Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Rod Selection - How to Choose a Crankbait Rod


As many of you know.  I am a custom fishing rod builder, and own a custom fishing company called P. H. Kellner – Quality Custom Fishing.  So, as you might imagine, the fishing rod is an important piece of the fishing puzzle to me. I have done more on-the-water research than you can even imagine, testing different fishing rods in different situations.  In this series of posts, I will describe how to choose the best rod for each specific fishing situation and presentation.  I will start by going through each lure category and situation and discuss the best choices for each scenario.  I will then help discuss how to choose how to whittle down your rod choices and decide what to take out on a kayak.

I know it is cliché, but the rod to an angler is like the brush to a painter.  It is a tool, maybe the most important and overlooked tool that the angler has to make decisions about.  The wrong rod can cost you fish!  And in a tournament situation, or anytime you’re out on the water, losing a fish can turn a good day bad, quickly.  Here is the how and why of choosing the correct fishing rod for you specific situation.

Crankbaits: Choosing a Crankbait Rod

I am starting with a Crankbait Rod for the first part of this article.  The reason is because I hear all the time that the rod does not matter with crankbaits and you should just buy the cheapest rod because it will be ok.  WRONG!!!  That is so wrong.  The rod is very important when it comes to crankbait fishing, just as important as any other type of fishing.  Crankbait rods are different from worm or jig rods, but are not less important.  Here is what to look for in a crankbait rod:

Length: I typically use anywhere from 7’ to 7’6” rod for crankbaits.  Usually I use 7’6” rods.  The extra length gives me two big advantages.  Number one, the extra length allows me to cast further.  The further you can cast the more water you can cover with each cast.  More water equals more efficiency, more efficiency equals more fish.  I am usually not as concerned with accuracy when I am throwing a crankbait.  When I cast a crankbait, I want distance.  Second, the extra length allows me to swing the rod around the front of the kayak or boat when the fish decides to run underneath.

Action: I use a moderate-fast action rod.  Every rod company’s “action” is a bit little different, but generally they are pretty close.  I like a moderate-fast rod because of the extra play it gives me in the rod blank itself.  I do not want too much action leading to the rod having no backbone though.  You will need that backbone to haul in some big fish that you will catch with a crankbait.  But…you do not want to fast of a tip.  The extra play that a moderate-fast action rod has allows for more whip on the cast, giving you more distance on each cast.  As I said earlier, I want distance when I am throwing a crankbait.  The extra play in a moderate-fast action rod also allows for more give and play in the rod when that big bass jumps out of the water and thrashes her head around.  This extra flex absorbs the shock that is given to the line in these times, and also picks up slack quickerkeeping pressure on when the line goes limp for a split second right after each thrash, keeping the hooks in the fish’s mouth.  Another advantage to having a moderate-fast action rod when crankbait fishing is that a slower action rod, like a moderate fast action rod, allows for more hook-ups when a fish tries to eat a moving bait.  The extra play in the blank keeps you from ripping the crankbait out of the fish’s mouth.  A fast action rod does not “give” they way a moderate action for would.  If you were to use a faster action rod while fishing a crankbait, the moment you set the hook the bait is going to instantly be pulled away from the fish.  If you are fishing slow, like with a jig or a worm, and have some slack in the line, this instant hook set would be necessary to pick up the slack and set the hook.  But when fishing a crankbait, with constant pressure on the line, this instant hook set can sometimes pull the lure out before the fish can close its mouth around it. 

Power: This is the one section that can vary with crankbait rods.  The power of your crankbait rod should depend on what, where, and how you are fishing.  Most of the time when I am bass fishing, I am throwing a Medium-Heavy power rod with my crankbaits, but sometimes I will step up to a heavy power rod or even down to a medium or medium light.  If you are only able to choose one crankbait rod, I would choose a medium-heavy rod for bass fishing.  It is the most versatile, and will allow you to throw and fish most crankbaits just fine.  You will need the extra power that a medium-heavy rod provides over a medium power rod to fight the larger fish, pull fish out of grass and trees, and to handle the digging and tugging strain that some crankbaits will put on the rod.  I will step up to a heavy power rod when I am fishing deep diving crankbaits such as a DD-22 or if I am fishing heavy cover with my crankbait and I know I will need to get a fish in quickly.  I will step down in power to a medium or a medium light, if I am throwing smaller, lighter, crankbaits.

Guides: I prefer my crankbait rods to have micro-guides.  Micro guides allow for further casting distance due to reduced “line-slap,” and really helps shoot the line down the rod.  They also, due to their much smaller size compared to traditional guides, reduce the weight of the rod.

Handle and Reel Seat: I would reduce the weight of the rod as much as possible with a crankbait rod.  This means I use split grip handles and Minima reel seats.  Unlike worm and jig rods, where you hold the tip up while fishing, the crankbait rod is usually pointed sideways or down, so balancing the weight of the rod is not as important. Reducing overall weight reduces fatigue, allowing you to cast more, and the more you cast the more you catch.  Choose a grip that is comfortable.  If you are more comfortable with EVA Foam than Cork then choose EVA, if you prefer cork then use cork!

If I could only use one rod for crankbaits, I would use a 7'6" Moderate-Fast Action, Medium-Heavy Power P. H. Kellner - Quality Custom Fishing Rod with Micro Guides, a Minima reel seat and an EVA split grip handle.  Hope this helps you choose the best rod possible for your crankbaits!  Choosing the right rod will lead to more fish.

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