For up to 6XD. Which rod power/action and what gear ratio do you like? I’ve been told 5:1 for deep cranks but that seems way too slow
For up to 6XD. Which rod power/action and what gear ratio do you like? I’ve been told 5:1 for deep cranks but that seems way too slow
Love deep cranking
Shimano Chronarch D5 and Dobyns 805
5:1 and Med Heavy
Fritts Browning Cranking Rod with a 5.1:1 Lew's BB-1.
"The man of system is apt to be very wise in his own conceit; and is often so enamored with the supposed beauty of his own ideal plan of government that he cannot suffer the smallest deviation from any part of it…He seems to imagine that he can arrange the different members of a great society with as much ease as the hand arranges the different pieces upon a chessboard.” Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments
I throw deep cranks all year. From 3XD all the way up to the jumbo cranks like the Megabass Big M 7.5. The 6XD is one of my favorites and I throw it often. I've also tried several different setups but the best I've found and my current setup is a Dobyns 805 CB ( in the winter or cold water I use the 805 CB glass). I throw a Shimano Curado 200M in the 6.2:1. For line I use mostly 12lb Sunline Crank FC. If I'm near heavy cover I'll bump up to 14lb. I also remove the split ring that comes on the bait and use a Decoy egg clip to give the bait more freedom of movement and change colors on the fly to find out what they like. Hope this helps.
To your point op, I too use to always use a slower gear ratio like a 5.1 but I've come to figure out the crankbait bite is a reaction bite and I catch way more fish on the 6.2:1. I may use a 5.1 if the water is very cold but that doesn't happen much here in North Florida.
5:1 ratio for sure thats what I throw all my crankbaits and Spinnerbaits with. Deep cranking with a faster reel will wear you out.
Dobyns 805CB Glass / Revo Winch 5.4:1
Who controls John Gill?
So y’all don’t run into any issues getting slack out of the line with a 5:1 when fighting a fish? I’ve never used such a slow reel so it just doesn’t seem right to me is the only reason I’m asking. I do 100% see how a 5:1 works well for working a deep crank in general
You'd really hate my 3.8:1 deep cranking set up.Originally Posted by GibsonGlock
Typically, I go with a 5.1:1 but that 3.8:1 has its uses. Never had a problem with slack or catching up to a fish.
If you use a faster geared reel make sure it has a longer handle for more leverage. On the rod make sure it's more parabolic but still stiff enough to handle what you're chunking. What I'm trying to say is there's a lot of rods and reels that will work fine for deep cranking but everyone has their preference. You probably already own something that will work fine. My newest rod is one of the red BPS signature rods in medium-heavy that was originally bought as a bottom dragging rod. I think it will be a great deep cranking rod though because there's nothing "fast" about the bend it has even though it does work well for bottom contact too. I'll use it for cranking deep brush when the time comes. For a cheaper rod the Abu Vendetta seems to be a great deep crank rod and a friend of mine has fallen in love with one of the Denali rods for that.
2023 Xpress H18 with 115 SHO and Powertech NRS4 21p
8" Bob's Action Jack
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Ultrex
Trick Steps and Ramp N Clamp
Pulled by a 2016 single cab HEMI Ram
Treat others like you want to be treated when on the water EVEN WHEN IN A TOURNAMENT! No fish is worth having a confrontation because you cut someone off or came in on top of someone.
I have tried many different setups and I have ended up with this as my favorite/best setups for cranks from 5XD all the way up to 10XD in a pinch (but optimally 8XD):
St. Croix Legend Glass rod 7'4" MH Moderate with a 150 size reel, either Curado DC or 150MGL and always in 6.2:1 gear ratio.
I used to use a 5.0:1 gear ratio for deep cranks and they do work well, especially for reducing fatigue, BUT after re-tying a dozen times and/or breaking off, you end up losing 10-20+ yards of line and it reallllllly slows it down. So I opt for a 6.2:1 gear ratio which works well, even if you lose half the line on the spool.
Jump up to the 7'11" for a dedicated 10XD setup.
'13 Triton 19SE 225 Pro XS
'09 Chevy Silverado Z71
^^^ i also use a croix 7'4 legend glass and DC 6.2
Love it
2020 Skeeter ZX150
I throw my deep cranks on a 7'6" H Kistler feel n reel which I don't even think they make the H anymore.
For a reel, I'm 100% against the grain in that I use a 7.3:1 revo stx a majority of the time. Cranking those slow reels 100mph all day long is far more tiring that it being a little harder to turn the handle on a faster retrieve reel. Plus a slow reel on a big bait is a good way to lose a fish if you can't reel fast enough to keep pressure on them.
7'4 Legend Glass
Daiwa Zillion TWS 5.5:1
12# Sniper 80% of the time
14# Sniper the other 20%
I use a G Loomis IMX Pro 7'6" MH cranking rod with a Quantum Tour MG 6.3 reel. I've tried other setups but this is what works for me.
Faster reel the better. Old school is slow reel ratio.
Reel is either 5:1 or 5.4:1 because I don't like the feel of cranking in a refrigerator all day. 7'6" rod and there's a gazillion to choose from.
Power tackle one 03, 7’10” with a Shimano dC Curado, 6 gear ratio reel. Dobyns 805 is ok but the handle is too short and the guides suck!
Powell Max 795cb composite, 15-20lb yo-zuri and Curado 301 K 6.2 but I'm throwing a LC SKT Mag 120
I've never had an issue with losing a fish because it got slack line when using a 5.1:1 reel. My Lew's BB-1 with that gear ratio takes up 21 inches of line per turn. Back in the day, I used nothing but Lew's BB-1N's which were 4.3:1, but given the diameter of the spool, took up 19 inches of line per turn. I also use a Lew's BB-1 to fish chatterbaits, as I found that I get far more bites using this slower reel than a faster 6.3:1 or even 7.1:1 reel.
"The man of system is apt to be very wise in his own conceit; and is often so enamored with the supposed beauty of his own ideal plan of government that he cannot suffer the smallest deviation from any part of it…He seems to imagine that he can arrange the different members of a great society with as much ease as the hand arranges the different pieces upon a chessboard.” Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments
I'm using a Quantum Energy PT on an ALX IKOS Hustler......awesome rod
YOU are not entitled to what I have earned!!!!!
2014 Phoenix 619 Pro / 2014 Mercury 200 Pro XS
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