a better setup.  I read that some use braid to floro and it helped with casting distance.

I wouldn't do braid to floro as I don't think it will help your casting distance significantly.  I also think you have a good setup as it is.  You talked about using it for other light weight cranks (like the Shad Rap #5 I am assuming) so I would stick with the spinning rod you have.  I love fishing the Shad Rap #5, I think it is the best crankbait of all time.  I personally use 8lb mono over floro but the floro would work fine, I just wouldn't go 10lb straight floro or mono on a spinning reel though.   

 

You could also use this setup for light swimbaits, small spinnerbaits, wacky rigs, and really a ton of things.  I do agree the #9 is getting into baitcasting territory but it is still fishable on the rod you have.  If you want a new setup a 7' St. Croix Triumph medium spinning rod might be a good option.

[new2BC4bass]

Never used (or held) a Series One.  No idea if they fish true to lure range or if they fish light or heavy.  I know from experience that if I want to fish 1/4 oz. with an Abu rod , I will not be using a rod rated from 1/4 oz. up.  My experience is that a 1/4 oz. lure won't be going very far on that rod.

 

Go to a longer rod if at all possible.  That is the easiest way to gain more distance.  Naturally the rod will need to load properly with 1/4 oz.

[Lasher]

Thanks for the suggestions and budget is $150-200 for a rod. Sounds like I need to go longer to 7 ft but not too many believers in a braid to leader setup.  If that's the case then Mono or Floro for shad raps? 

[MN Fisher]

4 minutes ago, Lasher said:

If that's the case then Mono or Floro for shad raps? 

10#-12# Yo-Zuri Hybrid - that's what I use on my crank-rigs.

[new2BC4bass]

7 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

10#-12# Yo-Zuri Hybrid - that's what I use on my crank-rigs.

Spinning or casting?  If I am using a spinning rod, it will usually be 4-8 lb. mono or co-polymer.  Any heavier and I will be using a casting rod.  Actually use 8# on several Medium power rods.  I used 8# on 3 different rods and reels (casting) to learn how to cast #5 Shad Raps.

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, new2BC4bass said:

Spinning or casting?  If I am using a spinning rod, it will usually be 4-8 lb. mono or co-polymer.  Any heavier and I will be using a casting rod.  Actually use 8# on several Medium power rods.  I used 8# on 3 different rods and reels (casting) to learn how to cast #5 Shad Raps.

My Medium-Heavy casting rig - 3/8 and up cranks - I put the 12# on

My Medium spinning rig - under 3/8 - I put the 10# on. KVD L&L really makes a difference

[4reelfishing]

1 hour ago, Lasher said:

Thanks for the suggestions and budget is $150-200 for a rod. Sounds like I need to go longer to 7 ft but not too many believers in a braid to leader setup.  If that's the case then Mono or Floro for shad raps? 

As far rods others will probably have better suggestions but I like mono for shad raps as I fish from shore and I don't want quite as much depth.  However #9s can get down to 15ft and floro would probably make that a little easier and probably give you a little better feel. 

 

I fish #5s mostly and keep my rod a little higher to keep it up in the water column so mono works fine for that.