Lipless crankbait rod 2025

Bluebasser86 reply :

So after this most recent episode of missing/losing good fish on a lipless bait, it's time to switch rods. I broke my favorite rod for the job in my rod locker, a 7' MH Ethos that fished kind of in between a M and MH and had good backbone but a soft enough tip to not pull hooks. The rod I bought as a replacement felt good in the store, but it has zero backbone to drive a hook into the tough mouth of a big bass, especially on the long cast I'm usually making. Want to keep it under $150, under $100 would be even better. It needs to have regular sized eyes because I fish them a lot during the winter months when micro guides are a nightmare when my guides are icing up. Prefer EVA, but doesn't really matter either way and I don't care about brand.

Tim Kelly reply :

I got on well with a 7'4" St Croix mojo glass rod before I broke the top 3" off the tip.

CroakHunter reply :

Been very pleased with my 7'5 MH cabelas zx crankshaft. It fishes like a true medium heavy. It is a longer rod than I really prefer but with a longer handle that helps me with longer casts. The winn grips are nice. Use it for 1/2 and 3/4 lipless baits, 1/2 spinnerbaits and chatterbaits in deep water as well. 3/4 of an ounce is the sweet spot for this rod. Also use a 7'6 mh denali rosewood cranking rod. It fishes between and m and mh. Amazing for 3/8 up to 3/4 ounce cranks. 1/2 ounce sweet spot. Wouldn't push this one as high on the lure rating as the previous rod I mentioned. I bought it used off eBay from American legacy fishing for around $60 Even though it retailed for triple that I believe.

jbrew73 reply :

The best rod I've used is the falcon trap caster 7MH-MF. The bucoo sr is $99 I think.

Sam reply :

Believe it or not, my Bass Pro Shops medium heavy IM6 seven-foot baitcaster is great for lipless crankbaits.

Coming in second is my David Fritts 6-foot 6-inch Medium Speed Stick Cranking series rod.

For tournaments I use my G. Loomis CBR 873 7-foot Medium Crank Bait Series rod.

All three work lipless crankbaits beautifully as the hooks seem to set well when I pull the rod left or right when seing the hook.

I also take one or the other of the Fritts or BPS crankbait rods for tournaments.

Other than for the G. Loomis, the other two were priced at a fair level.

Catt reply :

Academy still sales Ethos ????

I throw an All Star Pro series which I think has been replaced with the Classic series...$49.99 at Academy.

For Traps/Spinnerbaits I prefer an extra long handle, when I set hook the handle is against my forearm.

ZebcoZak reply :

I am not as keen on dropping a ton of money on rods that aren't bottom contact presentations, so I went with a St. Croix BXC72MHM. I throw almost all of my teble hooked lures with it and it works for me. Really a nice for for 100 bucks.

LonnieP reply :

I use a Tatula 7' medium regular which is a moderate fast. I really like it for fishing traps. It can be found for around 100 bucks if you look around.

new2BC4bass reply :

Love my Tatula rods. Maybe a Fenwick HMG 7'2" Med.- Moderate Fast?

Poolshark reply :

My fav is the 845 cbr, but noticed your price range...

1)73 mmf Ike series lipless special

(Abu) $149 my second fav.

3)falcon trapcaster bucoo $99

4) medium heavy crankin stick (bass

Pro)

5) the slim grip bionic blade in the

medium fast fishes more like a

medium moderate/fast and is

overlooked for lipless baits.

Especially in grassy areas. $79

- another overlooked one is the falcon Jason Christie crankbait/spinnerbait model I think they sell at Walmart for under a Hundred bucks. I nabbed one for less than 30 one day and it does really well for traps as well. I hated the color though.. But very functional

npl_texas reply :

I just started using one of the new Curado Rods. 7'4" MH/M. It love it. Perfect length and nice tip. They can be had in your price range.

aatwofour reply :

I use the 7’2 MH Shimano Zodias Glass and the 7 M Daiwa Tatula XT Glass. Love em both. The Tatula XT’s go for $100. The Zodias might be a little too much as it goes for $200, but it’s a great rod

J Francho reply :

I actually prefer a fast action rod. I use an LTBC70MF for them.

Fishin' Fool reply :

It depends how you fish. I wondered why anyone would use a fast action rod for cranking then I saw something about fishing traps in heavy grass and using a fast action rod with braid to rip them clean.

J Francho reply :

On 2/15/2018 at 2:51 AM, Fishin' Fool said:

It depends how you fish. I wondered why anyone would use a fast action rod for cranking then I saw something about fishing traps in heavy grass and using a fast action rod with braid to rip them clean.

Same deal for square bills, too. You don't want so much bow in the rod that you can't react in time when you feel the bait hitting grass or wood.

