Looking to pick up a new rod for this summer.  I'll be primarily fishing from a canoe and floating the susquehanna and tributaries for smallies.  Id like a "one rod to rule them all" type solution as less gear in the boat is so much easier.  Open to either casting or spinning, although Im leaning towards casting but would love to hear your thoughts.  I throw primarily medium sized jerk and crankbaits, some soft plastic swimbaits, and a decent amount of topwater (whopper plopper, spooks, jitterbugs).  Very occasionally I throw a handful of big swimbaits that weigh above the rating of the rod.  But most of the lures I throw are 1/4-3/4oz.  

 

Would a crankbait specific rod really limit the type of fishing I can do?  IE: can you still fish a finesse bait with it well enough?  Im considering either a Dobyns (fury or maybe champion XP) crankbait rod, or a St. Croix mojo.  Anything else I should consider?  

 

Any reel considerations would also be appreciated.  

 

All in all, Id like to keep total price of rod/reel around $350.  

 

Also, I should add, If there are solid rod/reel combos that cost significantly less Im all for it!  

Thanks!

Crankbait rod as an all around is almost as silly as, well, a crankbait rod for all around.

I would do spinning as an all around rod, but a BC will work as well, a 6'6" to 7' rod in Medium/fast or mod/fast will work. There is tons of suitable ones out there. If ever I lost my mind and ended up fishing in a yak, I'd probably take 2 rods.

I think you'd be best off with 2 rods frankly, but if you want one that would work for: "Jerk and crankbaits, whopper plopper, spooks, jitterbugs" - I would opt for a Dobyns Champ 685c in the crank bait series. Great for trebles, and your best chance to keep hard-charging smallies at the boat pinned on cranks. If you want longer the 705c is the same, but from a canoe on a  river I'd opt for the 6'8" version at $239. Pair it with either a Fuego CT or Tatula CT reel, whichever you can afford and stay under your budget. 

 

Soft plastic swimbaits, worms, plastics would be a different rod ~

I'd go with a BC setup too if you were primarily tossing jerk baits, crank baits, and topwaters.

i'd check out the daiwa tatula casting 7' medium reaction rod. you can throw a wide range of stuff on this one particular model

 

Taper	Line Wt.	Lure Wt.	Guides	Handle Type	Handle Length	Stock	Price
Regular	8-17lb	1/4-3/4oz	8+Tip	Tatula II B	***/2"	In Stock: 5	$149.99 msrp

It’s hard to narrow down a rod for that versatile of fishing. I think a 6’6 - 7’0 M/F baitcaster setup would be your best bet as others have mentioned.  I like the Mojo Bass. The 7’1 M/F Mojo is a versatile rod but is a little long for fishing jerkbaits, and I imagine that can be uncomfortable in a canoe. Maybe take a look at the 6’8 M/F. While both M, i don’t know if the 6’8 has the same power the 7’1 does. The 7’1 Mojo feels like a “M+“ compared to other  St Croix rods I’ve tried. 

Reels are hard to mess up, if you feel like splashing a bit of cash the Curado K is a favorite of mine. At a more affordable price there is the SLX which is awesome and I also added a Daiwa Fuego to my Arsenal this past year. It’s an awesome reel. I’d look at something in the 6 speed. 

For line I’d go 12# mono. Or you can use braid too and tie on whatever leader you need. 

The bps carbonlite 2,0 6’6” medium  casting rod will throw all those baits just fine. It’s just soft enough to fish trebles decent enough and plenty fast and sensitive enough for single hook applications. It’s 1/4-5/8’s. But you can go a little over and under just fine. Leaves plenty of change for a nice real. 

Thanks for the input everyone.  Seems like I might need to take stock of what I really want to throw and maybe think about a few other options.  Only reason Im trying to limit myself to one rod is that I usually bring 2 fly rods with me.  Im primarily a fly guy, but in a canoe its just a lot easier to throw a spinning/casting setup as I dont have to deal with line management.  And there's always another guy in the front of the boat that brings 1-2 rods as well, again primarily fly.  

 

Did an inventory on all the lures I throw and I think that gives me a better idea of what I really need.

 

Thanks!

On 2/2/2022 at 11:33 AM, fgb4 said:

Looking to pick up a new rod for this summer.  I'll be primarily fishing from a canoe and floating the susquehanna and tributaries for smallies.  Id like a "one rod to rule them all" type solution as less gear in the boat is so much easier.  Open to either casting or spinning, although Im leaning towards casting but would love to hear your thoughts.  I throw primarily medium sized jerk and crankbaits, some soft plastic swimbaits, and a decent amount of topwater (whopper plopper, spooks, jitterbugs).  Very occasionally I throw a handful of big swimbaits that weigh above the rating of the rod.  But most of the lures I throw are 1/4-3/4oz.  

 

Would a crankbait specific rod really limit the type of fishing I can do?  IE: can you still fish a finesse bait with it well enough?  Im considering either a Dobyns (fury or maybe champion XP) crankbait rod, or a St. Croix mojo.  Anything else I should consider?  

 

Any reel considerations would also be appreciated.  

 

All in all, Id like to keep total price of rod/reel around $350.  

 

Also, I should add, If there are solid rod/reel combos that cost significantly less Im all for it!  

Thanks!

You just perfectly described a 6-6 MH fast baitcast rod. Being an all round rod I suggest a 6 to 1 ratio. 

https://www.sportsmansoutfitters.com/products/lews-tournament-mp-speed-spool-lfs-series-baitcast-fishing-reel

 

 

https://www.sportsmansoutfitters.com/products/dobyns-sierra-mirco-guide-series-rods

 

https://www.sportsmansoutfitters.com/products/dobyns-sierra-series-rods

Free shipping and no tax keeps you under 350$. Dobyns run softer so heavy is MH magnum heavy is heavy.

 

It seems like you're fishing mostly hard lures, but you also mentioned "finesse bait." Is that also hard lure/moving lure?   

 

I fish in similar scenarios as yours, but more than half of the time I am fishing jigs and soft plastics. For a true do-it-all rod for kayak/canoe that can handle hard lures like top water, jerkbait, crankbait...   and bottom contact lures like jigs and soft plastics, my favorite is a Dobyn's 683 or 684,  Champion XP if you got the budget, Sierra if not. They both have a great parabolic moderate fast action and a sensitive blank.  And 6'8 seems to be the perfect length for kayak/canoe fishing.

 

As for reels, Dobyn's rods are balanced so well and their reel seats are so generic, that pretty much any brand of reels will fit.