Best Rod for Pitching Cranks for Walleye

Looking for another option for pitching cranks. Mostly throwing 5,6,7 shad baits on the river. A lot of pitching dams and rocks.

Current go to is a JT Custom Black Reign 6’9” medium xf. I like the rod but feel like I need more “sweep” to the rod when setting the hook. I’m usually running a 2000 series Daiwa BG. I always run braid….usually 8# suffix 832.

Cost isn’t a consideration. Open to something custom. Throw out options for what everyone’s favorite rod is. Only consideration is length. Don’t want anything over 7’ due to storage considerations.

I have a TUCR 6-9 mxf that I bought when I’d fish 7&9 jigging raps. Really like it for rippin raps so maybe it’d work

::inappropiate joke::

I have to call this out on the walleye world. It’s not pitching cranks, it’s casting them. Pitching is reserved for bass jigs.

Matt, explain more of what you want in “sweep”.

If your looking for a slower action got softer upper third of the rod, build a 6wt fly rod blank as a spinning rod. 2 piece so storage is easy. Very unique action on a good blank. Having that softer action with 8# braid will enable you to cast a mile with small cranks.

Another option in 2 piece is crappie rods in the 10’. Don’t let the crappie rod fool you. I use them for trout and salmon. Perfect for #5 shadraps and other small baits.

Another idea is to get away from the extra fast. Fast at most to get a little more give in the upper 1/4 of the rod. I have a few of the Falcon low riders I like. Especially for cranks in faster current. The extra give in the upper end helps with pull outs. Running the gammakastu trebs sometimes is like razor blades. Too stiff in heavy current and the cut through sometimes

https://www.americanlegacyfishing.com/st-croix-eyecon-7-0-medium-crankin-spinning-rod-ecs70mm.html

I picked up one of these 7′ medium/moderate for ShadRaps, etc. it does its job well.

tbro2 wrote:

I gotta ask though, throwing cranks at rocks in the river- don’t you run into issue with just 8# braid? I initially was running 10# power pro for all applications, but felt the line snapped a little too easily. Especially on rock while pulling cranks. Flipped to 20# power pro and haven’t looked back. Have never run 832 though.

No issues. If I break off it’s at the crank because I’ve really hung one up. Never had an issue with line breaking from abrasion.

Randy Wieland wrote:

Matt, explain more of what you want in “sweep”.

Another idea is to get away from the extra fast. Fast at most to get a little more give in the upper 1/4 of the rod. I have a few of the Falcon low riders I like. Especially for cranks in faster current. The extra give in the upper end helps with pull outs. Running the gammakastu trebs sometimes is like razor blades. Too stiff in heavy current and the cut through sometimes

I think this might be it..the xf has too much action in the tip. My hookset isn’t like fishing a jig…usually it’s more of a sweep as a fish grabs the crank from behind. The xf has all the action in the tip. More action in the upper third probably gets me what I need. Something like 7’ MF.

When I think of crank bait rods I think of fiberglass.
I also think of moderate action as well.
Last year I purchased a Elk River custom. It is a 6’6 medium power /moderate action.
It’s a good rod. I just think I should have bought a 7’ instead of 6’6 to gain casting distance.

I follow Linders Angler edge on YouTube. There latest episode was about color for smallmouth. But they talked about a spin cast crank bait rod for throwing shad raps. He was using a St Croix Legion glass rod. They make this rod in 6’10 and 7’2.

If we ever meet up this year you can try out the croix tide master 76 mm, beautiful sweep on that rod. Might be a tad bit loaded on the bigger sizes but it will still have the flex you seek.

For casting crank baits I like a fast or extra fast tip to load for longer casting. Fishing winter in the gulf. Lots of clear shallow water. Short of adjusting the hookset and drag to not pull hooks, I don’t see an issue fishing them with 10#pp. Most of my rods are Shimano Cumaras or Crucials with one new Zodias. As they do, Shimano discontinued the Cumara, that was my favorite. I bought 2 Bulls Bay rods built in Florida this year. Mostly to get away from micro guides that I usually like. But don’t work well fishing 20 to 40# floro leaders. I tried to find the Mojo yak mentioned. As I wanted it for kayak fishing. But couldn’t find one. It’s nice for close quarters, with a strong tapered blank, rather than stepped down blank. But the shortened butt will limit casting and fighting leverage on bigger fish. There are some tradeoffs.

More of a geometry guy myself but physics would tell me the more flex in a rod the more energy is stored and able to be transfered. XF tips simply don’t have that flex to create the energy that could be released to the crank, it might give it more speed with such a stout tip but then again unsure on that.

Problem being on the other side with too much flex the rod excessively bounces after lift off and slows the line down.

2 cents

Maybe I am mistaking sweep for whip, but I like a bit of “whip” in the tip, I can snap my wrists and seem to get some good distance out of the cast.

My go-to is a Fenwick HMG, nothing fancy but meets the criteria for a casting-crank rod. If I had a choice Id go over 7’ but nothing wrong with being just shy of that. I have a buddy who uses a Duckett bass rod only for casting #7 Shad Raps and he has impressive range.

ganderpike wrote:

Maybe I am mistaking sweep for whip, but I like a bit of “whip” in the tip, I can snap my wrists and seem to get some good distance out of the cast.

My go-to is a Fenwick HMG, nothing fancy but meets the criteria for a casting-crank rod. If I had a choice Id go over 7’ but nothing wrong with being just shy of that. I have a buddy who uses a Duckett <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>bass rod only for casting #7 Shad Raps and he has impressive range.

You see the bass guys with the big sweep….when they are throwing deep diving cranks they’ll really load up on a bass and sweep the rod…I don’t need something that exaggerated, especially in the current. But, that’s kinda the idea.

