Input on 1/2 glass-graphite or full E glass rods recommended-under $200

[Mojo]

Ladies and Gents, I currently have an old Lews Dave Fritts Crankin Stick - 7'0" medium - And I love it !!!!! It's some what whippy, glass, and light.

Where can I find more of these? - I know the Lews eventually went to Browning, then to a BPS version that stunk, now back to Lews.  

My question is, is the newest Lews Crankin stick as good as the old? Is the  Browning version as good as the original Dave Fritts?Where can I find more?  AND is there anything comparable if I had to buy new ?

I have 2 Grandts, one 6'6" graphite and one 7'2" full glass for deep cranks. It's weighty, and thick.   I want something in between to throw 1/2 oz spinners and med 7-16 fow type
cranks.  Any advice for an E glass, or 1/2 glass-graphite under $150 bucks max?  $200. ?? and does anyone have extra rods that would fit these baits ?

Get loud people!

[Skulley]

You may want to try the American Rodsmiths version of the David Fritts crankin' stick.  After Browning stopped making them for Fritts, American Rodsmiths took on the design and Fritts had his name on it.  I don't know if Fritts still puts his name on that rod but I own several of the American Rodsmith David Fritts Crankin' Stick.  I think Fritts still used them for crank baiting but I don't know for sure.  It was designed wimpy for a reason and that was so that a barely hooked crank bait fish wouldn't get off.  Remember they are fiberglass, not e-glass which has graphite in it. I haven't tried the new Lew's crank bait rod but I'm willing to bet it's as good as the old design as long as it is a pure fiberglass blank.  I'm always looking for comparable rods for crank baiting and have not found any.............yet although I have an old Quantum Tour Rod that is all fiberglass and I still use it.



BD                      

[bigjc]

Mojo,

Is that the rod you got from me at the swap meet?

[MSURoss]

Love my wright and mcgill rick clunn rods. Light weight and very sensitive. Lifetime warranty too!! You can get great deals online pm me. Also like the composite kvd rods.

[Mojo]

Mojo,

Is that the rod you got from me at the swap meet?

Lol.... Ahhhh .... Yeah .... Im diein to be reminded how much i bought it for cause I love I. Now I want another - maybe a touch more back bone if I had a wish, but yeah JC, I got a great trade.

[YpsiBass]

I have just the rod for you Mojo and it's below your price range. 

http://www.powellco.com/powell-casting-rods/Crankbait-Jerkbait-Topwater/Casting-Diesel-705-CB-Glass

I have a 726 CB endurance with a mod-fast action and I LOVE it for casting cranks and spinnerbaits.  Plenty of backbone.

[mikesmiph]

The rod I would recommend for you Mojo is the Grandt E-Glass series. In particular, the EXC170M. 7', great action, sounds like just what you want. Retail is $229, but you get a discount for being a GLB member.

[t-bone]

I really wasn't that happy with the Powell Cranking stick I had last year, so I bought the Kistler Offshore Mark Rose designed rod this year and I really love it. $200 and it is just about perfect. Couple different versions depending on the depth of the crankbaits you will be throwing. Great handle for casting them a country mile. You can check them out here:http://www.kistlerrods.com/c/fishing-rod/KLX-MRO/
I used it this weekend in a St. Clair tournament and at one point I caught 3 fish on 4 casts. With the Powell rod, half the time I didn't know I had a fish on until it was way too late. The Kistler rod provides a good delay for not reacting too quickly but you feel everything.

[t-bone]

I have just the rod for you Mojo and it's below your price range. 

http://www.powellco.com/powell-casting-rods/Crankbait-Jerkbait-Topwater/Casting-Diesel-705-CB-Glass

I have a 726 CB endurance with a mod-fast action and I LOVE it for casting cranks and spinnerbaits.  Plenty of backbone.

I think the Lews I got would be more like a 2 -3 power - anyone have a 7'0" Powell in the 1-3 power range ?

I'll check on the powell rod I had and provide you with the specs.

[PineLk 49]

Hey Mojo.... Just out of curiosity, Why glass for a spinnerbait or 1/2 glass?

Dave

[djkimmel]

I left fiberglass rods a number of years ago. Used to use them all the time. Then I started doing a lot of cranking for big water smallmouth bass and found the extra sensitivity and lightness of graphite made up for anything else fiberglass may have done for me (I remember years ago Kevin VanDam saying at a seminar that if a bass wanted a lure it was going to get it when talking about rods with more give and reels with faster retrieve ratios).

Unless I'm fishing something small, particularly a river where I'm making lots of shorter casts where I still like a 7 foot rod, I like the longer rods so last year I started using the Grandt Rods C76M - 7 foot 6 inch medium action graphite casting rod. I have a couple of them.