NYWayfarer reply :

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/denali-zenyx-crankbait-casting-rod-17drouznyx7ftmcrnrod/17drouznyx7ftmcrnrod

Denali Zenyx rod. Dick's exclusive, regular $100 now under $50

Angry John reply :

On 2/15/2018 at 3:23 AM, J Francho said:

Same deal for square bills, too. You don't want so much bow in the rod that you can't react in time when you feel the bait hitting grass or wood.

Matt Allen had a video this year where he talks about using heavier and faster rods as the season progresses. Early in the season he is using a moderate rod and lite line working the bait like a blade bait and at the end he is using a medium heavy or heavy fast on thick braid ripping it out of the weeds. It may not be a one rod show but I don't know how your fishing the bait and what type of weed cover progression you have up there.

LonnieP reply :

On 2/15/2018 at 1:37 AM, aatwofour said:

I use the 7’2 MH Shimano Zodias Glass and the 7 M Daiwa Tatula XT Glass. Love em both. The Tatula XT’s go for $100. The Zodias might be a little too much as it goes for $200, but it’s a great rod

You can get a regular Tatula rod for 100. I've seen xt's for as low as 75.

J Francho reply :

On 2/15/2018 at 3:43 AM, Angry John said:

Early in the season he is using a moderate rod and lite line working the bait like a blade bait

Early in the season, I'm using a blade bait. After that, I'm banging them off rip rap, destroying the paint, or slashing through EU milfoil beds in staging areas. Once the spawn is over, I might do some yo-yo jigging, but mostly I'm on to other baits.

Fishin' Fool reply :

On 2/15/2018 at 3:43 AM, Angry John said:

Matt Allen had a video this year where he talks about using heavier and faster rods as the season progresses. Early in the season he is using a moderate rod and lite line working the bait like a blade bait and at the end he is using a medium heavy or heavy fast on thick braid ripping it out of the weeds. It may not be a one rod show but I don't know how your fishing the bait and what type of weed cover progression you have up there.

I think this is where I got my info from but wasn't certain at the time.

speed craw reply :

Dobyns 703c but if you want more hook setting power 763c , fury line up great rods for the price imo .

craww reply :

Ive found in the real world, slower rods dont necessarily help keep fish pinned with aero and hydronamically "tossable" baits like traps. Everyone focuses on the hooks tearing the fishes mouth- but youre also conceding a split second of give back to the fish. The key with not losing big fish on rattlebaits is controlling that head. Every decent trap fish I hook the rod tip goes down, often into the water and I lean into them when needed, especially when they come up top.

Had my struggles years back on a lake that didnt allow boating and there was a huge flat with a creek channel that big fish just loved to bite yozuri Vibes at the end of a long cast. Tried a few different rods including fiberglass cranking rods. Glass was in fact the worst on long casts.

I have a few rods I use without a real standout but a Falcon Cara 7' H Fast Lizard dragger- that fishes much more medium heavy and Mod Fast- is probably my favorite.

iceintheveins reply :

I use a MH 7' , fast action Veritas, not a crankbait rod. The stiffness of the graphite allows you to pop the lure free of grass better, and still have a little give to keep the trebles pinned. A composite crank rod is too soft imo, but a MH action that isnt' a noodle might me worth a try. I throw lipless baits from 1/4 ounce to 3/4 of an ounce on mine. Fluorocarbon line helps too. Go with 10 to 17 pound fluoro depending on thickness of the weeds and size of the bass. A composite or glass rod with 50 pound braid is great in really thick veggies where bass can get real big, in places like Rayburn, Guntersville, or any similar fishery.

Bluebasser86 reply :

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I have kind of a unique situation in that I'm not fishing super cold water with the power plant lakes, and I'm not really worried about fish pulling off on traps, more about actually getting the hooks set on big fish at long distances. I need a more powerful rod than what some may be able to get by, because I'm never sure if a cast is going to be a 5-7 pound largemouth, or one of these guys.

Beboson reply :

Wright Mcgill Rick Clunn Lipless. A cheaper rod, but great rod for dont lost fish.

Angry John reply :

Mb white python would be amazing and only 4x your budget.

rcg703 reply :

Don’t let the price fool you, but Walmart has a Lew’s Hank Parker signature series IM8 crankbait rod for $40. The rod feels amazing for the price and has good backbone.

Topwaterdude reply :

On 2/15/2018 at 8:10 AM, speed craw said:

Dobyns 703c but if you want more hook setting power 763c , fury line up great rods for the price imo .

Love throwing a lipless crank bait on my 703 paired with Fuego CT and 30# braid❤️

dodgeguy reply :

On 2/15/2018 at 2:51 AM, Fishin' Fool said:

It depends how you fish. I wondered why anyone would use a fast action rod for cranking then I saw something about fishing traps in heavy grass and using a fast action rod with braid to rip them clean.

