I've been looking at the BPS Crankin' Stick in ML as a Shad Rap rod. Primarily the No.5 and No.6. I haven't checked them out in store yet. I am assuming that the medium will not cast the No.5. 

 

https://www.basspro.com/p/bass-pro-shops-crankin-stick-crankbait-casting-rod

 

Does anyone have this rod and can offer a review?

 

Any other casting rods that would be suitable for the No. 5 and 6 Shad Rap?

You’re talking about 3/16 and 1/4 oz baits which are on the very light side for casting rods generally and casting reels specifically. A true medium with a light tip might get it done. A ML should be able to do it. But the reel is the hard part. You’ll need one designed to throw light stuff and light line on it. And even then you’re not going to be maximizing distance. A spinning rod is a much better tool for what you want to do. 

You're going to need a reel cable of casting that light of a bait.  Your cheapest option would be to get a BFS spool for your black max.  Ebay wants $30 for them but there is one seller selling them for cheaper.  They're all Aliexpress stuff bought and sold at high markup on Ebay.  You could just buy from Aliexpress and save $10 but you do you.  I was an early adopter of this spool over 5 years ago and have one in a BM3 for UL baits.  It will handle a #5 Shadrap with ease.

It’s BFS Bait Finesse System for a reason, you need the rod and line not just a spool.

Tom

Talk about perfect timing.

 

Bought a few Shad Raps yesterday for cold water.

 

I’m going to put 8 lb mono on either a M or ML spinning rod.

 

I’d rather throw it on the M but the ML combo is much newer/nicer. Hopefully I’ll have to be using the drag and not sure I trust the drag on the M.

 

PS I bought a Shad Rap Elite which appears to be much easier to throw on baitcasting.

@Bazoo I do have the rod in question although it’s the previous version along with the medium powered rod again previous version. Last season and the season prior I almost always had one or the other with me at all times and with the medium the lowest weight lure I felt comfortable throwing was/is the KVD 1.5 square bill whereas the medium light had either a KVD 1.0 square bill or a inline spinner that I believe is a 1/8 of an ounce. My reel choices I do believe made a difference as the medium has a Abu Garcia Revo AL-F paired with 10 pound big game monofilament and my medium light has a DreamTackle/Okuma Hakai reel with 10 pound Suffix Advance Monofilament neither of which have bfs spools in them and I can assure you I had zero issues casting either lure on my medium light rod with plenty of distance but it is a pretty soft rod throughout and not what I would call a bfs rod which I’m looking to add next year in the form of a daiwa Tatula XT or Daiwa Tatula series.  

Edited November 8, 2025Nov 8 by Eric 26
Format, grammar, added content

Thanks for all the suggestions. First, I know that casting lighter stuff is easier with a spinning rod. And I use a spinning rod for some things. But, I specificaly want to use a casting rod for these smaller lures.

 

I am already using light lures with my normal casting stuff making overhand casts. The problem comes when I try to do roll casts or close accuracy casts.

 

With my Black Max 3 reel and 8 pound big game line, I am already casting down to the 1/8oz Tiny Rat-L-Trap. I can effectively cast this as long as I can do overhead or side casts in open water.

 

I am able to cast the 1/8oz X-Rap as well, but it's right on the edge of too light.

 

I cannot cast the 1/8oz Strike King Bitsy Minnow.

 

The rods I'm using are Bass Pro Graphite Series M/F which is rated higher than it is, it's more of a ML.

 

And a Proficiency Retro. Which is a cheapo rod with lots of flex. I have replaced this with the BPS rod, and only keep it for backup.

 

Casting 1/4oz lures with these rods and the BM3 reel is not a problem at all. I can run the 1.0 squarebill any way I want.

 

Now, when I move up to my standard rods, which currently are a Black Max M/M and a Lews Hank Parker 6'10" M/F, I can still cast the 1.0 squarebill, but it's getting closer to the low end of spectrum.

