MAN I am just STUCK trying to decide which rod! HELP! 2025
pauldconyers reply :
I have been kicking this back and forth in my mind for a few months now and I just need to make a decision and could really use some input.
I am looking to put together a rod/reel combo that would be dedicated to square bills, 1/2 oz lipless cranks with probably a 3XD as the largest/deepest diving crankbait I'd throw on it. MAYBE a 1/2 oz chatterbait too or possibly a 1/2 oz spinner bait but mostly it would be used for the first few baits I mentioned.
I want to go with a glass rod and think I am going with the Lews David Fritts Perfect Crankbait rod because if its features and price. (I already own this same rod in 7'6" MH for larger cranks like 5XD or 6XDs.)
I am going to go with the 7' rod but cannot decide on the MED or MED-HVY variety. Originally I was convinced that the MED was the way to go for these specific bait presentations and size and was prepared to do that. I throw a lot of 1/2 ox lipless and I was talking to a guy I respect and he told me the key to a bait like that is while it will catch fish in open water he really recommended aiming for grass because this bait truly shines when ripping it through grass and he REALLY felt like MED would be too weak for this and I better go with the MH. But being that I have the MH (but in the 7'6") I kind of felt maybe I should go with the MED and have all my bases covered.
IDK, I just want this answered for me frankly because I just need to make a decision! If it helps I am going to use a 6:3 Daiwa Fuego CT with 12 pound Seaguar Invizx fluoro.
CroakHunter reply :
If You are dead set on using fluoro, I say medium heavy either moderate or moderate fast whichever the rod is rated. If using braid (which I love for cranks because you get better feel and more depth) I say medium.
pauldconyers reply :
On 12/29/2018 at 9:04 AM, CroakHunter said:If You are dead set on using fluoro, I say medium heavy either moderate or moderate fast whichever the rod is rated. If using braid (which I love for cranks because you get better feel and more depth) I say medium.
I've always been told that since fluoro sinks (versus braid that floats) it would go deeper, assuming the line diameter was the same.
Dens228 reply :
For just the crankbaits I'd go Medium, but if your going to throw spinnerbaits and chatterbaits with it I'd go MH.
BaitFinesse reply :
On 12/29/2018 at 10:49 AM, pauldconyers said:I've always been told that since fluoro sinks (versus braid that floats) it would go deeper, assuming the line diameter was the same.
Nope. Line diameter is the limiting factor in crankbait depth. Your flourocarbon line is not going to fall below the crankbait and pull it down as it it being wound up on the reel. The opposite will happen actually. The line will be above the bait and slightly bowed behind the bait due to water resistance.
BigAngus752 reply :
I'm with @Dens228. I think you're looking at two different rods here. Trebles should be on something like a med/moderate with line that has at least a little bit of forgiving stretch (not braid). But a "chatterbait" is a jig with a blade on it. I fish bladed jigs and spinners on MH. IMHO. One of my favorite things to throw (and one of my most productive lures) is a lipless crank. I fish them on a M/M Fenwick using a Tatula SV with Yo-Zuri Hybrid.
BassWhole! reply :
I would strongly recommend you reconsider a glass or composite rod for all the lures you listed with the exception of the 3XD, specially if you are going to be fishing around grass. Sounds like you are trying to make a decision on things you've read, a better approach would be to fish the baits and figure out what if anything you want different from a stick for each. A 6'9", 7' or 7'+ MH Fast rod will work well for those baits.
fishindad reply :
On 12/29/2018 at 10:55 AM, Dens228 said:For just the crankbaits I'd go Medium, but if your going to throw spinnerbaits and chatterbaits with it I'd go MH.
This is the best answer. Cranks have small trebles and spinner/chatterbaits have large single hooks.
Loomis13 reply :
One thing to consider might be how much you are going to be fishing grass. If it is a lot, a moderate with a stretchy line like fluoro or mono will be harder to rip through the grass with. Just because of the stretch in the line and the give in the rod. I would be looking a fast rod with a stretchy line or a moderate rod with braid.
Boomstick reply :
On 12/29/2018 at 11:24 AM, BaitFinesse said:Nope. Line diameter is the limiting factor in crankbait depth. Your flourocarbon line is not going to fall below the crankbait and pull it down as it it being wound up on the reel. The opposite will happen actually. The line will be above the bait and slightly bowed behind the bait due to water resistance.
There is more than just diameter however. Braid does in fact float depending on the braid, and suspends when pulled down, but can easily be a smaller diameter. I would wager you end up with similar depth between the two if you put it to the test, assuming you are comparing something like 40lb braid (which is the min I would use in the colder climate areas realistically) to 12lb fc - I would put my money on the flurocarbon to get better depth in this case. Now comparing 15lb braid vs 15lb flurocarbon is something else entirely.
