Let's talk Cranking Rods. 2025

Fish Fast reply :

I am looking to pick up a new cranking rod to pair with my Johnny Morris pro qualifier 4.7 to 1 baitcasting reel. My current cranking rod is a Kistler composite rod. It is 7 feet in length and I like it but it is a bit whippy at the tip. I will continue to use that rod but probably save it for my smaller and shallower cranks.

I am looking for something a bit beefier...something with a little more backbone that I can expanding my cranking arsenal with a bit. I don't do a TON of deep cranking...at least yet anyway...but I would probably use this second cranking rod for ripping lipless cranks above grass (ala KVD) and for 12-20 ft. ddcb's. Most commonly 12-16 footer. Prefer 7 to 7.5-ish feet in length...around $150-$180 in pricepoint.

I am intrigued by the Duckett micro magic rods. If anyone has any input on these, feel free to let me know.

I am a big fan of St. Croix as they are made in the USA and have had great luck dealing with them.

I have also read a lot of great things about Dobyn's but it seems they are a little out of my pricepoint goal.

Let me know what you guys like...I am open for sugguestions!

WanderLust reply :

St. Croix Avid AVC70MHM is pretty much a perfect cranking rod for me...

Powell makes a nice rod for the money as well.

Powell Glass Crank Rod 7'5" Med Hvy 753 is serious candidate.

Fish Fast reply :

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St. Croix Avid AVC70MHM is pretty much a perfect cranking rod for me...
Powell makes a nice rod for the money as well.

Powell Glass Crank Rod 7'5" Med Hvy 753 is serious candidate.

So would you choose the Avid over the Powell?

skunked_again reply :

Shimano Compre + $20 rebate = WINNING

ChiCityBasser reply :

One of the KVD cranking rods might be a good deal from BPS. They come in the lengths you are thinking about and can be found on ebay for about $125.

WanderLust reply :

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St. Croix Avid AVC70MHM is pretty much a perfect cranking rod for me...
Powell makes a nice rod for the money as well.

Powell Glass Crank Rod 7'5" Med Hvy 753 is serious candidate.

So would you choose the Avid over the Powell?

Yes and twice on Sunday. The Avid is great series of rod and that one in particular is a classic.

I have a Powell as a backup for my lighweight bottom contact rig though and its a very nice rod for $139.

I've fished the KVD crankin stick as wel and that is a very nice rod as well.

I have (2) Compre's... The Medium cranking stick is a darn nice rod for $79.

You'll need to evaluate what you want and check the tip for the type of action you want.

Happy Hunting!

Fish Fast reply :

Thanks WanderLust. A local tackle shop carries St. Croix...I will have to check that out.

Anyone else have any suggestions to add to my list of rods to try?

Bassyak reply :

I used to have an Avid AV70MM, but I sold it because I didn't like the hump in the handle right behind the reel seat (it was also too whippy for my taste, thought the MH may not be). I also had the Tour KVD 7'4" MH, but sold it because I didn't really like the EVA grips and the Hardloy guides. I replaced it with the Powell 754 that Tackle Warehouse had on sale from $199 to $118....and I couldn't be happier with it. In my opinion, Powell makes the most comfortable split cork grip (at least of all the rods I've used), and I got to upgrade to Alconite guides. Paired with a Curado 200E5, it works great for my medium to deep divers, as well as small soft-bodied swimbaits. I also have a Compre 7' MH Mod-Fast that I use as my lipless crankbait rod. Even though it has the Hardloy guides as well, I've really been impressed with its action for a $100 rod.

djmax22 reply :

If you have don't want to spend the money for Dobyns or Loomis, I would probably go with the Powell cranking stick over the Avid. I have fished both and its Powell all the way. The 754 will handle all mid to deep divers well and is a great rod for ripping traps from grass. Powell makes some good rods in general and their cranking sticks are particularly good. I used the 754 for deep cranking until picking up the Dobyns 805. The extra 5" makes a big difference.

Hooligan reply :

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Thanks WanderLust. A local tackle shop carries St. Croix...I will have to check that out.
Anyone else have any suggestions to add to my list of rods to try?

