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I'm fairly new to the whole bass fishing world. I have done some but being from Utah its pretty hard to find great bass fishers that are close enough to fish on a regular basis. I have one casting and reel but it doesn't seem to cast crankbaits very well. It does great with jigs and some spinners but I think crankbaits are too light for them. I was wondering what some attributes I should look for when buying a rod and reel for crankbaits? I have found some rods that are made for crankbait casting, are rods actually good at casing crankbaits or should I look for something else.
Just to let you all know I was looking into the All-star ASR crankbait rod and possibly the Shimano Curado E reel. Does that sound like a good combo for what I'm looking at doing with it?
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I live in Utah as well and there are plenty of bass fisheries. I noticed you live in Price and there really isn't much near you, unfortunately. Huntington North and Starvation are probably the closest, I think.
The ASR series of All Star rods are much better than their 'standard' rods in my opinion. I use a Rogue crankbait rod with a Quantum Energy reel 6.3:1 ratio. I like to use a faster reel so I don't have to reel as much with a slower one like a 5.3:1. I can always reel slower if I need to. The Curado is a great reel, I've been eyeballing one myself.
There are lots of companies that make crankbait specific rods but you can always get the feel of one and compare it to other rods.My cb rod has a slow tip and mh backbone that flings out even the lightest crankbaits with ease. I can't wait for some open water so I can use it...I don't know if I answered any of your questions, I started talking about myself [crazy].
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Yes the fisheries are around and there are some great bass spots in Utah but like you said they are few and far between around Price. Huntington North is about 20 minutes away and has some okay bass fishing. I have have never had a great day there but I have caught a good number of bass out of it. Never been to Starvation I have heard its awesome there though.
Most of the Crankbait specific rods have similar qualities to yours so that is what I was leaning towards. If I did get one. I have also thought about just changing the line on my rod to get some better distance out of it. Don't know if that will help but its cheaper then buying a whole new set up. I still have some thinking to do but your info was very helpful. Thanks for the help.
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I've got property a few miles from Starvation and I'm up there as much as I can be during the summer. The bad thing about Starvation is the wind...but, when the wind starts blowing it turns into an awesome crankbait bite. We should hook up, pun intended, and fish Starvation this spring/summer. I can help you with cranks and lure you into the dark side of bass fishing hahaha. I've got the boat and know how on Starvation all you need is your presence. We can talk about all sorts of variations of 'fishing stuff' online but the best way to do it is on the water.
I don't use anything heavier than 10lb. fluorocarbon with cranks, it's practically invisible (density of water, light refraction mumbo jumbo) and there's not much in Utah waters to cause abrasion to the line while fighting a fish. Crawdad colored cranks are always a go-to at Starvation but I've always done better on ........ (only those who fish with me know my secrets[  ]). I'm running my mouth, fingers? again. I'm excited to see another Utahn on the bass board.
I have two rods that I use for cranks. A Loomis rod and the Rogue I mentioned earlier. You are more than welcome to try them out on the water yourself before laying down the cash for a rod you are not familiar with on the water. The Curado is no doubt a winner but rods, to me, are more of a personal thing. The bend when casting, sensitivity when reeling in, you can feel the crankbait wobble in your hands while reeling and feel any bite immediately. The flex in the tip of a crankbait rod allows you to set the hook without ripping it out of the fishes mouth. This is why fiberglass rods are good for cranks but that's another story.
I am 30 years old, work too much and fish too less but I feel like I'm 10 years old waiting for Christmas! I can't wait for bass fishing this spring!
I'm rambling and I apologize.
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Dude, I live in Provo. I got three different types of crankbait rods. Loomis's, St. Croix's, and a KVD. My St Croix's are the Premier models-in medium action class. Plus, a medium heavy. For $100 they are a good rod. For about $150 the Quantum KVD rods are nice, but kinda heavy. Loomis's are over $250 and are great except I hate the reel seats. Bass Pro Shops have some for under $100 but they lack quality.
What are you throwing? We use crankbait rods for trout too!
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Don't worry rambling is welcome. I don't mind one bit.
Sounds like a plan I'm always up for fishing in new spots and learning from somebody that knows what they are doing. I have used cranks before but its been with a spinning set up, I love my spinning set up for trout using a fly and a bubble but it hasn't been the best for bass. And the ugly stick rods I use aren't the best for worms and such. My casting set up right now is a Cabelas fish eagle II MH, fast action (i think) and a Shimano Citica and it has14 pound fireline on it, I think that might be reducing my casting distance but I'm not sure. I got the fire line for worms and jigs in the heavy cover. I'm the same way with most of my secrets, especially my fly fishing secrets.
I would like a Loomis rod but I can't spend that much for a rod, yet anyway someday that might change. I have heard about people using fiberglass for crank casting and I have had some experience doing that with my ugly sticks. I did like they way they handled the cranks. It really handled like you were saying a good crank rod should. I guess the best thing to do is just get out with different rods and see how they all handle.
I know the feeling its a tough wait, the only way I can get through winter is to go ice fishing. Went today and didn't even get a bite! haha oh well.
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I think I'm going to stay away from the store brand rods on this one but I don't want to spend the money on a Loomis I like St. Corix, I have two St Croix fly rods and I love them both. I have never looked at the Quantum rods before maybe I will check them out.
I have a Cabelas Fish Eagle II medium heavy with a fast tip its 6'6". My reel is a Shimano Citica with 14 pound fire line. I have used cranks for trout a lot at Scofield and some smaller high mountain lakes. They have worked really good so far.