Sufix 832 is a good braid for cranking as it sinks more than some others. I personally prefer cranking with fluorocarbon or mono but braid works too. I would just get a medium rod if using braid to compensate for its zero stretch.
The glass version of the Daiwa Tatula 7'2" MH/R with 15lb flurocarbon has worked extremely well for me with crankbaits and spinnerbaits and chatterbaits up to 1/2oz. I would highly recommend the same rod if you are looking for an all around cranking stick. I use it with a Tatula SV 6.3:1 reel.
Dens228 reply :
On 12/29/2018 at 11:39 PM, Boomstick said:There is more than just diameter however. Braid does in fact float depending on the braid, and suspends when pulled down, but can easily be a smaller diameter. I would wager you end up with similar depth between the two if you put it to the test, assuming you are comparing something like 40lb braid (which is the min I would use in the colder climate areas realistically) to 12lb fc - I would put my money on the flurocarbon to get better depth in this case. Now comparing 15lb braid vs 15lb flurocarbon is something else entirely.
Sufix 832 is a good braid for cranking as it sinks more than some others. I personally prefer cranking with fluorocarbon or mono but braid works too. I would just get a medium rod if using braid to compensate for its zero stretch.
I'm curious as to why you wouldn't go below 40 lb braid in colder areas? And what do you consider cold?
I use 20 lb for cranks without issue.
Boomstick reply :
On 12/29/2018 at 11:59 PM, Dens228 said:I'm curious as to why you wouldn't go below 40 lb braid in colder areas? And what do you consider cold?
I use 20 lb for cranks without issue.
On spinning gear, I have fished cranks on 20lb braid and even 15lb braid. But on casting gear even on 30lb braid, the line tends to dig into itself and often causes a horrible backlash. If I start to see issues and pull the line out, then I'm good for a while but I just switched to 40lb braid and it's much less of an issue.
It's usually an issue when it's below 50 degrees or so. I was happy all summer with 30lb braid, but I figure since I can change out braid every three years, I'll just run 40lb and be happy in the spring and fall.
BaitFinesse reply :
On 12/29/2018 at 11:39 PM, Boomstick said:There is more than just diameter however. Braid does in fact float depending on the braid, and suspends when pulled down, but can easily be a smaller diameter. I would wager you end up with similar depth between the two if you put it to the test, assuming you are comparing something like 40lb braid (which is the min I would use in the colder climate areas realistically) to 12lb fc - I would put my money on the flurocarbon to get better depth in this case. Now comparing 15lb braid vs 15lb flurocarbon is something else entirely.
Sufix 832 is a good braid for cranking as it sinks more than some others. I personally prefer cranking with fluorocarbon or mono but braid works too. I would just get a medium rod if using braid to compensate for its zero stretch.
The glass version of the Daiwa Tatula 7'2" MH/R with 15lb flurocarbon has worked extremely well for me with crankbaits and spinnerbaits and chatterbaits up to 1/2oz. I would highly recommend the same rod if you are looking for an all around cranking stick. I use it with a Tatula SV 6.3:1 reel.
I don't see how line buoyancy has any impact on how deep a crankbait is going to run. If this were the case and a sinking line pulls the bait down as line is being wound up onto the spool then largest diameter heavy flourocarbon lines would pull the bait down more and it would run deeper. This is clearly not the case. Flourocarbon is not lead core. It does not pull the bait down like you see with lead core trolling lines. If you wish to amend the buoyancy of the bait a suspend strip can be used and it will affect the bait directly.
In instances where the bait does rise above the line such as on a pause flourocarbon line is a great choice. I use it all the time for shallow cranks and jerkbaits. It is also smaller diameter in comparison to other nonbraids and well suited to deep crank use. I believe a 10# flourocarbon and 20# 8 carrier braid are roughly equivalent in diameter but the 20# braid does not handle well with high capacity spools and is prone to dig in.
WRB reply :
Using a diving crankbait the line type has minimal affect on the lure running depth because the line is tight.
Tom
pauldconyers reply :
On 12/30/2018 at 3:58 AM, WRB said:Using a diving crankbait the line type has minimal affect on the lure running depth because thr line is tight.
Tom
Tom, I respect your thoughts on this forum. Do you have opinion on which power I should go with in this situation?
Heartland reply :
On 12/30/2018 at 3:58 AM, WRB said:Using a diving crankbait the line type has minimal affect on the lure running depth because thr line is tight.
Tom
I disagree with this statement. The two elements that have the largest impact on crankbait diving depth with all other things being equal, are line diameter and casting distance.
Here is a link to a really good article.
https://www.bassmaster.com/tips/guide-precision-cranking
WRB reply :
The linked article compares line diameter not focused line type.
I agree the smaller the line diameter the less drag it creates going through water. FC has less coeffient of drag then mono but equal diameter, therefore FC may have sight advantage to reach maximum diving deep with deep diving lures. We are discussing shallow to med depth crankbaits and the difference on equal distance crankbait is minimal maybe inches and affected more by rod tip distance off or in the water.