Exactly what I do.I relax the drag to prevent pulling hooks.

LionHeart reply :

Not sure what you mean by needing a rod stout enough to 'set the hook.' Out of all my fishing blunders, I've never had trouble burying treble hooks into a fishes mouth (or cheek, or tail). There isn't really a 'set' required while using treble hooks as far as I know. In fact many times the bass set the hooks for you.

I would strongly recommend the Falcon Bucoo SR "Trap Caster." Such a good rod for lipless, but it is on the soft side of medium heavy no doubt, so it may not give you what you're looking for.

Bluebasser86 reply :

On 9/21/2019 at 10:18 AM, LionHeart said:

Not sure what you mean by needing a rod stout enough to 'set the hook.' Out of all my fishing blunders, I've never had trouble burying treble hooks into a fishes mouth (or cheek, or tail). There isn't really a 'set' required while using treble hooks as far as I know. In fact many times the bass set the hooks for you.

Make a long cast and have a 5/6/7 or bigger pound fish eat a trap with an underpowered rod, you'll understand what I mean.

Rod has long been replaced with a much better rod though and it's no longer an issue

Fishes in trees reply :

I like my Falcon Buccoo Trap caster. One of the few rods that I've paid full retail price for. Saw it as Walmart, liked it, bought it. I believe that it does have micro guides, but I haven't fished it in cool enough weather for that to matter. I use either a Calcutta TE or a Calcutta TEGT or an older Curado D and 17 or 20 lb test on this rod. With any of the 3 reels mentioned, it can throw a half ounce lipless crank a long ways.

Prior to that, BPS used to market, in their Extreme series, aWoo Davis Special. Woo described it as a pitching rod, I tried it for that and it had WAY too much tip for me for pitching. However, IMO, it makes a great square bill/lipless crank/ buzz bait/chatterbait rod. The handle on this rod is "funky". I think that it is specially made not to fit anyone's hand. Using bicycle handlebar tape, I was able to make it fit my hand very well. Just happen to have a 2019 BPS Master Catalog close at hand, here at my desk and it doesn't seem like the BPS Extreme series is offered anymore.

At the $180 level, it seems like the Johnny Morris Platinum signature series, (the red ones) have a 7'4" listed that has similar stats to the BPS Extreme I mentioned earlier. Have to go touch it to know for sure & don't have any plans to go near BPS any time soon. (BPS is in a different part of the KC Metro area than I normally frequent, so I have to make an effort to drive to that part of town, or drive south to Olathe.)

fishwizzard reply :

On 2/15/2018 at 2:57 PM, Bluebasser86 said:

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I have kind of a unique situation in that I'm not fishing super cold water with the power plant lakes, and I'm not really worried about fish pulling off on traps, more about actually getting the hooks set on big fish at long distances. I need a more powerful rod than what some may be able to get by, because I'm never sure if a cast is going to be a 5-7 pound largemouth, or one of these guys.

I don’t do it often, but I throw larger 3/4-1oz traps on an iRod Fred’s Magic stick. It’s a very powerful rod with a ModF taper and it works well with the heavier trebles on bigger traps and larger topwaters.

pauldconyers reply :

On 9/21/2019 at 12:10 PM, Bluebasser86 said:

Make a long cast and have a 5/6/7 or bigger pound fish eat a trap with an underpowered rod, you'll understand what I mean.

Rod has long been replaced with a much better rod though and it's no longer an issue

Out of curiosity what did you end up going with?

Bluebasser86 reply :

On 11/11/2019 at 10:35 AM, pauldconyers said:

Out of curiosity what did you end up going with?

I managed to find a couple of exact same rods I had, a 7' MH Ethos. I believe it's rated a fast but feels more MF to me. It's a great trap rod and I bought both for less than $50.

TnRiver46 reply :

I like a 6’6” broom handle for ratte traps

papajoe222 reply :

tander reply :

On 9/21/2019 at 10:18 AM, LionHeart said:

I would strongly recommend the Falcon Bucoo SR "Trap Caster." Such a good rod for lipless, but it is on the soft side of medium heavy no doubt, so it may not give you what you're looking for.

I use this Falcon, really like it for lipless.

Tizi reply :

I have a 7' carbon-lite 2.o that I throw lipless on. Works great for that.

newyorktoiowa57 reply :

I've thrown them on a bionic blade 7MH(basically MF) with 14 pound suffix siege and really liked that combo around grass.

WRB reply :

I use a Loomis PR845C popping rod for both Stucture spoons and smaller crankbaits including lipless. The rod was a close out at $100 in a local tackle shop but retails above your price point. This rod is ideal for what you are looking for, might check around for bargin price, most bass anglers over look rods not designated for specific bass fishing applications.

Tom

2986

Lipless crankbait rod 2025

related Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic

previous topic

next topic

most viewed Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic