need some advise on cranking rod

[danielw]

I'm looking at getting a new cranking rod. Which should I go with a Browning glass rod or BPS cranking stick? I will be using it for Bandit 200 series to Norman dd22's. Thanks for the help.

[Rich]

The BPS is a good rod, but I don't like the hump handle they have. Â*Not familiar with the Browning rod, but they have a good reputation. Â*Glass is the way to go for cranking, though. Â*That or a graphite/glass composite-graphite butt with a glass tip.

I use an AllStar GT2 6-6 M action graphite/glass composite.

[Infisherman1]

As reb said, glass is the way to go with cranking.
of course you could just spend only $40 and get a 6'6"M Ugly Stik which will do as good as anything.

[BaSsFiShEr20]

This is one place I have to respectfully disagree with Hula, and with part of what Reb said.

A pure Glass rod is, imo, too soft. you lose too much feel, which you do need a certain amount of to fish a crank properly.
Pure graphite is too stiff and you lose more fish. The only thing you will see a crankbait tied on with me throwing it are composite rods. they have the ideal flex and action for throwing crankbaits.

Also, if you want a good rod for the money, consider the Falcon Big Cranker. BPS sells it. It is the Original Series model Number FC-5-17. It is a 5 power, 7' MH Composite rod, and is my favorite cranking stick available.

Charles

[RebelBasser]

The Browning 'glass rod is WAY too heavy for me. I don't like the action either.

I bought the BPS Crankin' Stick and I love it! It's a composite of graphite and fiberglass. I would never consider another cranking rod unless it was a GLoomis.

[Infisherman1]

**Respectfully bowing and exiting the room, leaving offerings of custom painted lures to the crankbait god, bassboss** Â* ;D

[BaSsFiShEr20]

[quote author=HulaPopr link=board=MessBoards;num=1112063236;start=0#5 date=03/30/05 at 23:25:28]**Respectfully bowing and exiting the room, leaving offerings of custom painted lures to the crankbait god, bassboss** Â* ;D[/quote]


Now lets not get carried away. ;D Just giving mo. I love crankbaits,but believe me, i am no god. if you like glass, cool. use what you like.

Charles

but i will take ths custom painted crankbaits

[profishermenkid16]

I do not put alot of thought in a cranking stick.I have 2 BPS crankin sticks which work well but they sit home on the rack.I use whatever rod I am throwing rattle traps or topwater baits with and it works just fine.Bass Boss, I just bought the Falcon rod you mentioned.I got it for $40.00, I plan on using it for jerkbaits and rattle traps. I really like the 5 power tip on the Falcon rods. P N J

[Big_Drew]

I am fairly knowledge about fishing rods and crankbaits. Â*I don't think you'll find one rod that can adequatly give you the ability to fish both baits you mentioned. Â*If it's good with the bandit 200 than it's way too light for a db22...if it can handle the db22 well, Â*then you won't be able to cast a bandit 200 more than 10 or 15 feet and probably be constantly backlashing. Â*use a med. soft action for the smaller cranks. Â*and a med.hvy to hvy soft action rod for the heavier deep divers. Â*glass works well but is heavy. Â*pure graphite rods too sensitive and stiff. Â*st. croix makes several rods that are excellent crankin' rods and very lightweight. in the premier series. just make sure it's a "moderate" action rod. Â*good luck finding a rod that works for ya.

[Daiwa_Baitcaster]

Graphite rods work best.They can take 100 lbs sharks and can bend plenty.We use graphite rods for anything,INCLUDING billfish

[ryan7261]

Beginners Bass Rod Basics
By Russ Bassdozer
Are you looking for a new rod? Do you have some basic questions about rods? I occasionally get asked for my opinions about rods by anglers who are shopping for a new rod. These are often only very general questions, so you can really only expect very general responses from me here in this article!
Should I get baitcasting or spinning? First and foremost, there is an obvious decision to go either with spinning or baitcasting for the new rod. Here are just some assorted tips and suggestions in no particular order. Perhaps one of these random pointers will help you make a good rod choice because it matches with something you are looking for in a new rod right now:

Many smallmouth anglers go to spinning rather than baitcasting. Why? Smallies have smaller bodies, smaller mouths and smaller lures are often used which require lighter lines. Further, smallies do not get deep into wood or weed cover - especially if largemouths occupy it. In the absence of largemouths, smallies may very well occupy such places...those are the place where you desire to use baitcasting's advantages (heavier lines, more power) - in bad cover. But typically, smallies are in more open, light cover where spinning is fine.
Baitcasting rods are often presumed for largemouth. Many casual anglers presume they need baitcasting gear since that is what they see tournament pros using on TV and in magazines.
Spinning works great with topwater floating worms, soft plastic stickbaits, finesse fishing with lightly-weighted tubebaits, etc.
I also like spinning for lightweight vertical tactics such as Western doodling, shaking, splitshotting and dropshotting deep fish. The way you can hold the spinning rod just feels like an advantage to me here!
Crankbaits, spinnerbaits? You can truly go either way because you are not necessarily fishing such lures deep in the heart of heavy cover all of the time. You are often casting long distances. Getting the spinnerbait or crankbait down to the bottom, bumping into unforeseen cover along the way - but essentially drawing active fish short distances out of sparsely scattered cover to come to your crankbait or spinnerbait. In the situation just described, either spinning or baitcasting is equally fine.
Anything in heavy cover? For example, a heavy jig 'n pig or stout Texas rigged worm? Baitcasting is often better. Baitcasting will allow you to take solid authority over big bass in the extreme conditions found in heavy cover. The simple reason is that you can really put pressure on the fish and winch the fish in with baitcasting. There are several leverage and torque disadvantages with spinning rods - even the way you hold them - that makes spinning awkward for winching big bass out of heavy cover. Therefore, most people will use baitcasting in heavy cover.
Once the baitcasting versus spinning decision has been made either way, then many new rod shoppers next ask for suggestions as to the correct rod length