Braid on the other hand is the smallest diameter line per pound test by 50% or more.
Using a bait casting reel it's difficult to use line under .009 diameter or 20 lb rest braid.
basically 30 lb braid or 10/11 lb mono/FC @ .011 dia is as small as I will use with crankbaits.
If you want to test how deep a crankbait runs troll it over a flat at various depths until it hits bottom and rely on your own knowledge.
Tom
WRB reply :
On 12/30/2018 at 4:38 AM, pauldconyers said:Tom, I respect your thoughts on this forum. Do you have opinion on which power I should go with in this situation?
I am not familiar with the rod mentioned however you own the MH 7'6" model and 7' model would normally faster action and therefore a little more rigid. The Medium action using braid to rip through grass using a lipless seems like a good choice.
Tom
junyer357 reply :
Id go with the medium for want you plan to throw, especially after looking at the rod specs online. It should handle the lighter cranks better, but It is still rated to 1oz, so a 1/2 oz bait will be fine with it, even with a trailer. If you get in some grass and find it underpowered, you still have the longer mh rod to use as well.
Boomstick reply :
On 12/30/2018 at 3:29 AM, BaitFinesse said:I don't see how line buoyancy has any impact on how deep a crankbait is going to run. If this were the case and a sinking line pulls the bait down as line is being wound up onto the spool then largest diameter heavy flourocarbon lines would pull the bait down more and it would run deeper. This is clearly not the case. Flourocarbon is not lead core. It does not pull the bait down like you see with lead core trolling lines. If you wish to amend the buoyancy of the bait a suspend strip can be used and it will affect the bait directly.
In instances where the bait does rise above the line such as on a pause flourocarbon line is a great choice. I use it all the time for shallow cranks and jerkbaits. It is also smaller diameter in comparison to other nonbraids and well suited to deep crank use. I believe a 10# flourocarbon and 20# 8 carrier braid are roughly equivalent in diameter but the 20# braid does not handle well with high capacity spools and is prone to dig in.
Oh my bad. I forgot the OP was only referring to deep drivers. I honestly don't have enough experience with deep divers to tell if the line matters or not but you're probably right but I can attest to getting better depth with shallow diving baits on fluorocarbon.
pauldconyers reply :
Based upon the real split on M or MH here you can see my quandary. As to the line I am a 100% 40lb 833 sufix braid guy but for this rod/reel setup I'm trying to branch out and am going to be trying 12lb Seaguar Invizx fluoro. If I don't like it for whatever reason I'm sure I would go back to my braid. Again, I'm going to pair it all up with a 6:3 Daiwa Fuego CT reel. Having read a lot of the comments her I won't use single hook baits with it, only treble hook baits like lipless, square bills and smaller deep divers like a 3XD. It's just a question of is M or MH the way to go.
bayvalle reply :
On 12/29/2018 at 9:04 AM, CroakHunter said:If You are dead set on using fluoro, I say medium heavy either moderate or moderate fast whichever the rod is rated. If using braid (which I love for cranks because you get better feel and more depth) I say medium.
Can you explain why you recommend more power for fluoro?
CroakHunter reply :
On 12/31/2018 at 9:17 PM, bayvalle said:Can you explain why you recommend more power for fluoro?
Fluoro and mono have much more stretch than braided lines.
MAN reply :
Well since you did ask me specifically....I am going to say go with the medium and don't look back.
EGbassing reply :
I would go with the Medium. I just got my first medium rod and I actually don't notice much of a difference from my Medium Heavy in the same rod line.
Choporoz reply :
On 12/29/2018 at 8:52 AM, pauldconyers said:
I am looking to put together a rod/reel combo that would be dedicated to square bills, 1/2 oz lipless cranks with probably a 3XD as the largest/deepest diving crankbait I'd throw on it. MAYBE a 1/2 oz chatterbait too or possibly a 1/2 oz spinner bait but mostly it would be used for the first few baits I mentioned.
I want to go with a glass rod and think I am going with the Lews David Fritts Perfect Crankbait rod because if its features and price. (I already own this same rod in 7'6" MH for larger cranks like 5XD or 6XDs.)
-I throw all nearly all 3-10" crankbaits and all lipless under 3/4oz on MF graphite.
-I like glass OK for larger crankbaits, but not smaller ones. I throw 1 footers on spinning gear.
-I use YZH 6-12#, liberally doused with KVD line conditioner.
-Sensitivity and control around grass and wood are just better for me with graphite; ESPECIALLY when throwing lipless. I generally dislike glass for lipless.
-I wouldn't use any of those rods for spinnerbaits or chatterbaits.
Sounds like your frustrated with this decision. As an boss of mine used to say, "In confusion, there's opportunity." You need two new rods 
Or three, maybe
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