The 10 Best Crankbait Rods You Can Buy | 2020 Reviewed

When it comes to fishing with crankbaits, people think that you can buy any fishing rod. Some people often settle for the spinning reels in this case. However, if you are an angler that wants the best out of your fishing experience, it is better to go for the specific fishing rod for the specific type of fishing.

And so, for fishing with crankbaits, we recommend you going for the best crankbait rod. If you compare this rod with the regular rods, you will see several differences in the quality.

Crankbait fishing requires perfect action, the right length and the ideal weight. Not every fishing rod will afford you that. And so, for your convenience, we have come up with the best crankbait rods to help you out choosing the right one from the crowd.

If you are interested in fishing with crankbaits, have fun picking up the ideal deal for you from our list!

Why Should You Buy a Crankbait Rod?

People often deny the importance of crankbait rods. They either tell you that general fishing rods can do that work of crankbait rods or they settle for the spinning fishing rods to deal with crankbait fishing. Yes, you can definitely do it but if you want perfection, the only competition of crankbait rod is crankbait rod.

With the help of the crankbait rods, the performance will be better. If your rod has too much action when you are doing crankbait fishing, there is a chance that you will take out the bait from the mouth of the fish. In the vice-versa case, if you settle for less action, you will never be able to take out the hog out of the cover.

If you go for too long, you will not be able to go for accurate casting. The opposite also happens. So, when it comes to the crankbait, you have to be a little careful and settle for the crankbait rod only. The action and the power are also different in terms of the crankbait rods.

Top 5 Crankbait Rod: Reviewed and Compared

Ardent Denny Brauer Baitcasting Rod

When it is time to settle for the best Crankbait rod, you never want to avoid the Ardent fishing rod. These rods are great for Crankbait fishing methods. Along with this, it includes a moderate or medium action. The height of this is 7 feet 6 inches. You can never get such a perfect Crankbait fishing rod even if you search hundred shops!

This is basically a one piece construction. On the other hand, to make your fishing hand swift and smooth, this has a very lightweight body. The construction of this Ardent Denny fishing rod is made of IM-8 graphite. And you already know how amazing graphite is for Crankbait fishing!

On the contrary, the line guides are made of Fuji aluminum oxide. This makes the Crankbait fishing rod durable too! When you are fishing, hand fatigue is normal. But in case of this fishing rod, there will be a reduced amount of slips and you will feel comfortable. The reason behind this is the cork split grips of the rod.

Pros

Made of high-grade material

Medium action fishing rod

Reduced slips and hand fatigue

Comfortable grip material

Height is great for Crankbait fishing

Affordable in price

Cons

Not usable as a spinning reel

Lew’s Fishing David Fritts Crankbait Speed Stick Rod

If you are here not for the moderate quality crankbait fishing rods but for the premium quality one, get your hands on this one. This baby right here is the gem in the crowd. The high-grade construction makes it one of the most premium quality fishing rods for crankbait fishing.

In craftsmanship, 42 million modulus graphite is used. Also, the glass composite construction makes it look the best and feel the best. If you want strength from your crankbait fishing rod, settle for this. On the contrary if you are here to get flexibility, you must choose this one!

The frame is made of rugged stainless steel which makes the design look premium. Also, there are aluminum oxide inserts with. As a result, you get easy and smooth line flow during the cast. The graphite reels seats are not heavy and make you feel flexible!

Pros

Made of premium graphite

Glass composite construction

Strong and flexible

Lightweight reel seats

Smooth and east line flow

Aluminum oxide inserts

Cons

A little overpriced

LAW’s TP173MH-CB Fishing Rod

When it comes to the premium quality crankbait fishing rod, we expect that the construction is high-quality too. This fishing rod is made of IM8 premium grade graphite. Here, the casting rod kit includes blue Winn handles. Along with this, hook keepers are added. These are of professional grade to make you feel seasoned angler!

There will be no wind knots and the casting will be more accurate! This rod has graphite reel seats so that you face no slips while fishing. Also, it comes with a warranty. The handles and the grip quality is aircraft-grade. It helps you in improving the casting distance too. No matter what weather you are facing, your fishing will be fun!

Pros

Premium graphite construction

Includes Winn handles

Hook keepers added 

High-grade grips

Improves casting distance

No –slip feature

Great for all weathers

Cons

Less stiff

SHIMANO Sellus Rods

If you have ever searched for fishing gears, you surely have heard the name of Shimano. This brand comes up with incredible fishing gears. And so, you can have faith in their fishing rods for crankbait fishing too. This crankbait fishing rod has 24-ton graphite blank construction. The construction ensures that you get long service.

