Rods, rods, rods

[dtyukody]

OK, guys. I have enough to figure out about what rods to buy - spinner or bait cast; brand; model; length; weight; etc. etc. Then I keep coming across rods called "crankin sticks" and "freestyle jigging". So what's with them? What makes them different from a spinning or casting rod? Can someone illuminate my brain??

[zooker]

while i own a consiterablly large collecion of baitcasting rods i do own quite a few spinning rods.. yes spinning rods have there place..

a rod is like a tool some tools are better at one thing than others..an example would be while you could use a tack hammer or a 3 pound sledge hammer to drive a nail into wood a regular 22oz hammer works the best..

while just any rod would do the job some will do the job alot better..

a cranking stick is a limber rod wth a lot of give it works best with crankbaits. a stiff rod with alot of sensitivity will cause you to lose alot of fish with crankbaits..as it will pull the hooks out of the fishes mouth..
a free style jigging rod is normally a highly sensitive spinning rod with an extra long handle for working the freestyle jig-a type of deep salt water spoon fishing-while it is common off shore few like my self actually do it in freshwater targeting bass..

rod lenth is a personal prefurance and or where you fish. -ie bank or boat- as i fish from my boat most every rod i use is 7 feet+...

brands mean lil more than availability and the amount of cash in your pocket.. i have rods ranging from $50 -$380 each..




zooker

[pig n jig]

Originally Posted by zooker

i do own quite a few spinning rods.. yes spinning rods have there place..

Yeah but that place ain't in the boat very often. More like in the rod rack.

As Zooker, I have both, much rather use baitcasters over spinning but I do use spinning gear for wormin'.

A 6'6" MH rod will be a real workhorse for you.I consider it to be an all purpose choice until you refine your specific chosen techniques further. Ivan

[Joel]

Since you mentioned a Crankin' stick, and I love to throw Crankbaits whenever possible, I do own a few. My favorite is a Falcon Lowrider M 7'0" Cranking stick. I use it strictly for deep diving crankbaits. The rod is parabolic in nature, meaning that it flexes from about midway to the tip rather then having a real stiff backbone that ends right before the tip area. This accomplishes a few important things for me. 1st, since I'm spooled with 30 lb braid and a mono leader, I can easily set the treble hook without a monster hookset and not worry about pulling the hook out of the Bass's mouth. Secondly, I can feel the slightest tick my crank has as it makes contact with anything on the bottom, allowing me to work it much more precisely. And lastly, the rod helps cushion my wrist from what I call the excess vibration of a deep diving lure. That vibration over the course of the day can start to become very painful at my old age.

Crankin' sticks can eithe be Carbon fiber, fiberglass, or a combination of both.

[islandbass]

Originally Posted by dtyukody

OK, guys. I have enough to figure out about what rods to buy - spinner or bait cast; brand; model; length; weight; etc. etc. Then I keep coming across rods called "crankin sticks" and "freestyle jigging". So what's with them? What makes them different from a spinning or casting rod? Can someone illuminate my brain??

It just means that it is a rod according to that maker to be well suited for crankin' (ie, tossing and working crankbaits). As noted, it is according to the maker. When a rod is dubbed a crankin' stick or whatever, it will possess the traits (action, power) that that particular maker deems will make a rod suited for that technique. Some make it out of pure glass. Some will make it solely from graphite. Some might make it from a combination of both. There is no right or wrong. The challenge to you is to determine which will suit your needs best.

They can be spinning rods or casting rods. The term crankin' or jiggin' or jig-n-worm or whatever is clever does NOT in and of itself tell you whether it is a casting or spinning rod. You will need to look closer at the maker's specifications to know for certain whether the rod in question is a casting or spinning rod.

It isn't that confusing after some time.

[Joel]

Originally Posted by islandbass

It just means that it is a rod according to that maker to be well suited for crankin' (ie, tossing and working crankbaits). As noted, it is according to the maker. When a rod is dubbed a crankin' stick or whatever, it will possess the traits (action, power) that that particular maker deems will make a rod suited for that technique. Some make it out of pure glass. Some will make it solely from graphite. Some might make it from a combination of both. There is no right or wrong. The challenge to you is to determine which will suit your needs best.

They can be spinning rods or casting rods. The term crankin' or jiggin' or jig-n-worm or whatever is clever does NOT in and of itself tell you whether it is a casting or spinning rod. You will need to look closer at the maker's specifications to know for certain whether the rod in question is a casting or spinning rod.

It isn't that confusing after some time.

Excellent points. What one manufacture labels a crankin' stick or a worming stick isn't necessarily what the next will. Same for specs. I've noticed that my Shimano Clarus rod ratings don't match up to the other manufactures. As an example what they call a MH others call a M. So check out the actual specs.