There's a Cumara 7'0 MedFast (Which translates to Medium Moderate) for cheap in the Flea market right now. I'd be all over it had the conversation with She who must be obeyed not indicated a GLX ordered for me earlier.

The Cumara is a great series but around the $220 range for that rod new.

okiefisher8 reply :

I haven't tried any of the rods you mentioned but I picked up a Falcon Cara Composite Cranker II about a week ago. I haven't gotten to much use out of it, just some casting try it out. It loads up the deep cranks nicely. It is a 7'6" MH rod but is $20 above your price range, you might also check out the Cara Deep Runner it is a 7'3" MH rod. Both have the a nice parabolic bend, and they are both made in USA. I have had great experience with all my other Cara's and Falcon's customer service.

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

IMO the Lamiglass SR705 is the perfect blend of action, sensitivity and backbone for deep cranking.

roadwarrior reply :

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IMO the Lamiglass SR705 is the perfect blend of action, sensitivity and backbone for deep cranking.

Me, too!

Shop around and you should find this rod within your price range.

8-)

westpalmfrogpunk reply :

Try out the Powell rods. I am extremely happy with my Powell over st criox rods. You can not get better customer service then with Powell rods. Give them a call and they can guide you right to the best rod for what you want to do.

onion man reply :

It really depends, you need to RESEARCH and do some studying. It may seam grueling and no fun, but this is an investment that you probably want to last for a long while. You want a quality rod for a good price, and you want to have a good time using it.

Here are some CRUCIAL aspects (No pun intended):

-There are three ways to go in the blank-GRAPHITE or FIBERGLASS or FIBERGLASS/GRAPHITE COMPOSITE

-Graphite is really sensitive, great for feeling structure that even depth finders cannot pickup, but once a big momma chooses to eat your crank for lunch, you may have TOO MUCH FEEL, and set the hook a) Too quickly, Too anxiously, and c) Too forcefully.

-Fiberglass gives you ultimate delay in strike and you will not tear as many trebles BUT, you will feel squat, nothing, zero cover and therefor it may be hard to depict the cover, hence it will be more difficult for you to lay a finger on the pattern.

-COMPOSITE is in my opinion the way to go. I know you have the Kistler Mag composite rod, and I agree, they overdid the whip in the tip. Look for other brands however, and try to go with a rod that has moderate sensitivity (enough to feel structure), but a decent delay (=no torn lips ). Go with either a moderate or moderate fast action, you should know this already, and stick with medium or medium heavy power.

Here are some options:

-Daiwa Light and Tough cranking model-composite

-Lamiglas has some good offerings

-American Rodsmith's David Fritts cranking rod (Yes, the $180 model)

-Powell is decent, look at their glass cranking series OR their graphite, it has enough bend in the blank

-Lastly, STAY AWAY from E21. Good rod, but bring some tissues on the boat for when the rod breaks and you waste your money (customer service could use some love, too)

Handle these rods in person, see what you personally enjoy. That will help.

barroncooper reply :

I just had a G-Blanks custom built that's perfect for deep cranking. It's a 7'6" mh moderate fast. you can hurl a dd22 with this thing. It was $140 to my door with micro guides. I have it paired with a curado e5. Oh yeah it was built and at my door in 2 weeks

Fish Fast reply :

I appreciate everyone's input. I know everyone likes a different feel and uses their cranking rods in different settings and applications.

My Kistler is a 7 foot composite and is not a Mg.

When I am tossing 3/4 oz wigglewarts or DT 16s it does feel a little outgunned. Most of the time though, I am throwing 1/2 oz traps or 1/2 oz cranks with it, that run in the top 6-10 feet of the water column.

I did check out the St. Croix cranking rods today. They had a 7 foot MHXF, and a 7 foot MHF (the aforementioned were avids) ....and a 6'6" MHM Premeir. Of course they did not have the one I wanted to try (Avid 7 ft MHM). I also looked at the skeet reese rods (I believe these were glass). The premier was a beefier blank than anything I own and I imagine it would work better for the deeper diving lures and ripping lipless cranks than anything I currently own. Was not sure about the quality of the Reese rods (wright and mcgill?...haven't seen a lot of feedback on these?). Unfortunately they did not have any Powells or Dobyns...no top end shimano either. I think a trip down to bass pro shops is going to be in order to get a hold of a little better selection.

