I am in the market for a new trap/lipless/vibration bait rod- what do you suggest (power/action/length)? My budget is fairly open. thanx in advance, lets hear it.

A St. Croix Avid Crankbait AC70MM.

If I'm fishing a 1/4oz trap I use a Dobyns Champion 702C. It's a Med Ex-Fast action 7ft rod.

If I'm fishing a 1/2oz or larger I go with a Dobyns Champion 703C. Med-Hvy Ex-Fast 7ft rod.

They both have great feel and enough backbone to bring it through the weeds and a pricetag of $169.99.

I have 2 St.Croix rods that I like, one is a Graphite Avid 7'MHM custom, the other is a ProE-Glass 7'MM that I built 13 years ago. I use only Traps in the 1/2oz range when I throw cranks, these are the rods I have used for ever.

Tight Lines!!!!

7' Medium Action Croix Avid or 6'6" Medium action All-Star

I use a Shimano Crucial CRCX66M  (M/X-Fast)  Usually I'm throwing 3/8 oz, not often I use 1/2 oz traps.

I use Rat-L-Traps in a variety of situations.  If I'm fishing the bait deep I go with a 6'6" med BPS Crankin stick.  

If I'm fishing in tight to cover and shallow I'll use my BPS IM6 Bionic blade pistol grip.

If I'm just throwing in shallow or along or around weed beds I use a 6' Med Crankin stick.

If I'm tossing 1/4 oz traps, which isn't often, I move down to my All Star 6' BCM-6 rod.

I like the Loomis MBR 844C IMX for throughing 1/2 oz lipless cranks.  For 1/4oz ones I use a BPS Johnny Morris Sig. series 7' M.

Well, up until a couple day's ago, I was using a Fiberglass rod, but since that there fancy new modern Loomis crankbait rod came in the Fed-Ex truck, I'm hoping that will be my favorite 1/2oz lipless crankbait rod. I have a couple smaller ones, but I usually just throw them with my spinning rod. If I like the Loomis crankbait rod enough, somewhere, a long way's down the road, I might toss around the idea of thinking about, considering the possibility of, getting a lighter one too.....maybe. ;D

If I'm fishing a 1/4oz trap I use a Dobyns Champion 702C. It's a Med Ex-Fast action 7ft rod.

If I'm fishing a 1/2oz or larger I go with a Dobyns Champion 703C. Med-Hvy Ex-Fast 7ft rod.

They both have great feel and enough backbone to bring it through the weeds and a pricetag of $169.99.

I think I am leaning towards the dobyns- they look really sweet.  I mainly throw 1/2oz and up to 3/4oz traps.

I have a Crucial 7' Med Action CB series (TC4 blank) rod, and I absolutely love it for traps. I have an old Chronarch 6:1 reel on it.

For the $, it's a great choice.

I fish grass a lot, and you need a rod responsive enough to jerk free of the grass, but soft enough to keep the trap in her mouth. I've tried fiberglass rods, but they're just to heavy for my liking.

I learned the hard way when I lost a $25K fish (6lbr that would have won it) at Eufaula in a Regional two yers ago that you have to be pretty particular when choosing a rattle bait rod. Fish just seem to be able to throw these baits easily.

I use a custom S-glass 6'6" with a double pistol grip and wrapped guides.

I throw 1/2 and 3/4 rattle traps a mile with g loomis cbr 845 crankbait rod handles 3/8 to 1 oz lures

i throw my rattle traps on a Kistler 7'6" MH Helium.  it has the perfect action and length to cast the bait a mile (even further than they already do).   They extra length really lets me rip the bait out of the grass.  It a graphite rod so i can really feel the bait way out there.

hope this helps,

ben

GLoomis CBR 845

St Croix Avid AC68MXF, the only problem is that it's also my favorite weightless soft plastic rod. If I have that rod rigged with a Senko or Fat Ika I 'll use my Avid AC66MHM for Lipless cranks.