Maybe swhip? Sweep whip?

Great comments from everyone. I probably need to get to Joe’s and try a few options.

Deuces wrote:

More of a geometry guy myself but physics would tell me the more flex in a rod the more energy is stored and able to be transfered. XF tips simply don’t have that flex to create the energy that could be released to the crank, it might give it more speed with such a stout tip but then again unsure on that.

Problem being on the other side with too much flex the rod excessively bounces after lift off and slows the line down.

2 cents

Correct

I prefer a moderate action rod in this situation. This is how I fish the croix as well. I haven’t gotten a favorite rod yet. But I have a couple that work. Mainly bass rods. They fit this tactic better.

I know the one is too long for you, but I cast cranks on a 7’6″ Fenwick HMG in med-light fast and the same rod in a 7′. I’ve tried a few other high dollar rods, and have come back to these two for all of my crank casting needs on the river. They load up really well on the cast, and allow me throw #7 and 5 jointed shad raps a long ways.

Has anyone used the St Croix Victory 7’10” Medium/ Moderate fast rod for this application? I was eyeing this rod up for casting cranks for eyes/bass?

joe-winter wrote:

Has anyone used the St Croix Victory 7’10” Medium/ Moderate fast rod for this application? I was eyeing this rod up for casting cranks for eyes/bass?

Anyone know where they may have this in stock twin cities?

That looks noooooiiice

I think a good 7′ medium fast action St. Croix spinning rod, either Avid or Elite, would fit the bill quite nicely.

Walleye & Smallmouth Mod-Flex Series

This is one of the rods I pull cranks with. I really like it.

Gotta say: even though it’s not the lightest or most perfectly balanced, I really like my cheap($40) Berkeley lightning Rod (med power, moderate-fast action 7’0” spinning) for long lining and sometimes casting/pitching cranks on the river. Not really fit for jerkbaits though…

Otherwise another affordable, decent option is a fenwick HMG spinning rod in 7’0” ML fast action.

If you’re looking for higher quality, higher-dollar suggestions though I totally get it.

LabDaddy1 wrote:

Gotta say: even though it’s not the lightest or most perfectly balanced, I really like my cheap($40) Berkeley lightning Rod (med power, moderate-fast action 7’0” spinning) for long lining and sometimes casting/pitching cranks on the river. Not really fit for jerkbaits though…

Otherwise another affordable, decent option is a fenwick HMG spinning rod in 7’0” ML fast action.

If you’re looking for higher quality, higher-dollar suggestions though I totally get it.

My bot caught that 58 inch sturgeon on the rainy with his lightning rod. We were dragging jigs and it hit. That with 12 lbs braid. That rod handled that thing perfectly. I was impressed

I’m a fan of the rods I’ve had built off of Rainshadow Immortal blanks. My go-to for throwing husky jerks, original floaters, and other stick bait and #5/#7 shad profiles is a 6′ 8″ M/F with a carbon fiber handle. We have a group of buddies that fish the missouri river dam tail races in the fall off the rocks, and we all run this rod build for this bite; which is pitching stick baits into the current then retrieving and holding along current seams. Sometimes the bite is as light as a “tick” similar to an eye bumping a jig/minnow, and other times the fish just slam the bait t-bone style. and 6′ 8″ rods easily fit corner to corner in my truck box as well so when I have a truck full of guys headed wader fishing in the spring or out to the dam in the fall, we don’t have rods riding shotgun in the cab.

tornadochaser wrote:

I’m a fan of the rods I’ve had built off of Rainshadow Immortal blanks. My go-to for throwing husky jerks, original floaters, and other stick bait and #5/#7 shad profiles is a 6′ 8″ M/F

Batson makes some fantastic blanks. Tornadochaser, do you know what Immortal blank you are using? It could be IMMC68M or IMMS68M?

tornadochaser wrote:

I’m a fan of the rods I’ve had built off of Rainshadow Immortal blanks. My go-to for throwing husky jerks, original floaters, and other stick bait and #5/#7 shad profiles is a 6′ 8″ M/F with a carbon fiber handle. We have a group of buddies that fish the missouri river dam tail races in the fall off the rocks, and we all run this rod build for this bite; which is pitching stick baits into the current then retrieving and holding along current seams. Sometimes the bite is as light as a “tick” similar to an eye bumping a jig/minnow, and other times the fish just slam the bait t-bone style. and 6′ 8″ rods easily fit corner to corner in my truck box as well so when I have a truck full of guys headed wader fishing in the spring or out to the dam in the fall, we don’t have rods riding shotgun in the cab.

Who built the rods for you….we use the same tactic in the fall on P2.

@rodwork…..could you build something off this blank or do you have something similar? Maybe shoot me a PM and we could chat on it.

Matt Moen wrote:

@rodwork…..could you build something off this blank or do you have something similar? Maybe shoot me a PM and we could chat on it.

PM sent

The rods that impress me the most for price is the Kistler Helium series. I have StCroix Legend Extremes, Gloomis NRXs and I would put the Helium on par with any of them for half the price. The first rod I grab for crankbaits is my 7 foot Helium Medium Fast it gets the job done and then some, and its not like I don`t have other choices, this is my go to rod for crankbaits. It is also a great rod for Blade Baits.

Deuces wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>joe-winter wrote:</div>
Has anyone used the St Croix Victory 7’10” Medium/ Moderate fast rod for this application? I was eyeing this rod up for casting cranks for eyes/bass?

Anyone know where they may have this in stock twin cities?

That looks noooooiiice

Nick, I think Mills Fleet in Brooklyn Park and Thorn Brothers both had that victory model in stock last time I stopped.

Excellent thank you