Hey guys,

 

I'd like to get a rod and reel that are dedicated to crankbaits, preferably in the $200-$250 range.

 

Seems like most people recommend a 7'+ Medium OR Medium Heavy. I was thinking maybe a Dobyn's Fury 705CB (this is a 7' Medium Heavy) or St Croix Mojo Bass Glass Crankbait Rod (7'2" Medium). I've already got an Abu Garcia Vendetta Medium Heavy - not sure if that would be too much overlap with the Dobyn's Fury.

 

Really don't have any reels in mind (maybe a Shimano SLX?).

 

Thanks!

I've got a Fury 705CB with a Fuego CT-H (6.3:1) mounted on it as my crankbait rig. I'm enjoying it and would recommend that setup to anyone in that budget ball-park.

Phenix X9 ($200) and Quantum Icon IC100SPT ($45 on Amazon-4 left).  Maybe only 3 left if I think about it much more. 

 

Plenty of rods that would make your budget with the Icon.  Maybe the Okuma EVX 7' M ($100) or Lew's TP-1 Black 7' M ($130).  Or one of the $150 crankbait rods.

 

I assume the Vendetta is rated 1/4-1 oz.  If so, I personally would want a rod with a lower rating.....but I use shallow to medium depth crankbaits.

 

What cranks are you throwing?

 

 I haven't used the newer Mojo Glass but I did use the older model with the purple blank and didn't care for it. I'm not sure if it was the weight or the blank diameter but it just never felt right to me. Not sure how the newer ones compare.

 

I do have a Fury 705CB with a 6 ratio SLX that I really like. I primarily use it for squarebills and other cranks that dive around 10ft or less. It starts feeling underpowered with the deeper diving baits. Last time I was out I wasn't getting anything on the cranks so I tied on a Magnum Pop-R and it did really well too. If your looking for something for deep cranks I'd look elsewhere though..

Love my 705cb for squarebills to med divers. 

39 minutes ago, NJBasstard said:

What cranks are you throwing?

 

 I haven't used the newer Mojo Glass but I did use the older model with the purple blank and didn't care for it. I'm not sure if it was the weight or the blank diameter but it just never felt right to me. Not sure how the newer ones compare.

 

I do have a Fury 705CB with a 6 ratio SLX that I really like. I primarily use it for squarebills and other cranks that dive around 10ft or less. It starts feeling underpowered with the deeper diving baits. Last time I was out I wasn't getting anything on the cranks so I tied on a Magnum Pop-R and it did really well too. If your looking for something for deep cranks I'd look elsewhere though..

Honestly I’m fairly new to crankbaits believe it or not. Right now I’ve got a lot of smaller square bills and some KVD 3XDs (10-12 feet).

I’d prefer not to buy a bunch of different rods just to fish different crankbaits. This starts getting a bit out of control and out of budget pretty quick. 
 

Regarding the reel it sounds like you want a 5-6 ratio reel and avoid the 7+ ratios?

 

53 minutes ago, CC268 said:

Honestly I’m fairly new to crankbaits believe it or not. Right now I’ve got a lot of smaller square bills and some KVD 3XDs (10-12 feet).

I’d prefer not to buy a bunch of different rods just to fish different crankbaits. This starts getting a bit out of control and out of budget pretty quick. 
 

Regarding the reel it sounds like you want a 5-6 ratio reel and avoid the 7+ ratios?

 

 

The 3XD is the one I had in mind when saying the 10' range. The Fury will handle them fine but that's as big as I'll comfortably go on this rod. 

 

For the reel I've just always preferred a 6 ratio. I've used 5 when fishing deeper (12ft+) but I almost never crank that deep. I also think 5 feels to slow when throwing squarebills. The only time I like a 7 for cranks is when I'm throwing lipless. I'll use a 6 but I feel like it's less work with the 7 when trying to keep them off bottom in shallow water. When I need something to cover all the bases though I look for something that picks up around 25" or 26" per turn. For most reels that'd fall in the 6 ratio category.

 

4 minutes ago, NJBasstard said:

 

The 3XD is the one I had in mind when saying the 10' range. The Fury will handle them fine but that's as big as I'll comfortably go on this rod. 

 

For the reel I've just always preferred a 6 ratio. I've used 5 when fishing deeper (12ft+) but I almost never crank that deep. I also think 5 feels to slow when throwing squarebills. The only time I like a 7 for cranks is when I'm throwing lipless. I'll use a 6 but I feel like it's less work with the 7 when trying to keep them off bottom in shallow water. When I need something to cover all the bases though I look for something that picks up around 25" or 26" per turn. For most reels that'd fall in the 6 ratio category.

 

Thanks for the info on the reels. So you’d go with a heavy rod for deeper cranks?

10 hours ago, CC268 said:

Thanks for the info on the reels. So you’d go with a heavy rod for deeper cranks?

 

Yes I'd use something heavier and preferably 7'3" or longer for cranks bigger than the 3XD. Most of the deeper diving baits are pushing the upper weight limit of the Fury anyway. Any added length helps casting distance which is always a plus when trying to get deep divers down to their desired depth.

Im not sure how the 705CB handles, but you should be fine throwing up to a 6xd with a medium heavy. Once you go bigger than that, a heavy rod will likely suit you better. 

 

I wouldnt try to get a single combo to fish all crankbaits as youll likely end up with something that can do everything but nothing well. Try to determine what lures/depth youll primarily fish and then build around that. 

22 hours ago, garroyo130 said:

Im not sure how the 705CB handles, but you should be fine throwing up to a 6xd with a medium heavy. Once you go bigger than that, a heavy rod will likely suit you better. 

 

I wouldnt try to get a single combo to fish all crankbaits as youll likely end up with something that can do everything but nothing well. Try to determine what lures/depth youll primarily fish and then build around that. 

Thanks - I think I'm going to go with the 705CB and a Shimano SLX XT