howdy y’all, I am currently on the search for a good crankbait rod for my spring tournament series, i am not to concerned about it being a cerain brand although my preference would be Dobyns, St. Croix, or Lews i am trying too find a rod under 180$ though since i am hoping on getting a Swimbait rod as well, i have looked at the XPS Crankin’ Stick and have definently considered that as a potential contender but the thing is i need to find a rod that can handle all depths in one so i can throw anything from a KVD 1.5 to a Sixth Sense Unit, i am pairing it with a Lews American Hero Camo Reel,  i appreciate any and all feedback!

 

thanks a lot! Keep catching hawgs!

I like Loomis, St Croix, Shimano and Dobyns but for crankbait rods Dobyns is my favorite. Under $180 puts you into Kaden territory at the moment. One thing I'd mention is you seem to be focusing solely on depth when you might want to consider lure weight and how much pull you are getting back and just because you want a rod that does 'everything' doesn't mean one actually exists. As an example I own a Dobyns Champion 736CB glass and a 705CB. There are lure ratings on them but if you went strictly off that you might think you would be fine throwing something like a Strike King 6XD on that 705. Meanwhile the 736 is great for that lure but not something I'd personally throw most squarebills on. A good all around option for you might be the Kaden 735CB. In my experience that one can go up to medium (eg. 10-15 foot plugs) and still do lighter stuff like a squarebill, jerkbait or walking bait. Copperstate Tackle has a sale right now and the main link you get when you look on Amazon is usually GSM which is the company that owns Dobyns and has also had some good deals recently.

 

If you want to look at Lew's that TP2 rod doesn't look bad and would be less than a Kaden. Relatively similar action but with a Wynn grip and no lifetime warranty but still pretty good quality from a company I'd say is reputable.

 

Good Luck.

You might be able to get two BPS cranking rods for that money.. my son uses them, I use IMX rods so I’m afraid I’m out of touch on the cheaper rods. 
 

Brian is right though, one rod can't cover the vastness of crank baiting..

 

I find the St. Croix 7’2” MHM Legend Tournament to be the best overall cranking rod I’ve used. Covers everything except for mag cranks and deep divers. That moderate action slings em pretty far too. They also make it in the Mojo and Victory lines which fit your budget

Cashion makes great cranking rods

Take a look at Falcon Lowrider MHMF ALL ‘Round rods they have several lengths and very good reviews.

Tom

As has been said that's 2 different rods. For the squarebill and medium divers I would go with a fury 705 cb. As a bonus you can fish poppers and jerkbaits with it.

As to the DD22 and 6 XD, I used to fish those on a mojo glass. These days I feel like I can catch the same fish on baits that require a lot less effort on my part.

 

On 11/21/2025 at 12:03 PM, TxBassin said:

i am trying too find a rod under 180$

 

I use Kistler's KLX line for crankbaits.  They're made in Texas, light, and have a nice mod-fast action.  I have M and MH rods for small/medium crankbaits.  I also have a 7'3" heavy KLX that's rated 3/8 - 1 1/2 ounce baits I use for frogs & medium swimbaits.  

 

I own St. Croix, G. Loomis, Abu, Douglas, and Diawa crankbait rods. Second on the favorites list are my older Veritas Winch rods.  They're much more moderate than the KLX, but are sensitive, load nicely, and feel very comfortable in my hand.

 

Good luck picking out your crankbait rod.

@TxBassin I have your answer. Get the cranking rod of your choice for the small thru medium cranks. Then buy a 1-3 oz swim bait rod & use it for swim baits & full size cranks like 6 & 10 XD’s. Almost all swim bait rods are moderate action or moderate fast actions which relates well to using them for hard pulling deep diving cranks. Those two rods will cover you well. 

I use the Dobyns Fury 705 CB for my shallow water cranks, great rod. They are $150 but I am sure you can find 20% off during Black Friday. As for deeper I can not say since I only fish shallow water,

I think that is a solid idea, do you think that using a Swimbait rod for deep divers would still give you good sensitivity?

I agree, i think i am probably leaning towards the medium to deep diving range, because I have a rod that i can make do with square bills for now, definitely would go with dobyns or st. Croix becuase i already own rods from both and have had no issues (other than GSM customer service 😠) so those could definently be good options! thanks a lot!

17 hours ago, TxBassin said:

I think that is a solid idea, do you think that using a Swimbait rod for deep divers would still give you good sensitivity?

Yes & they really extend your casting range. 

18 hours ago, tander said:

I use the Dobyns Fury 705 CB for my shallow water cranks, great rod. They are $150 but I am sure you can find 20% off during Black Friday. As for deeper I can not say since I only fish shallow water,

X2 

I used a Lamiglas 705 for DD14, DD22 and Poe 300 for decades. Skeet Reese had the same rod made in yellow, good crank bait rod.

It’s the reel that retrieves crank baits and mine was a Calcutta 250 5:8.1 with 12 lb Big Game. 
The rod was lost in Canada and replaced it with Irod IRG754F and worked good for medium to deep crank baits.

Tom

It’s your money, purchase what you want but you’ll not find a better cranking rod than a BPS Crankin’ Stick. As far as one rod for all depths and crankbaits, I’m not sure that even exists.

 

 I have two Crankin’ Sticks. A 7’ medium (my workhorse) and a 7’ M/H for deep divers. I’m a shallow water guy so deep to me is 10’ to maybe 15’.

I second this recommendation ⬆️

I'm with @Dwight Hottle on his recommendation.  The Spro KGB rod I have heard is a great deep crankin stick and works well for the 2oz +/- class swimbaits.  Never owned one though.

I am sure I am in the minority - I only have spinning rods/reels - and I love to throw cranks of all sizes/depths - I have multiple rods/reels depending on the size of the lure and the depth (1 foot to 25 feet) I am looking to reach - I will not list them as I know you are looking for one rod to cover the entire range (and most likely a baitcasting rod)

23 hours ago, WaskaCrank12 said:

I am sure I am in the minority - I only have spinning rods/reels - and I love to throw cranks of all sizes/depths - I have multiple rods/reels depending on the size of the lure and the depth (1 foot to 25 feet) I am looking to reach - I will not list them as I know you are looking for one rod to cover the entire range (and most likely a baitcasting rod)

Yes, i am looking for a baitcasting rod, but i would be interested to hear about your spinning mafia!

On 11/25/2025 at 10:15 AM, volzfan59 said:

It’s your money, purchase what you want but you’ll not find a better cranking rod than a BPS Crankin’ Stick. As far as one rod for all depths and crankbaits, I’m not sure that even exists.

 

 I have two Crankin’ Sticks. A 7’ medium (my workhorse) and a 7’ M/H for deep divers. I’m a shallow water guy so deep to me is 10’ to maybe 15’.

Definently would be good with a crankin stick 👍