The power of this crankbait fishing rod is medium heavy. The length is 7 inches which is the perfect size for crankbait fishing. On the other hand, the action is incredibly fast. And so, you never regret while fishing. Fast and tricky fishing is all you want!

The rear grip length of this fishing rod is 9 inches. It is a split grip to comfort your hands. It doesn’t slip too! Also, it includes aluminum oxide guide in the construction too. However, the aluminum oxide is kept in a low profile for the perfect combination.

Pros

Made of 24-Ton graphite

Medium heavy in power

Perfect length for crankbait fishing

Rear split grip

Fast action

Aluminum oxide added in the construction

Cons

Line guides are not great

Ugly Stik Elite Casting Fishing Rod

Don’t stick to the name because in reality, it is not ugly at all! The best part of this fishing rod is affording the ultimate strength exactly at the point where you need it. Yes, this fishing rod is amazing for crankbait fishing as the length is 7 inches. We all know that the perfect length for the crankbait fishing rod is 7 inches or close.

This gem is made of graphite that makes it very much lightweight for casting. Also, the sensitivity of this fishing rod is high. The power of the rod is medium to heavy. But you will be amazed to see the fast action of this fishing rod.

If there are any insert pop outs, it will easily eliminate that. Also, the guide is made of stainless steel. So, you get the highest durability. The cork grips are premium. Also, the reel seats are exposed blank style. The hoods are made of stainless steel and are cushioned too.

Pros

Graphite construction

Perfect length for crankbait fishing

Sensitive fishing rod

Stainless steel guide

Premium cork grips

Cushioned hoods added

Cons

Requires tightening again and again

Fishing Reel vs. Crankbait Rod

There are people that often keep comparing the fishing reel and the crankbait fishing rod. But trust us; these are not the same at all! When you develop the crankbait fishing skills, you will see that so many factors are important while you are dealing with crankbait. So, before you mix these two, you must know what the differences are.

Fishing reels are commonly a device which is cylindrical in shape. This is kept added with the fishing rod for the work of winding and stowing line. In the fishing reels of these days, casting for distancing and accuracy are added features. However, reels are not rods.

Crankbait fishing rods include parabolic taper. In most cases, you will see that cranks include small trebles. As a result, you are able to keep the fish pinned better than the others.  The fishing rods are also attached on the fishing reels. Crankbait ones are flexible and afford you to improve casting distance too.

So, keep the distance between the fishing reel and crankbait rod. When you are fishing with crankbait, you should be with a crankbait rod because it can make your every move better. Also, know the basic difference between reel and rod and reels cannot do the work of rods and rods cannot do the same for the reels.

General Fishing Rod vs. Crankbait Rod

Fishing rods are tapering rods. These are attached with the fishing on a fishing reel. These are usually flexible and the regular length of the rods is from 2 feet to 20 feet.

Several fishing rods are designed for several purposes. There are spinning rods, bait-casting rods, fly rods, telescopic rods, surf rods, overhead rods etc.

When it comes to the specified fishing rods, if you want more accuracy and improved casting, you will go for the one prescribed for the one specific fishing type. In some cases, people use spinning fishing rods for crankbait. However, nothing can be better that bait-casting tackles if you deal with the crankbait.

Crankbait rods will afford improved casting-distance and improved hook sets in comparison to the regular fishing rods. Also, there will be fewer snags and you will feel better working with the crankbait rods. Crankbait rods are soft in terms of action. 

Also, flexibility is more when it comes to the crankbait rods. The fishing head is usually more sensitive and it will also increase your skills in fishing.

Kayak Fishing Using Crankbait Rod

When it comes to kayak fishing, everyone loves it. No matter if you are doing it with your family, friends or alone, kayak fishing can be the best option to settle for when you are vacationing. However, if you are going for kayak fishing, would you waste money and buy another rod? Or you will settle for the crankbait fishing rod for kayak fishing too?

There are so many rods that you can use while kayak fishing. You can use spinning rods in this case too. However, the crankbait fishing rods are usually versatile. For kayak fishing, you can use the crankbait fishing rods. Go for a crankbait fishing rod that has soft or medium action.

As a result, it will be able to offer you a longer cast. If you go for crankbait rods, it will give you slower action. And so, it will create delayed action. These rods are more or less 7 feet.

On the other hand, the crankbait fishing rods are tapered. Also, too fast actions are not great for kayak fishing as you will be on a kayak. In this case, you have to keep the balance. And so, the softer actions of the crankbait rods are the right deal for you.

Buyer's Guide- What Should You Consider While Buying Crankbait Rod?

