I just bought a Tour KVD cranking series rod, model TKVD746M, 7'4" medium heavy EGC composite. I wanted to know what this rod can be good for and has anyone else used one. It's rated for 1/4oz to 1/2oz lures and 12 to 20 pound test. It has the semi micro guides.I was hoping to use it for long casting, rattle baits, squarebills and cranks maybe even chatterbaits and spinnerbaits. Is it a keeper or should I throw her back? Still frozen over here can't test her out.

I just bought a Tour KVD cranking series rod, model TKVD746M, 7'4" medium heavy EGC composite. I wanted to know what this rod can be good for and has anyone else used one. It's rated for 1/4oz to 1/2oz lures and 12 to 20 pound test. It has the semi micro guides.I was hoping to use it for long casting, rattle baits, squarebills and cranks maybe even chatterbaits and spinnerbaits. Is it a keeper or should I throw her back? Still frozen over here can't test her out.

Ive got two of the medium action and they arent my favorite rods. They a little beefy at the bottom and i dont like the lure rating it has. It fishes good so that doesnt bother me. Im just spoiled because I own several dobyns rods.   I would throw 3xds, rattle traps and heavier medium divers.

I just bought a Tour KVD cranking series rod, model TKVD746M, 7'4" medium heavy EGC composite. I wanted to know what this rod can be good for and has anyone else used one. It's rated for 1/4oz to 1/2oz lures and 12 to 20 pound test. It has the semi micro guides.I was hoping to use it for long casting, rattle baits, squarebills and cranks maybe even chatterbaits and spinnerbaits. Is it a keeper or should I throw her back? Still frozen over here can't test her out.

 

Yes. Thats a great rod for those applications.

Those are decent cranking rods and like most other e-glass composites, they have a large diameter butt section. I'd use that for most cranking applications but they are way too soft for spinnerbaits, that is just me as I like to throw spinnerbaits into cover, through grass and a soft rod makes it tough to pull the bait from the cover.

Thank you for the replies. I was in the yard casting with 15 pound stren high impact . Its not horrible casting a chatterbait. although it was windy today. I set the hook hard on some snags seems like it might not break. Might have to downsize line for chatterbaits. Should work with 15lb. with lipless cranks(kinda new lure to me). Appreciate the input everybody.

Personally I wouldn't want to fish spinnerbaits or 'chatterbaits' on a cranking rod. They both have heavier wire large single hooks and you want some backbone to drive the hooks. Also to pull free of snags and debris. If I'm fishing the edge of some pads and happen to snag a lilly stem.

I have the same model and I only use it for cranking. It has a thicker base but is still light enough to crank a dd22 for a significant amount of time. I also have the 7'4" medium spinning rod TKVDS744FA rated for 8-17 lb and surprisingly this rod is rated for lures 1/4- 1oz. I normally use that rod with spinnerbaits and occasionally even for drop shotting in stained water when I want a little more backbone but still a soft action. Hope this helps.

I have the 7'10'' MH I use for deep cranking and throwing big wakebaits.  I love the blank and the rod is a powerhouse but the furnishings are poor.  Guides are not braid proof, the EVA foam is the worst I've ever seen and the Fuji ACS reel seat is uncomfortable.

Good enough guys thanks. Ive been looking into that rod just bc its not expensive for my first crank rod. Just need a rod to get my feet wet for the feel. My mh 7 foot mojo does fine for shallow. But not deep.

Srry no thread hyjack intentions

Good enough guys thanks. Ive been looking into that rod just bc its not expensive for my first crank rod. Just need a rod to get my feet wet for the feel. My mh 7 foot mojo does fine for shallow. But not deep.

Srry no thread hyjack intentions

 

If you're under a tight budget for a deep cranking rod then the BPS 7'6'' MH Crankin Stick or KVD Tour 7'10'' are good rods.  I adore my 7'10' KVD Tour blank.  I've pulled pike and Walleyes in the 10 pound range on it junk fishing deep cranks and it has let me have my way with the fish yet was somehow also very forgiving.  It made me a believer in big powerful glass blanks and I'm coming from a glass/graphite composite construction background.    

I have the 7'10'' MH I use for deep cranking and throwing big wakebaits.  I love the blank and the rod is a powerhouse but the furnishings are poor.  Guides are not braid proof, the EVA foam is the worst I've ever seen and the Fuji ACS reel seat is uncomfortable.

 The guides are not braid proof. Does that mean the braid eats into the guides and leaves grooves in them?

 The guides are not braid proof. Does that mean the braid eats into the guides and leaves grooves in them?

 

Yeah.  My guides are showing signs of wear from the braid.  I won't be too long before they have groves cut into them.

 The guides are not braid proof. Does that mean the braid eats into the guides and leaves grooves in them?

The KVD rods have aluminum oxide ceramic inserts and should be perfectly safe for braid.

Yeah.  My guides are showing signs of wear from the braid.  I won't be too long before they have groves cut into them.

Pictures?

No pictures.  My frogging rod is also showing the same wear on the guides and I've only have a bit more time behind it than I do the Tour.  Titanium nitrate and chrome are the only coatings I have seen to be truly braid proof.  Kinda sad that cherrywoods have longer lasting guides than most other rods.

No pictures.  My frogging rod is also showing the same wear on the guides and I've only have a bit more time behind it than I do the Tour.  Titanium nitrate and chrome are the only coatings I have seen to be truly braid proof.  Kinda sad that cherrywoods have longer lasting guides than most other rods.

So you have multiple rods with ceramic guide inserts that are showing grooving from using braid?  The only guides I've ever seen groove from braid are guides with no inserts, including Recoil guides.  Even the cheapest aluminum oxide inserts are harder than any bare metal, insertless guides.  That is the reason 98% of factory rods over about $50 use ceramic inserts.  Some ceramics are harder than others but all of them should be more than adequate for braid. 

 

Stainless Steel (SS): 400 

Chrome: 800-1000 

Carbaloy: 1000 

Aluminum Oxide: 1200-1400 

Alconite : 1300-1500 

NanoLite : 1800 

Zirconia: 1000-1400 

Zirconia PVD: 1600 

SiC: 2200-2400

Perhaps it not something related to the hardness of the material, but to the removal of the hard coating from the underlying material.  I'll see discoloration of the guides in the areas of contact between the line and guide followed by groves being cut into the guides.

 

If I were to hazard a guess I'd say that the coating is being removed by the abrasive materials braid has a tendency to pick up and is then cutting into the underlying material.  This is assuming that the aluminum oxide present in the guides is a coating.