 

The lightest I can cast on either of these is a 1/4oz Husky Jerk, but I don't have the control I want. And that's with using either 10lb or 12lb line.

Always used a mhf with 12 pound test never had any trouble . Reel is Bass Pro Pro qualifier 

32 minutes ago, Bazoo said:

Thanks for all the suggestions. First, I know that casting lighter stuff is easier with a spinning rod. And I use a spinning rod for some things. But, I specificaly want to use a casting rod for these smaller lures.

 

I am already using light lures with my normal casting stuff making overhand casts. The problem comes when I try to do roll casts or close accuracy casts.

 

With my Black Max 3 reel and 8 pound big game line, I am already casting down to the 1/8oz Tiny Rat-L-Trap. I can effectively cast this as long as I can do overhead or side casts in open water.

 

I am able to cast the 1/8oz X-Rap as well, but it's right on the edge of too light.

 

I cannot cast the 1/8oz Strike King Bitsy Minnow.

 

The rods I'm using are Bass Pro Graphite Series M/F which is rated higher than it is, it's more of a ML.

 

And a Proficiency Retro. Which is a cheapo rod with lots of flex. I have replaced this with the BPS rod, and only keep it for backup.

 

Casting 1/4oz lures with these rods and the BM3 reel is not a problem at all. I can run the 1.0 squarebill any way I want.

 

Now, when I move up to my standard rods, which currently are a Black Max M/M and a Lews Hank Parker 6'10" M/F, I can still cast the 1.0 squarebill, but it's getting closer to the low end of spectrum.

 

The lightest I can cast on either of these is a 1/4oz Husky Jerk, but I don't have the control I want. And that's with using either 10lb or 12lb line.

A stock Black Max 3 spool weighs nearly 18 grams.  I know you can cast 1/8 oz just fine with the stock spool but my idea of "just fine" is probably your idea of really good.  The 1/8 oz tiny trap is one of my favorite pond hard baits and something I throw with this reel a lot.  Spending $5 to $30 for one of these spools would greatly benefit the Black Max 3's ability to cast baits below 1/4 oz.  

The BFS spool weighs half as much as the stock spool.  I added cheap micro spool bearings but you can just cut the goop that is in the stock bearings with some bearing oil to free them up.  Also, that's a 2pc Black Max UL casting rod from the Abu Garcia China market.  The spool, bearings, rod carbon handle and black/red spool tension knob were all purchased from Aliexpress a number of years ago.

I used 3 combos to learn casting #5 Shad Raps.  One was an older model 7' ML Crankin' Stick with an older gold colored Carbonlite.  Second rod was an OG Falcon Expert 6'9" LF with another gold colored Carbonlite.  Carbonlites factory.  Third combo was an older 7' ML HMG with a tuned and upgraded TD-Z 105H.  All spooled with 8# mono.  I feel distance was quite reasonable with all 3 combos for that weight lure.

 

Guess I should see how much better distance is with a spinning rod.  Trouble is I prefer casting if at all possible.  I've got 3 BFS spools but haven't tried any of them yet.  Been lazy.

@Bazoo After reading your most recent response I’d say you should take @Bigbox99’s advice and look for a cheap bfs spool, at very least you’ll only be out $5.00-$20.00 vs the currently $99.00 for the crankin stick and if you’re not happy with the spool give it away or sell it locally to recover your losses. In the end you might find out you like the whole bfs thing and then you can put the money you saved towards a proper bfs rod. 

I'm not opposed to trying a shallow spool.

 

How much line do those shallow spools hold? I am concerned I'll spool them with a heavier lure.

2 hours ago, Bazoo said:

I'm not opposed to trying a shallow spool.

 

How much line do those shallow spools hold? I am concerned I'll spool them with a heavier lure.

If I remember correctly, around 100m of PE #1 which is about .0065 (.165mm) diameter.  bulldog1935 will know for sure.

 

My Salamandura 70 holds 100m of 8#, 80m of 10# and 75m of 12# (according to the box).  Arbor was visible through the line casting a 7/8 oz. lipless crankbait on MHF rod.  Believe it was 12# mono.  First time out with the reel.  Line is being replaced with a smaller diameter line.