Type of Crankbait

When you plan to go for a crankbait rod, you have to be very careful about the crankbait you use. The type of lure you use has an effect on the crankbait rod you are going to buy. In most cases, if you go for crankbait rods, you can get the slow action rods.

The reason behind this is most of the crankbaits require moderately slow action from the rod. However, you will also find crankbaits that require faster action. Have a look at the type of the crankbait before you buy the rod.

Rod Action

The action of the rod is the point where the bend in your rod will begin. If you settle for the fast action rods, you will see that it is bending near the tip. On the situation, you will see that there is a slow action and here, the bend starts form the case to the tip.

If you are new in this crankbait fishing, we recommend you settling for a moderate action. Never go too slow action and never pick up the too fast action.

Rod Length

When it comes to the crankbait rods, we always recommend you going for the 7 feet rod lengths. We know you already have understood the perfect rod length for your crankbait fishing. However, we want to share a little more in this section.

The most common rod lengths for crankbait fishing are 7 feet and 7.6 feet. These common lengths will cover up almost all types of crankbait fishing. However, if you are settling for some extra length, that will be better for you in the long casts. If you are going to perform a big and sweeping hook set, longer length rods will help you move the line a little faster.

Construction Material

As we have mentioned all the best crankbait rods of the market in this article, you already have an idea about the most common material of crankbait rods. This is not only the most common but also the ideal material for crankbait fishing. In the construction of the crankbait rods, the graphite that is used goes through high heat. And so, it becomes strong for fishing.

Another material for the crankbait rods is fiberglass. The rods that are made of fiberglass were very popular at a time. These tend to be a little stronger than graphite. However, fishing rods must be lightweight otherwise you will not be able to fish properly. The fiberglass rods are usually heavy. So, it is better to avoid the fiberglass ones.

But you will see manufacturers making fiberglass rods in very lightweight versions. These rods include both fiberglass and graphite. If you want, you can go for that as these are lightweight and also have slow action!

FAQs on Crankbait Rod

What is a good rod length for crankbaits?

When you are going for crankbait fishing, you might see that too short rods will ruin the fishing. Also, too long fishing rods are not great. And so, you must settle for the right length. In this case, the best fishing rod length for crankbaits is 7 feet.

You can settle for a little more when it comes to the length. Slightly longer crankbait rods that are over 7 feet will not be worse. But never go above 8 feet if you want to do crankbait fishing. Otherwise, it will harm your fishing experience.

What is the good ratio for crankbaits?

If you are here searching for the right crankbait rod, you have to always be careful about the ratio. If you go for a very high gear ratio, it will work great. Or, on the contrary, if you go for a very low gear ratio, you can make it work perfectly.

If you want to burn a buzzbait or you want to burn spinnerbait, you have to go for 7.1:1 reel. However, if you are dealing with a crankbait it will be more effective for you if you settle for a slow gear ratio. In that case, you can go for 5.4:1. Trust us, it will work best!

What is a heavy medium rod good for you?

If you are going for a crankbait fishing rod, you must settle for a medium-heavy rod. Never settle for the other ones. A medium/heavy rod has the ability to offer you great balance. Along with this, fast action is something that you get as a benefit in the case of these heavy medium rods.

In the factors of most spinnerbaits up to half an ounce, this is the perfect rod. But if you are going for fishing baits that are greater than half an ounce, you might need to bring some changes in the rod. You will need rods of faster action to cover up these sorts of fishing baits.

Can you use crankbaits on a spinning reel?

As we have told you earlier, spinning reels and crankbaits are connected in every possible way. And if you want to know that you can use crankbaits on a spinning reel or not then the answer is affirmative. Yes, you can easily use crankbaits on a spinning reel. However, we recommend you doing it very carefully.

If you go for any regular spinning reel, it won’t work for you the way you want. And so, be very selective while doing it. The first concern here is the weight of the crankbait. If you are using a spinning reel, select the lightweight crankbaits.

If you have heavy lures, you should settle for the baitcasting rig. But if you really want to be experienced in this field and want to develop your fishing skills, we recommend you go for both spinning gear along with a baitcasting gear. This will make the fishing life easier too.

Wrap Up

In a world full of promising companies, only a few follow their ethics of maintaining the quality of the product. And so, here, we have come up with the best crankbait rods for you that really work! Most of the products of the market will not work but the ones we have mentioned are worth every penny!

Pick up anyone of your choice from the list. You might not need a specific reel for the crankbaits if you just do fishing once in a while. But if you want to be experienced and rock the stage of fishing, this is a must! 

Also, let us know if you have used any of these crankbait rods before. Which one did you love and which one disappointed you? Comment below and share your experience with the world!