need help buying a crankbait rod and reel

[24/7bassin]

For those of you that don't know, I have a thread going about the rod and reels that I have now and what I could use them for.  I have decided to get another baitcaster and have decided on one to use for spinnerbaits and crankbaits, mainly a crankbait.  I don't want to spend a bunch of money, maybe around $100 and was hoping you all could point me in the right direction.  I am planning on going to Bass Pro Friday, so if you all could, please tell me what you think I could buy for that kind of money and still be a combo.  Like I have said in the past, I am open to any opinions, so please don't hold back.  If you think that Wal-mart would have something that would be a sufficient combo that would be great too because I can get 10% off there.  Maybe the Black Max combo...I don't know.  Thanks in advance for all the help with everything.

[luvbassfishin]

Hey the berkley lightning rods are great for the price!! They are on sale now at walmart for 36 bucks as far as the reel goes bass pro has the diawa strike force which i think is 49.99 but they have there big sale tommorow bring an old reel in it gets you some money off...that should give you enough money left over for the line to.Get a 7 foot medium action for your cranking needs.

[Pro Reel]

BPS extreme. It will be on sale during the spring classic for $59.00. Hands down, it's the best reel available at that price. Lots of good rod choices out there, the best deal I have seen on what looks to be a top quality rod is the Acadia rods. Nothing wrong with a good ol lightning rod though.

[24/7bassin]

Thanks guys...really appreciate it.

[cable guy]

myself i do like the kvd crankin rods, ive been checking out the skeet reese rods, tessera rods right now at cabelas buy 1 u get a jersey backrebate,not a bad deal and a pretty nice looking shirt,the s-glass crankin rod 7ftmf-1/4-3/4ozlres,seems like u pretty much need that kind of rod for crankin,i use a quantum kinetic reelwith a 6:3:1, ratio reel,seems to work ok for me .

[beast96z]

Your not going to find a whole lot that is crankbait specific in the sub $100 range. If I had to go that route, I'd say the BPS extreme in 5:1 ratio with a BPS Cranking stick. Both of which should be on sale during the spring sale. Reel for $59 and rod for $29.

[luvbassfishin]

I went to bass pro today, they have a mega cast combo for 50 bucks which will  work fine for chucking cranks leave you some money over to get some baits

[aaronis]

Dude just order some M, or MH Acadia rods.  They are like buy one get one free for like $64.95 I think.  Their rods have a great reputation.  I needed some rods at an affordable price that would hold up well and give me good quality and they have done just that.  Probably the best rods for the value and their customer service is amazing. 

[24/7bassin]

I bought a Bass Pro Crankin  today.   I have yet to decide on a reel, but the rod is NICE!!!!

[Joshawa]

For small cranks I use a 7' M Berkley amp and an old Abu SilverMax. If you throw bigger cranks on it you may want something a little stiffer, but for $30 they are sturdy but have a very soft tip.

[beast96z]

Hard to go wrong with the Extreme reel. Go with a 5:1 if you will be using primarily lipped baits or a 7:1 for lipless.

[24/7bassin]

I was about to go ahead and buy the Extreme 5.4:1 reel today, but decided to wait at the last minute.  They have the Pro Qualifier going on sale March 12 for $39.99, so I am going to check that out before I make my decision.  The guy that works there that talked me into the rod said that for cranking baits down to 15' a good reel in the 5.1:1 to 6.4:1 would be fine.  I trust this guy considering I was about to drop a lot more money on a KVD cranking stick, and he talked me into the BPS Crankin Stick for a lot less money.  I am going to see what the Pro Qualifier is like, and make my decision on 2 Pro Qualifiers or one Pro Qualifier and a Extreme.

[Rebbasser]

24/7, if you are going to be throwing deep running cranks do NOT get a reel that is high speed, especially if it is dedicated for deep cranks.  If you throw a deep runner on a high speed reel it will flat wear you out.  Deep cranks have a lot of drag, so IMO winching power is a lot more important that high speed.  If I try to throw a big, deep crank like a DD-22 on a high speed-6.3:1-reel I'm good for about 5 casts and I'm worn out.  On the flip side, I throw those big bruisers on a BPS David Fritts crankbait reel, which is 4.7:1.   I can throw them all day with no fatigue with this reel.

Think in terms of pulling a heavy load with a truck.  Low gear gives you less speed but more power, which is what you need for these baits.  I throw lipless baits on a 7.1:1 reel.  For that bait I want speed over power.

[24/7bassin]

There might be one time that I would use a deep running crank, and that would be at my tourney at Kentucky Lake.  However, that will be at the end of April, so I don't think that anyone will be fishing ledges in April.  All but 2 of my crankbaits run around 5 feet of water.  I did buy a Normans that runs around 12-17ft, and I have a Deep Little N that runs between 8-12 feet.  I do not think that I will be fishing those this year...maybe next year when I get a boat.  Do you think that I will need a lower gear for the ones that run 5-6 feet?  If you think I will, then that it what I will do.  Keep in mind to that I do not fish crankbaits very much.  I fish spinnerbaits, swimbaits (hollow belly minnows), and finesse baits more than anything else in my boxes of tackle. 

[Pro Reel]

There might be one time that I would use a deep running crank, and that would be at my tourney at Kentucky Lake.  However, that will be at the end of April, so I don't think that anyone will be fishing ledges in April.  All but 2 of my crankbaits run around 5 feet of water.  I did buy a Normans that runs around 12-17ft, and I have a Deep Little N that runs between 8-12 feet.  I do not think that I will be fishing those this year...maybe next year when I get a boat.  Do you think that I will need a lower gear for the ones that run 5-6 feet?  If you think I will, then that it what I will do.  Keep in mind to that I do not fish crankbaits very much.  I fish spinnerbaits, swimbaits (hollow belly minnows), and finesse baits more than anything else in my boxes of tackle. 

Thats a hard call. A 6.4.1 will do most shallow cranks just fine, but your not trying to get speed with them. I wouldn't go less than a 5.4.1 unless it will be dedicated to big crankbaits. I would say get one in the 5.4.1 range and use it for most crank baits and even swim baits, then get the 6.4.1 for most other uses. Only you know what you will use the most, so you need to weight the factors and decide that one for your self. The Pro Qualifiers are excellent reels also. $39.99 is a great deal on those,

[24/7bassin]

Well, the Pro Qualifier that they are going to have on sale is only coming in the 6.2:1 gear ratio (or so they think, they haven't come in yet).  That is the biggest reason I was trying to get some more information on the gear ratio that I should get.  If you all think that I should get a lower gear ratio, then that is what I am going to do.  Like I said earlier, I am not the best at picking out which reel or rod would be best for what type of fishing.   I just started fishing with bait casters two years ago and they are still a very confusing subject to me. 

If you don't mind Pro Reel, I have another thread going titled (I think it is titled) which rod and reel for which presentation, could you look at it and let me know what you think?  I am really worried that I may be making a mistake and would love your input.  Thanks...

[Rebbasser]

24/7, I throw Bandit 100s on a 6.3:1 with no problems at all.  They run 5-7 feet.  If that is what you will mainly be throwing a higher speed reel will work just fine.