I can cast them all day even as long as they are because they are thin and light. I can feel when I hit the tops of the weeds. I can feel when the bass moves on the lure. I can get in a 1 pound largemouth or easily handle a 5+ smallmouth!

I can throw smaller crankbaits with 10 pound test line or big cranks with much heavier line, all on the same rod. I get good hooksets even way out because of the length and backbone. I haven't lost any light hooked bass yet though most of the time they are hooked well because of the action and sensitivity of the rod.

I fish a lot more weeds now than I used to. I can't see myself going back to fiberglass ever again because I like that I waste a lot less casts having the increased feel for weeds and ability to more easily rip off some weeds, also increasing the strikes I get when I can do this better more often! I'd rather reel in bass than a clump of weeds any day!

[Manxfishing]

Mike,

I have 2 glass Kistlers that your more then welcome to borrow
Both med.
One's a 6-6" and the other is a 7'-6" that will cast a 3/8 oz wiggle
wart a mile with lot's of back bone.

[Mojo]

 a 726 CB endurance with a mod-fast action and I LOVE it for casting cranks and spinnerbaits.  Plenty of backbone.


I think the Lews I got would be more like a 2 -3 power - anyone have a 7'0" Powell in the 1-3 power range ?
[/quote]

I'll check on the powell rod I had and provide you with the specs.
[/quote]

You are da man, t. Let's try to hook up and I'll check it out ?

[Mojo]

Hey Mojo.... Just out of curiosity, Why glass for a spinnerbait or 1/2 glass?

Dave

Cause. I haven't lost a single smallie on my Lews glass stick, or my elite tech 1/2 glass. Yet  . Maybe it's just confidence.

[djkimmel]

I'm 5' 10" and I have no trouble using 7 foot 6 inch rods from bass boats. As much as you fish the Great Lakes, you should try it.

[t-bone]

It's a Powell Max 754 CB Glass H Mod-Fast 7'5'' 10-17lb test 1/4-1oz

Let me know if you want to give it a try!

a 726 CB endurance with a mod-fast action and I LOVE it for casting cranks and spinnerbaits.  Plenty of backbone.


I think the Lews I got would be more like a 2 -3 power - anyone have a 7'0" Powell in the 1-3 power range ?

I'll check on the powell rod I had and provide you with the specs.

You are da man, t. Let's try to hook up and I'll check it out ?

[bigjc]

I have to agree with the Kistler comments.  I use Kistlers 99% of the time.  I also think that Dan's comment make good sense.  I have several Kistler crankin rods, but only one of them are glass/graphite composite, while the rest are graphite.  I believe that there is an application for each. 

I do not like glass rods for spinnerbaits though!  I believe that all spinnerbaits should be thrown on graphite.  Nothing about spinnerbaits warrents the use of glass.  In my opinion, glass only helps absorb shock, which is only usefull when throwing cranks with trebbles.

[mikesmiph]

I don't have any glass rods, but you're more than welcome to try anything I do have. If you tried one of my Payara's you would have to have one.

[Mojo]

I have to agree with the Kistler comments.  I use Kistlers 99% of the time.  I also think that Dan's comment make good sense.  I have several Kistler crankin rods, but only one of them are glass/graphite composite, while the rest are graphite.  I believe that there is an application for each. 

I do not like glass rods for spinnerbaits though!  I believe that all spinnerbaits should be thrown on graphite.  Nothing about spinnerbaits warrents the use of glass.  In my opinion, glass only helps absorb shock, which is only usefull when throwing cranks with trebbles.

I agree with you, my med graphite is just awesome with spinnerbait. It's the lipless, cranks I love em glass

[djkimmel]

I used to feel the same way. Over 15 years ago. After the 3rd or 4th key Lake St. Clair smallmouth bass jumped and threw my lipless crankbait right after hitting it as soon as it hit the water on a long cast I started doubting the fiberglass rod. Then seeing some of the tests on the amount of pressure an angler can put on a hook that far out with mono and a soft rod (almost nothing) I reconsidered and started experimenting with stronger rods. Turns out I hooked more of those bass better, losing less of them with a longer graphite rod with more backbone.

Fluorocarbon line helps too. I've played with braid. You can feel better and get easier hooksets. You do have to be the kind of person who can remember you don't need the 'Bassmaster' hookset though and I really like a good 'Bassmaster' hookset...

If a bass isn't getting a lure good enough, there's something wrong with the lure/presentation that should be corrected. That seems more important to me than trying to find a rod that (may... I question it a lot??) 'allow a bass to get the lure better...' If a bass wants your lure, it's going to get it. That's my theory anyway.