Best action for baitcasting?
by Brian
(Michigan)
Q I am going to purchase a new baitcasting rod for fishing small/medium sized crankbaits and spinnerbaits mostly in 3/8 oz size and the occasional 1/2 oz.
What do you think is the best action for say a 7ft baitcaster in this application? I'm considering a rod with a little more "give" with a medium to med/fast action in a medium to medium/heavy power rod.
Any thoughts?
A. Hi Brian,
I think you are right on track with that setup. I wouldn't go any shorter than a 7 foot rod and the medium/heavy power is just a good all around power for most applications. I know that's not what you're asking about, so as for the action I also like a slower action rod for crankbaits especially.
I won't go into the same spiel as you can find on every other website about ripping lures out of their mouth's, well at least not without talking about why this is the case.
In the excitement of a bass striking your lure most of the time we will forget and give that good ole Bassmaster, hookset with the torque of a tractor trailer. Well that slower action will be a little more forgiving during that hookset than with a fast action rod. Ok I'm done with the "tearing a hole right through the lip" reason.
Wait one more thing on that subject, being that there is always pressure on the line while fishing both crankbaits and spinnerbaits, a fast action rod would react that much faster than if there was slack in the line like when you're fishing worms or jigs and the like. The harder, instant hooksets that come naturally with a fast action rod can pull that lure right out of fish's mouth.
The extra flex in a slower action rod (by slower action I am talking about the medium to med/fast, you don't want to go any slower than that), well it helps in a couple of other ways than just the above.
The extra whip during the cast will help get your crankbait out just a little further and you need as much as you can get when casting a crankbait.
Also I feel like that extra "spring" in the tip actually helps the action of the crankbait, putting that little extra kick in it as you work it back to you.
Of course there's always people on the other side of the argument like this guy. Now he is talking about heavier cranks than you are planning and fishing deep with them but always good to hear another perspective. --->www.wired2fish.com/combo-clinic-deep-cranking-fishing-combo-tips