 

Remember you are setting up for finesse.  Small diameter line is best.  Even with lighter line, my Salamandura won't go on a rod heavier than Medium power.  Most likely on a ML.  I don't like being near the arbor on casts.

 

Also remember that the arbor on a BFS spool will be larger than standard spools thus not affecting IPT as much even if you nearly cast the full amount of line.

11 hours ago, Bazoo said:

Thanks for all the suggestions. First, I know that casting lighter stuff is easier with a spinning rod.

Depending on how light is light, and how you define "easier", you might be pleasantly . . . . shocked. Modern BFS gear is challenging those old stereotypes IMHO.

 

A #5 Shad Rap weighs 3/16 oz, which is approximately 5.3g

 

I have some very nice spinning rods and reels, nicer than any of my BFS gear with the exception of an Aldebaran BFS, and if I were forced to wager, I would put my money on any BFS rod I own coupled with a $100 KastKing Kestrel BFS to pitch that #5 Shad Rap further than any of my spinning gear could.

 

And once a fish is hooked, give me casting gear every single time.

13 hours ago, Bazoo said:

I'm not opposed to trying a shallow spool.

 

How much line do those shallow spools hold? I am concerned I'll spool them with a heavier lure.

Shallow spool capacity line over .011 diameter will be less then 50 yards at full spool. 5 or  6 lb FC or mono line 0080-.0090 D works good with 60+ yards capacity.
Tom

 

14 hours ago, Bazoo said:

I'm not opposed to trying a shallow spool.

 

How much line do those shallow spools hold? I am concerned I'll spool them with a heavier lure.

 

42 minutes ago, WRB-2.0 said:

Shallow spool capacity line over .011 diameter will be less then 50 yards at full spool. 5 or  6 lb FC or mono line 0080-.0090 D works good with 60+ yards capacity.
Tom

 

 

In my experience, 60 yards is 'more than enough'. In most cases, 45 yards is 'more than enough'. With the cost of even mediocre fishing line these days (not to mention premium line), how much more than 'more than enough' does one want to have on a reel. This is the main reason I try to only buy shallow spool spinning reels.

 

The other thing about having more than 'more than enough' line on a spool is the rotating weight aspect of the equation. 

 

Cost of line

Rotating weight

 

If you want to throw a heavier lure (let's say >3/8 oz max), use heavier gear than BFS. A rod that excels at throwing 1/16 to 1/4 ounce baits (what I would characterize as USA-BFS as opposed to 'true' BFS which can go much lower than 1/16 oz at times - JMHO), it's usually starting to get overwhelmed at more than 3/8 oz, not only for casting, but also when it comes to hook setting power. Ultralight power + 100' of line isn't going to be great at setting a hook (that is generally used on larger lures) at that distance. 

 

I have observed that rods generally have lure weight ranges that have roughly a 4x multiplier from the lower end of the range to the higher end. For instance, a MH/F casting rod will often have a lure weight range between 1/4 to 1 oz. A swimbait rod may claim a weight range of 2 oz to 8 oz. The true sweet spot is usually in the middle of that range. I own examples of both of those estimates in addition to a BFS rod rated from 1/16 to 1/4.

 

So, while a rod that is rated to throw 1/16th to 1/4 oz still has an effective 4x multiplier even though it's only a 3/16 oz difference from one end of the range to the other.

 

I think I have to be more willing to be more discerning about the components of the system to make the most of BFS gear. JMHO.

Lure weight is only 1 factor to consider casting lures. The lure aerodynamics are a big factor how easy they are to cast. Rapala Shad Rap shallow #5 weighs 3/16 oz (less hooks) and has a good aerodynamic shape. You can easily cast a #5 Shad Rap using Medium fast or mod fast casting rod using standard  casting reels and 10# mono. Flatter light weight less aerodynamic lures that catch air and kite during the cast are a different issue.