[ryan7261]

Seven foot. Personally, I like to use 7' rods for largemouth and smallmouth fishing whenever possible. Why? It let's me keep all my rods (spinning & baitcasting) the same overall length. By keeping the lengths equal, to learn the logistics of casting, setting the hook and fighting fish on one of them is to learn the "length" logistics of them all (understanding that the rod handles will be longer/shorter).

Six and a half. Understand, however, that most manufacturers offer more choices of 6'6" models than seven footers. If I was impressed by the qualities of a particular 6'6" rod, I would not hesitate to buy it if there was no preferable seven foot alternative!

Longer rods. I can't possibly think of a situation where I would prefer a rod longer than seven feet. In some heavy flipping to tight cover, there are a number of good rods on the market measuring 7'6" and even 8 foot. I have used a number of these rods, and I cannot recall ever having any advantage over a seven foot rod. Of course, if I was on the rocky riprap banks of a dam tailrace wanting to reach surface-busting stripers in mid-current, I would probably have some lengthy surf casting stuff with me...but that's beyond the "casting distance" of this simple rod selection article!

Shorter rods may possibly be better in extremely tight cover where the extra length of a seven foot rod becomes a handicap when there's just not enough room between the boat and the cover to get a good rod swing on the cast or hookset. Perhaps skipping baits far back under docks is the only place I can really see that a shorter rod MAY be an advantage to some anglers, but I find I can usually skip fine with a seven foot rod.

Light action rods. In situations containing small lures, small bass, small streams, canals and farm ponds, I downsize both spinning and baitcasting rods to six foot to handle string strengths of 6 to 8 lb. test on spinning or 10 lb. test on baitcasting. The seven foot fulcrum starts feeling too long to me - the tender rod tip on a light action rod is too collapsible to get a good hook set at the seven foot length.

Finessing the depths. Please note that there are specialized deep water finesse fishing tactics that also use tiny lures on 6-8 lb. test. Western tactics called doodling, shaking, splitshotting, and dropshotting fish off bottom or suspended in mid-water. For these tactics, I always use a seven foot rod. Although light lines are used here, in what is often a vertical application over deep water, the seven foot fulcrum gives you a clear advantage for loading the tip (simply by reeling in line until feeling light pressure). Once the tip is nicely loaded, you set the hook (by simply continuing to reel plus a long sweeping rod set). Can't do that nearly as well with a shorter rod!

Rod ratings. About manufacturers' rod ratings...I am reluctant to make any suggestions to you about that. Why? First, I don't think any two manufacturers have cross-compatible rating systems. That is, give the same rod to several manufacturers, and you will probably end up with several different ratings. Oh, the tip action is easily definable (medium, fast, extra fast, etc.), but I never could figure out how they came up with the recommended line strengths, lure weights or "power" ratings. Often the lure weights and line strengths that I use with a rod are different than the manufacturer's suggestions...plus my opinion of a rod's "power" often differs from that of the manufacturer as well! Not a whole lot - but enough to make a difference!

Hope this helps you pick a winner of a rod!


Article by Russ Bassdozer

[macgyver]

[quote author=basstech link=board=MessBoards;num=1112063236;start=0#8 date=03/31/05 at 13:05:16]I am fairly knowledge about fishing rods and crankbaits. Â*I don't think you'll find one rod that can adequatly give you the ability to fish both baits you mentioned. Â*If it's good with the bandit 200 than it's way too light for a db22...if it can handle the db22 well, Â*then you won't be able to cast a bandit 200 more than 10 or 15 feet and probably be constantly backlashing. Â*use a med. soft action for the smaller cranks. Â*and a med.hvy to hvy soft action rod for the heavier deep divers. Â*glass works well but is heavy. Â*pure graphite rods too sensitive and stiff. Â*st. croix makes several rods that are excellent crankin' rods and very lightweight. in the premier series. Â*just make sure it's a "moderate" action rod. Â*good luck finding a rod that works for ya.[/quote]

Considering I just bought the 6'6" Medium rod with Moderate action, which is one of their "Cranking" rods, I guess I did pretty well Oh yeah this gets my bid for the rod to buy also ;D

Lizards