I have a $150 Amazon GC and need a super cheap, 2-piece crankbait rod and reel.  I'm more focused on the rod, at this point, as I think I have the reel figured out.  For the rod, I'm thinking around 7 foot, give or take 6 inches.  It has to be 2 piece.  I throw cranks from 1/4 oz. up to a little over 1 oz., though I'm not demanding a rod that covers all of that.  1/4-5/8 oz. is probably fine, as the larger cranks usually get trolled anyway.  I've got a pretty hard cap at $50 on this.  I might could bend it a few dollars, but then it'll start eating into the money I have set aside for the reel (Diawa Fuego which are currently running a ridiculous $90+ on Amazon).  So if you have a $90 rod to suggest, you better follow it up with a $50 reel.  I married, and the wife won't let me spend a penny out of pocket, and I need to include tax in all of that.  I also understand that nothing is in stock at the moment, but I'm willing to wait around and see what pops up in the next month or two.  I basically just looking to narrow my search down.

 

The rods I'm looking at include the Berkley Lightning, Berkley Shock, Berkley Amp, various Ugly Stiks, and the Kastking Brutus.  I'm looking for something moderate, to moderate fast action and medium to medium heavy power.  I think my preference would be a moderate/medium heavy, but those are hard to come by in this price range.  The main reason for this post is that I have no experience with any of these rods.  I'm also open to some other rods, if their stated ratings are off in a way that would be beneficial to me.  Such as, if a rod is listed as fast, but is really more of a moderate or moderate fast action.  I want a slower action rod, but not so slow that it turns out to be really wimpy and hard to cast anything over 3/8 oz. or something like that.  And of course, I'm looking for reliability.  It doesn't have to be a heirloom quality item.  But something that will hold up for about 5-6 years if well taken care of.  I figure that's enough time to convince the wife I need an upgrade!  

Berkley lightning rod Med/Mod does well for me for 1/4 - 1/2 oz cranks. Fuego is a good reel as well.

 

I do not know if it comes in a 2 piece or not. 

1 hour ago, garroyo130 said:

Berkley lightning rod Med/Mod does well for me for 1/4 - 1/2 oz cranks. Fuego is a good reel as well.

 

I do not know if it comes in a 2 piece or not. 

Yeah, it does.  The BCLR702M is a 2 piece medium/moderate fast rod.  That one is at the top of my list, though I was concerned about if it's ratings are accurate.  My concern is that the medium power might be a bit on the wimpy side and/or that the moderate fast might be a bit too fast.  It's hard to know until you try them.  Even hold one in your hands at a store doesn't tell you as much as using one.  At least I can't divine much without a line and lure on it.  That, and finding one in a store is not going to be easy.  

 

I haven't heard anything about the Amp series.  Are they the same as the Lightning, just with EVA grips?  I kind of prefer EVA, to be honest.  Also, I've heard that the Shock series are a bit slower than their rating.  So would a MH/F shock be closer to a MH/M?  Though the issues with the reel seats on those kind of scares me a bit.  

 

I have a Tutula CT that I like a lot.  It's too expensive to get another, which is why I was thinking about the Fuego.  Though I've also got my eye out on the Lew's LFS and Abu Revo X.  Basically, any metal framed BC would probably work, so long as the ratio isn't too high.  Somewhere in the fives to high sixes would be fine.  And I prefer magnetic brakes, as I'm always fighting the wind.  Dual brakes are great too, but centrifugal only is kind of out for me.  I sometimes have to readjust the brakes on every other cast, which is a pain if you have to remove the side plate. 

 

Thanks for the reply!

You should be fine with that rod. I have no idea about the AMP series but the original lightning rods are proven so I probably wouldn't venture from that. Shock reel seats are enough to keep me from those as well.

 

The Fuego CT is a Tatula CT without the T Wing so if you like your Tat CT youll probably like the Fuego just as much.

 

What depth cranks do you plan on throwing?

Pretty much everything from shallow square bills to deep divers running down to 25 feet.  Though, if I had to narrow it down, I'd say 3-10 feet is what I'm looking for.  I'm not opposed to using one of my other rods for deeper cranks.  They seem to work pretty well.  

 

Since I fish from the bank or a kayak, I have to keep my rod selection kind of tight.  Four rods at a time is about the most I am willing to deal with.  I throw a lot of cranks and jigs, so if I'm gonna have two specialized rods, it would be for them.  I can bypass a finesse rod because the waters I fish are so dirty, they're not of much use.

I have a 7ft lightning rod medium mod fast and I find the power rating to be close. Not as wimpy as I thought. I originally bought it on a whim and have been very happy with it thus far. Been throwing squarebills and even small chatterbaits on it with success.