Either way, I will continue to put the time in searching. I have at least a month before the bass fishing takes off.

On a side note, most of the bass I catch throughout the summer are not that big. We are talking...on average...2 pounders...maybe 12-16 inchers. An occasional 3 or 4 pounder. That is one reason I am hesitant to get a GIANT glass rod..those big 8 footers I see seem a little overkill for what I will be doing.

In the spring however, fishing the saginaw bay (lake Huron), and the St. Clair river, the small mouth fishing is PHENOMINAL! 3-7 pounders are common out there. Most of the time we are fishing rockpiles, stony points, anything with a hard bottom. That is another reason I am leaning towards something graphite. I want to be able to feel the bottom.

Keep the feedback coming and I will try and check out some of the rods you guys have mentioned! I will also check the classifieds.

djmax22 reply :

I have to disagree with the posters recommending the Lamiglas 705R for deep cranking. The SR 705R has been a part of my arsenal for the last 3 years and is always on deck. Although it is a great rod, I feel like it is in the zone with DT10s and RC 2.5s. I learned the hard way thrown DD22 on this rod will wear you out (but it will serve in a pinch).

Fish Fast glass rod these days are sensitive and you will have no problem feeling or identifying the composition of the bottom. The 705R would be a great choice for you applications, but I still prefer longer cranking rods and the Powell 754 is one hell of a trap rod for the price. Now it seems like you are looking for a higher dollar rod. If you are going to step up to the 200 price range go with Dobyns 764 RM Model, Loomis 845, or the Lamiglas Skeet Reese 705R (Lamiglas 705R) if you want to try glass.

Fish Fast reply :

Decisions....decisions! I am not opposed to a great VALUE...meaning, i dont have to spend top dollar to be happy. It just seems like, in fishing, as with a lot of other hobbies, you get what you pay for. I need to go somewhere that I can get my hands on a dobyns or powell and see what they are all about. I am constantly reading about their quality and customer service. The really hard part is, you don't know until you buy it..take it out and use it..whether you will like it (for example comparing a glass to a graphite cranking rod you almost need to try a few different lures...catch a decent fish to get the whole idea on whether its goint to work or not).

To be continued.

I will keep researching. Going to try and get down to bass pro shops this weekend. Will check their inventory before I go though.

Thanks a lot you guys, I appreciate everyones input, ideas, and critiques!

Skeet22 reply :

I just ordered a 7'6" Duckett Micro magic M cranking rod. I had the pleasure of Marshaling for Ducket on the last day of the classic. He was using this rod to fish a square bill (although not very long) I can tell you he takes great pride in his rods. I have not read one bad review of any rod in the duckett line up. I will be using this rod for mid to depp cranking and lipless cranks. I went with the long rod b/c I like to really get as much distance and cover as much water as possible when cranking. I still have a shorter cranking rod I will use when casting around shoreline cover.

Maxximus Redneckus reply :

If you say u dont need to spend top dollar check out bass pro shops crankin stiks

b.Lee reply :

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If you say u dont need to spend top dollar check out bass pro shops crankin stiks

I agree!

Fish Fast reply :

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If you say u dont need to spend top dollar check out bass pro shops crankin stiks

I agree!

I will do that!

Primus reply :

I've been fishing the 7'6" MH telescopic BPS Crankin' Stick for about 3 years and been very pleased. Handles DD22's and other deep divers with no problem and it allows for very long cast which is essential when fishing deep divers.

JacobK reply :

To tell you the truth, it's all personal preference! Just take the suggestions that you've gotten here and try to test them out in person before you buy.

Fish Fast reply :

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To tell you the truth, it's all personal preference! Just take the suggestions that you've gotten here and try to test them out in person before you buy.

Thats the plan Jacobk...just have to find the aforementioned rods in stores. Hardly anyone around has Dobyns. The St. Croix rods I have tried dont have the the same power ratings that people have been recommending to me, which makes it hard to judge. You hate to spend $200 on something that you "think" you will like and then have it turn out not to be what you thought.

Oh well, will take my time. I am in no rush.

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