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6'6 or 7'0 St Croix Premier medium action graphite rod might be your ticket. You can throw jerkbaits and medium crankbaits including 1/2oz lipless crankbaits. I caught 25 lb pike with one of these last summer. They are about $100.00. I throw jerkbaits, lipless, billed crankbaits, and topwater with these. Cabelas may have them in the store or you can get them on line.
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Try to stick with softer action 7' rods. The slower action allows you to play the fish better without the fish throwing the bait. Treble hooks can work their way out of the fish's mouth and when the fish jumps a stiff rod can catapult the bait free. I tend to like slower retrieve reels as well. I can get impatient so a 5.1:1 is just right for me. Dont get me wrong, I love my high speed reels, but not for cranks.
I too am looking for a crank bait rod. I had two crank bait rods but sold them to reduce the overall arsenal. I am thinking about the Fenwick 50/50 (half glass/half graphite).
HockeyMan
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Don't give up on the "store brand" rods and reels just yet...I think Bass Pro Shops is on to something with these two pieces of gear! The word for 2010 is "Carbonlite"! These things feel like my buddy's G-Loomis!!! (Which he won tourney fishing..grrrr hehe)
Rods
[url "http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10205012____SearchResults"]http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10205012____SearchResults[/url]
Reel
[url "http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10204721____SearchResults"]http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10204721____SearchResults[/url]
This reel only weighs in at 6.6 ounces! A comparable Daiwa or Shimana is $300 plus!
As soon as the combo hits the shelves I'm on it!
Basszillla
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I've thought about going with a 50/50 or full fiberglass for my crank rod. I used fiberglass ugly sticks for most of my life and I like they way they handle crankbaits. I think I might go with 6:1 or so with my reel I figured I can reel slower (I'm a pretty patient fellow).
I checked out the Quantum stuff and I actually found a reel I really like (Catalysis). Its a bit cheaper then the Shimano I was looking at and it has some good features, I might be leaning towards that instead.
Those bass pro rods do look really nice. How long have they been out for? I'm kinda wherry about buying a rod that is that new with really new technology. And why in the reviews do they keep comparing them to the Carrot stick?
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I'm not sure about the carrot Stick comparison... I was able to use one a buddy of mine has and I swear I could have felt a fly fart on the end while I was holding it. The Carrot Stick line has had issues the last few months, lots of fracturing length wise ...very strange...
TCarbonlites have been out for their pros since August 2009. Stacy King and Rick Clunn both have them in their arsenal as I saw them use the Carbonlite on 2 different fishing shows, (The Bass Pros- no surprise there and Clunn used one on Fishing University with a Pro Qualifier reel).
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From what i understand about Carrot Sticks is that they designed them more for fishing with soft plastics. they are great for flipping and pitching but i would not recommend them for crankbait use.
Im gonna throw this one out there. Have you ever looked into Powell rods? they are truly a great rod. I have 2 of them and the action and sensitivity is simply awesome. lifetime warranty also. ill post a link below of their crankin rods.
[url "http://www.powellco.com/catalog/cat/?id=4"]http://www.powellco.com/catalog/cat/?id=4[/url]
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I have never even heard of Powell rods. I checked them out and they seem like some nice rods. I especially like the warranty they have!! I did have one question though. What is the "power rating" they have listed? Do you know or is it just some usless metric they have assigned to each rod?
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Powell Rods are good but but they overstate their rod specs on some rods. Meaning a medium heavy rod to Powell may feel like a Medium of another brand. Their swimbait rods feel like the specs stated on the blank. Their heavy crankin rod feels right too. I have a friend that has a MH rod that feels a little lighter than a MH. They are nice rods though.
Power vs. Action. Better rods will have Powers and Actions. Power refers to the stiffness of the rod. Action is the shape of the bend under load. So if you have two 7' rods, one Medium and one Heavy, and both have a fast action. Technically both rods should have the exact same bend, but the Heavy powered rod will require more weight to achieve the same bend as the Medium rod.
HockeyMan
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I actually under stand the power and action things. If you go to that link for Powell rods each rod has both power and action but it also has something called a power rating. The power rating is assigned a number with rods of the same length, power and action have different power ratings.
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I see what you mean about Powell rods. The only thing I can think of is they are trying to identify the gaps between rod powers. That is actually a good idea and may explain why my friends Powell rod is not has stout as the rod spec indicates. A MH with a Power Rating of 2 is not really a MH in my opinion.
I sent Powell Rods an email asking them to clarify.
HM
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Ah I see, that makes more sense.
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Not really sure what that power rating is? I think hockyman is on the right track though. I only have 2 of these rods and i did not order them from the website. I got them from a tackle shop and did not ever realize until now about a power rating? I'll look up my one rod and see what they say about them. i know my worm rod is med/heavy with an extra fast action tip. Its got alot of back bone to pull fish out of heavy grass, so im gonna guess that its gonna have a higher power rating.
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I contacted Powell Rods and the Power Rating is one more variable used by the manufacturer to dial in the blanks. So a MH, Fast Action rod with a 6 Power Rating is stiffer than a MH, Fast Action rod with a 4 Power Rating. They are just further defining the rod specs. As if it weren't confusing enough already. I just wish all the rod companies could agree on what a medium or medium heavy rod is, some kind of standardized system.
That's why it's risky to buy online sight unseen. If you know exactly what you want then fine but I have taken too many gambles and lost. I know better now.
HM
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