Which fishing rod you choose can either help you or hinder you. The best crankbait rod should match the size of lure you are using and the line strength that suits the size fish you are fishing for.

Spend a day crankbait fishing with a spinning setup and your wrist, arms and shoulders will know all about it.

Although you can use a spinning rod the majority of fishermen will choose to use a baitcasting rod . A baitcaster reel is a lot easier to use when cranking in large crankbaits.

Crankbaits require a bit more backbone from a rod than say a regular spinning rod setup. Having enough power in the rod blank and the correct rod action is paramount to getting the best out of your crankbait fishing.​

When choosing the best rod for crankbaits you need to consider a number of important factors:

Action​ Power Length Line rating Lure weights

Making sure that everything lines up correctly in terms of action and power is critical to getting the best possible casting and fighting performance from your tackle.

You can of course throw smaller crankbaits on lighter spinning gear but once the lures get a little bigger a dedicated rod is strongly advisable.



​Action

Rod action refers to where the bend in the rod will start. A fast action will bend mostly near the tip. A slow action will bend from the base all the way to the tip.​

For most fishermen a crankbait pole should have a moderate to moderate/fast action. A moderate action is the minimum one you would want to choose.

Cranbaits require a little more backbone when being retrieved. If you are using a crankbait with a very aggressive deep diving lip on it the light action rods are just not going to cut it.​

When setting the hook you need to be sure that you rod can set the treble hooks found on most cranbaits. But if the action is to fast it may increase the chances of the hooks coming loose once hooked.

A little bit of shock absorption from the rod helps greatly here, which is why choosing a rod with too fast an action is not advised. ​

Casting with a moderate action rod will also get you slightly more distance than with a fast action. This extra distance can give you a better chance of covering more water and can get you crankbait down deeper depending on the retrieval rate.​

Power

​Fishing rod power refers to how much force is required to bend the rod. Rod power ratings are usually stamped on the rod blank near the handle.

The power is relative to the line weight and lure weights that should be used with the rod. The ratings usually describe either the upper limits or they may indicate a range in which is best to operate.

For most crankbait setups you should be aiming for a medium to heavy power.

Length

​Crankbait rods generally run anywhere from 6'6" up to 8' in length. The longer rods can throw bigger lures greater distances. The shorter rod are generally more accurate so again it depends on your needs and where you intend to do most of your fishing.

Line Rating

You should always match the line weight to what the rod id rated for. A lighter line will cast better and can spook fish less.

A heavier line will be able to handle bigger fish but it is also more durable. If you are fishing near structures and weed beds then the heavier line will make more sense.​

Lure Weights​

Every crankbait should come with a lure weighting usually in ounces​. The heavier lures can be fished down deeper and are obviously suited to bigger fish. The smaller crankbaits are best for shallow water work or even twitched on the surface.

Reels​

What kind of a fishing reel should you use with a cranking rod?

The majority of anglers these days will favor a baitcasting reel over a spinning reel for crankbait fishing. However that doesn't mean that you need to rush out and buy a new reel just because you have a spinning reel.

Always try and check before you purchase that the rod is suitable for your type of reel.​ A casting rod will have lower guides than the wider bigger guides found on spinning rods.

What Should you Buy?



Most people would be surprised to say it isn't a graphite based rod. All lot of fishermen think the fiberglass rods are too old fashioned and they think the an exotic graphite or carbon fiber blend is the only thing to use.

Well the Skeet Reese designed Wright and McGill S-Glass rod has taken fiberglass construction into the modern era. Using a 3 layer weave has resulted in a much lighter fiberglass rods whilst still retaining the great feedback and softer hookset. ​