Tom

 

 

I have 2 shallow spool reels,1 baitcaster and 1 spinning reel (jdm 2000 Shimano Miravel) and to be honest I wasn’t thrilled with either at first. I had the casting reel spooled with 7 pound monofilament and the spinning reel with 8pound Daiwa Grand X-8 braid, both reels would be pretty much emptied on the casts I have to make being a shore bound angler fishing bowl shaped retention ponds. If I was in a boat, kayak or canoe I might feel differently making shorter precision casts but I’m not. That doesn’t mean I’m giving up on either reel and in fact as I said I’m planning on buying a proper bfs rod next season as I found 6 pound Suffix 832 has given me what I’m after for line capacity in both reels. YMMV but again I’m sticking with my response of trying a cheaper bfs spool before purchasing a new rod.

Honestly, we're off track. I don't to get into BFS. I would be willing try a shallow spool. I am able already to cast size 5 shad raps with my setup, but it's not to the level of proficiency I want. I can't effectively roll cast them, or get the accuracy I want. I think my problem is that the rods I'm using are too heavy.

 

I do not want to shy away from 8lb Big Game right now, for cost reasons as well as strength reasons.

 

I am considering another rod, a 7' Lews combo from walmart. It's rated 1/8oz on the light end (I forget the heavy end), and it's obviously a ML when looking at it. It's about $70 with a cheaper Lews Reel, but it's on sale currently. I like the rod, but I don't see any reason the reel would not perform as well as the Abu Garcia Black Max I'm currently using for lighter stuff.

 

 

@Bazoo I will add that again although I really like my Med light Crankin Stick it’s definitely 🤔soft throughout the entire blank and I feel if you’re looking at precision casts it’s not ideal for this scenario, but I can really bomb them lighter lures out there. Also if you don’t mind please share the combo as I love shopping the fishing aisle at my local WalMart.

I looked on walmart's website and couldn't find the exact combo, or at least I couldn't be sure that the combo I saw was the correct one. I have looked at it several times in store though.

 

I must be remembering wrong about it being a 7' rod, as this one is 6'6", but appears to be the right one. On sale too.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lew-s-Classic-Black-Speed-Spool-Baitcast-Reel-and-Fishing-Rod-Combo-6-Foot-6-Inch-1-Piece-Rod-Black/1702282856

I have two ML Crankin' Sticks, 6' and 7'. One has a Curado 50E, the other a SLX MGL70. Both spooled with 15 pound braid and leaders of usually 6, 8, or 10 pound fluorocarbon.

 

I toss flicker shads, shad raps, small squarebills, small floating Rapalas, lip less, whatever. A kvd 1.5 is too much, I'm tossing lighter stuff with this setup. I have a different rig for those.

 

Go for it. Get the 7'. I have a blast with that setup throwing those baits.

 

 

 

 

Thanks @BradH.

Theres plenty of weight to a shad rap, especially the larger ones.  The real issue with them is the weight to profile ratio.  They're big flat and catch wind like a kite.  Even the super shad raps @1oz have terrible casting properties. 

I used Shad Raps in the winter for years.

I used to weight mine.  Instead of loading it with syrup, I would drill a little hole in the chin and pour lead in small increments, testing it to get a super slow sink or suspension in a large bucket left outside.  With the inconsistency of natural balsa, no 2 baits would take the same amount of lead to suspend.  Its a PITA, and time consuming, but the results are undeniable. 

Back then there weren't too many flatsides that were similar.  Now, there are quite a few.  They cost a lot more, especially if you want balsa.  I suppose shad raps aren't cheap anymore either, well over double what I used to pay.

Those who mention spinning for these light baits, the problem you’re going to have w using mono is going to be line twist. If you’re going to truly work this bait have an extra spool. It’s worth the cost to have, particularly for tossing these potato chip baits.. I used the shad rap occasionally in Florida and have caught fish to 6 pounds on them..

Imo, BFS, with a mono spool and a rod that will properly load that light bait is a better choice.