Shimano Crucial Dropshot Rod Review

[BigBassin144]

Shimano Crucial Dropshot Rod Review

Brand: Shimano
Rod: Crucial Dropshot (spinning)
Length: 7’2”
Power: M
Action: XF
Lure Rating: 1/8 – 3/8oz
Recommended Application: Dropshot
Retail Price: $159.99

Background: I bought this rods a couple years ago, when I was first getting into bass fishing. Since then, I’ve used it quite a bit. My opinions of rods, and what makes a good rod have changed a lot since then, so I find my first impressions may not be accurate to describe the rod now.

Throughout the past couple years, I’ve fished this rod with a variety of reels including an Abu Garcia Cardinal 301, a Pflueger Supreme 8030Mg, and most recently, a Daiwa Caldia 2000.

Looks: For the most part, this rod is nice looking. The split grip looks nice, as does the coating on the rod which I can only describe as “metal flake,” for the lack of a better word. This rod is nowhere near a stunner, but it’s not quite plain either.

Ergonomics: The rod feels good in hand, balancing well with all three of the reels mentioned above. The Calida, being the heaviest of the three, balanced the rod out the best.

The exposed fore grip is a unique design, not seen on many rods (or any at all outside of Shimano spinning rods as far as I know). With three fingers above the foot of the reel, my index finger sits comfortably in the groove.

One of my complaints with the rod is the very small rear section of the split grip handle. Now, this is just personal preference, as I don’t like rear grips this small on any rods. Also, while not a problem while fishing, the hook keeper, designed to hold dropshot weights, positions the hook of your dropshot rig, right around the foot of the reel. So be careful when picking this rod up when the weight is in the hook keeper.

Quality and Craftsmanship: The quality of this rod, and most Shimano rods that I’ve held, is good. The guides are Fuji Alconites. The cork is of good quality for a rod of this price, and has held up nicely over the couple years I’ve fished this rod. Craftsmanship is also good on this rod. The guide wraps are nice and even, and there is no excess or sloppy epoxy.

Power: I would say this rod is a true medium power, and the XF action holds true as well. I do prefer an action a little slower (more like a F than XF) than this rod for dropshotting. I also prefer more of a ML rod for general use. The reason I chose the M over the ML was because of my occasional of 3/8-1/2oz weights while fishing in the Detroit River. The rod handles those heavier weights well, but is still light enough to handle my normal 3/16oz weight that I use in most other conditions.

If you’re looking for a rod that can handle heavier DS weights while still casting lighter 1/8-3/16oz weights, this is it. It is harder to keep the 1/8 and 3/16oz weights on the bottom with the M power and XF action.

Casting Performance: Like I said above, this rod handles all weight in its lure range nicely, and even heavier 1/2oz weights. The tip loads nicely to pinpoint cast with all weights in the lure range as well. The extra length over the 6’8” dropshot rods really helps when fishing the DS from shore.

Applications: Like the name implies, this make a great dropshot rod. But because of its Medium power, it can also handle a lot of baits you’d want to throw on a spinning rod: shaky heads, wacky rigs, even T-rigs, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits. While it is a designed as a dropshot rod, it is a surprisingly versatile stick.

Sensitivity: The sensitivity of this rod is what I’d expect from a stick in this price range. I’ve fished it with straight fluorocarbon, as well as with braid. With straight fluoro, the sensitivity as good enough that I could feel the bottom with even the lighter weights. With the braid, sensitivity was increased quite a bit. I could tell when I was dragging the weight over rocks, through weeds, over sand our mud. I could distinguish bites fairly well with the braid, but given it was dropshotting, there were still those, “holy crap, I’ve got a fish on!” bites.

Conclusions: Overall, a good dropshot, that can handle multiple techniques if need be. Weight, balance, and sensitivity are all what I’d expect out of a $150 rod. Quality components and craftsmanship all exceed many rods in that price range. If I had to buy another dropshot rod in the same price range, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another Crucial.



BB

[WaffleJaw]

Very nice write up Anthony.

[Bassboss]

Enjoyed it! Sounds like a good stick to me. And I agree with what you said about the wrapping and epoxy on the guides. No slumping here. I've seen that with all shimano rods.

[96ecss]

Very good review BB. I also am a fan of Shimano rods.

Dave