Ripbait/crankbait questions

[Steve Reed]

I searched past posts but never really got the info i was looking for.

I love my fiberglass rods I have for reaction baits, but they are really bulky, are there any solutions?

Also what makes a ripbait rod good, i need a 7' and i want a light one, but with fiberglass it seems impossible to find one.

How is the skeet rod, yellow crankbait rod, I have had a powell glass, daiwa, and a loomis, so far they have each served their purpose but there are still flaws.


Any suggestions?

[mark poulson]

I'm no expert, but I've been using a St.Croix 7' med. extra fast tip graphite rod for throwing ripbaits, like the Orbit 80 and the Pointer 78. I try to use the lightest rod I can that will throw the lure and let me work it well. Compre rods have some nice actions in the med. with fast tips. I lean to the 7' to make it easier to cast light lures for distance.
Another rod I like is the Crucial 6'6' med. extra fast. It also throws light stuff really well, and has enough backbone to fight bigger fish. It's a little shorter, and I use it more for top waters, and jigworms.
I haven't use the Skeet rod, so I can't comment on that, but I don't like to use a cranking rod for ripbaits. I want the action in the tip, so I can pop them and then throw some slack, instead of the parabolic crankrod action, which doesn't work the lure the way I want to work it.
For bigger or deeper ripbaits, like the Saysee, I use a med. heavy fast tip rod, in a 7' length.
Mostly, I think you have to figure out what kind of action you want out of your ripbait, like how you want to fish it, and then find a rod that will help you do that. How a rod casts and works a bait is more important to me than it's power, when it comes to ripbaits. It's not like I have to horse these fish out of heavy cover down here in So.Cal.
Again, a faster tip will let you have a much more erratic action with a ripbait, while a more parabolic cranking rod will give a much more even, less jerky and erratic, action in the lure.
Hope this helps.

[Lance]

Hey kid,

Like Mark I use the black St. Croix but in a Med Hev. I love it and its really light. It will run you about 80-90 bucks

[big_gorilla]

I would have to say a Daiwa Light and Tough is a great rod. Not only is it light but it has a great tip.

The Lamiglas rod is good but with the glass you are going to have that bulky feel to it.

You will want a Medium to medium light action to keep from moving the bait to far. You want the bait to go a little more side to side then just rippin it forward with a medium heavy. I throw the XRap on a medium and I can get it to do whatever I want.

Take your time and feel the different rods.

Good luck!

[FATGUY]

does the average guy ( like me) put way too much energy and money into this rod versus that rod fi berglas vs ect .. mh vs hv... fast vs slow action . heck i can take one rod and use it and catch fish top water ...jerking ...cranking.. i admit over a year i might not get as many fish as a pro because of the setup but i believe most of US miss or don't get fish way more often because of our mistakes rather than different rods. heck one of our best club fisherman uses only a couple spinning rods and beats use most of the time because he is a better fisherman not because he has 15 rods all for one specialty ?? i guess the pros who make a living on the tour one fish might make a differnece in their check but for the average guy ??? does anyone else feel this way or as i asked IS IT JUST ME ??? bob g . happy new year to all..p.s. and yes i'm like most of you i have way too many rods and reels than i'll ever need. and i just bought another yesterday ..

[Paul W]

I am a total advocate of soft, graphite rods over glass rods. Glass rods definitely work well, but I really like the lower profile, more sensitive graphite blank. Its also lighter, and affords much better control, nice when shallow cranking around cover. Most graphite crankin rods will probably be slightly stiffer than a comparable glass model, but personally I dont feel catch ratios are effected by such a subtle difference. I'm sure some will disagree, but thats my take on it. There are a ton of really nice graphite crankin rods out there today....Powell (my definite favorite), Loomis, Lamiglas, and Shimano are some of the ones leading the pack.

Paul W

[MrSkeeter]

Paul,

I'll have to agree with you. I've gone full circle having went from graphite to glass back to graphite again.

I'm currently using a loomis MBR782 and a Techna AV AVC66ML and their 7' as well. In fact, just Tuesday, I caught stripers on the AVC70ML ... I've paired these rods with the Scorpion 1000MG (Japanese versions of the Chronarch 50MG) for a super light combo.

[flipthatjig]

bob g ur right. u dont need a flippin rod a drop shot rod or a just for rippin. u also dont need a boat full of lure or 100 diffen color senkos. but bass fishin is my obssision. im like crack heads. instead of buyin drugs i get my high off new lures heheheheh so back off jk hey when i was 14 i had a bike 1 rod 2 boxs in my back pack i still caught fish at the creek. now days its diffrent it might not be needed. but hey u only live once. minus well live it to the fullest am i right.

hey if u want a rod that meets all ur need get a custom rod from steve dude i got a flippin and one for crankin big crank baits and i can feel the diffrent when im crankin my dd 22

work hard~play harder

[Nlvbassin]

Try posting your question on this site. There are many good rod builders that will answer your question about glass vs. graphite, cranks vs. jerks
http://www.wmi.org/bassfish/bassboard/r ... index.html

As for me I like glass (Seeker 706) for cranks and spooks and graphite for jerks

Randall B

[Jason Wood]

Hey Lance, where the heck are you pickin' up these 80-90 dollar St. Croix rods???

[MrSkeeter]

For less expensive graphite rods, check out the Shimano Clarus (~$50 at Walton's Pond now) or the Shimano Crucial ($110 @ Walton's also) ... both of these rods are very sensitive, but the best thing is that they have an unconditional (even if you run over it w/ your truck) no questions asked over the counter warrantee.

[Ross England]

Check your inbox for a pm

[mvanguilder]

If you are looking for a great crankin rod for the price go with the St. Croix premier 7'med or 7'med. heavy mod. crankbait rod $100-$110. Personally I like the Avid series which will run you $160. If you have any more questions call me at (209) 604-8222. You can also come up to the Sac. show Jan. 18-21. I will be up there with pro staffer Justin Steelman working the St. Croix booth on the 19th, come over and check out the rods yourself.

St. Croix pro staff Mike Van Guilder Jr. (fishwranglers guide service)
motherlode area (209) 604-8222

[Steve Reed]

Thanks for all the replies, helps alot!

[mark poulson]

Kidfisher,
Like Bob G and Flipthati=jig said, you don't need sixteen different rods for sixteen different lures. But there are several different action and power rods that do perform different task better than others, and so make fishing easier and more enjoyable.
I've found that a 6'6"Crucial med. extra fast baitcaster works for me for ripbaits, top waters, and shakey head jig worms. Also, in a pinch, for 1/4oz. jigs. I also Trig with it, and split shot and drop shot, too. Anything light that needs a soft tip for casting and sensitivity, and a strong backbone for fighting the fish.
I prefer the 7' St.Croix med. extra fast for light rip baits like the Orbit 80 or Pointer 78, because the extra length makes them easier to cast a greater distance, which is important in clear water. I go to a 6'8" med. heavy Falcon rod, LCF5-168 for Ikas, senkos, jigs, chatterbaits, toads, and tailspins. I vary the line I use for these different lures, but the rod works well for all of them.It has a tip which flexes down almost 24", more than their 6'6" med. heavy rod, and that seems to make casting heavier stuff easier for me because it gives a more parabolic action.
I use 7' med heavy rods for spoons, frogs, and heavy chatterbaits on braid at night.
This is just to give a couple of examples how the same rod can be used with different lures and presentations.
There are no ironclad rules. One of the most fun bites I ever got on was throwing a Horney Toad with a 6' med. action Falonc rod and 50lb. braid in early spring. Big fish on that rod were a blast, and it was what I had rigged at the time, because I could cast the toad really well and accurately with it.
If you can, borrow a few different rods, with different lenghts, powers, and actions, and see what works best for you and the way you fish.
Everyone is different, not better or worse, just different. Find what fits you best.

[TomAtkeson]

Kid,
The Skeet rod is awesome but a little light for what I wanted. It got stolen which gave me a good excause to get a new rod, so I picked up the med heavy 7 footer by powell, its lightbuthas good back bone. I love it! A good graphite alternitive is the Skeet Reese 704 I use it for riping its a little better at feeling those strikes when the bait is paused.

my .02

[dockboy]

I like a Loomis CB 845, 7' MH blend rod. It's a graphite/ glass blend, real light and sensitive. FYI, I'm not sponsored by Loomis, in fact I don't have sponsors as of yet. It was Gary Dobbins' old sweetheart rip rod before he went with Powell. Truth be told, I get the most use out of this rod. It can handle any reaction bait up a DD14 or a Pointer 128. It'll throw a Pointer 78 well and it fishes a Pointer 100 real well. Thing is, you can be fishing a 100 and then put on a Staysee, no problem. You don't have to have multiple rods. It handles small deep divers and mid cranks well too. But what I like most is it power in the butt. The tip is soft down to about the mid section, and then quickly goes to a powerful butt. I have no use for a rip rod that can't fish multiple lake types. I want to be able to fish somewhere like the Delta with 12 lb. one day and the next be able to fish somewhere like Shasta with 10lb. the next, without worrying about if I'm using the right rod. This is a good all around rip rod for me.
If you don't like the Loomis though, I suggest the Powells. Got to check out them out the other day and they seemed very nice, definitely another viable candidate. I like St. Croix too, just remember everybody has their own preferences. Test some out befor you buy.