Crankbait rods are probably the most technique-specific rods a bass angler can buy. You can get away with a generic rod for many other presentations, but you need a sure enough cranking rod if you want to get the most out of your crankbait fishing.
I’ve been using the Quantum Tour KVD Cranking Rod for all of my deep cranking needs and I am absolutely in love with it. For the longest time, I always had problems finding a rod suitable for heavy plugs but this rod has shed new light on my deep cranking.
Will it wear me out?
Anglers everywhere complain of sore shoulders, forearms and hands when deep cranking. If you fish a deep crankbait with a subpar rod, you’re bound to tweak muscles you never even knew existed. This was my problem for years, so I just totally abandoned the technique altogether.
When I finally tried the 7-foot, 10-inch medium-heavy Quantum Tour KVD Cranking Rod, however, it was a brand new ballgame. Its moderate taper excellently absorbs the torque of big crankbaits and makes them a pleasure to fish—it doesn’t feel much different than throwing a shallow squarebill on a medium-action rod.
Since getting this rod, I’ve really enjoyed rediscovering deep cranking. I can comfortably fish an entire weekend without being sore on Monday morning.
How does it handle a big fish?
A lot of the deep cranking rods I’ve tried in the past have had very stiff, unforgiving tips. They didn’t wear me out while fishing, but I was constantly ripping the hooks out of my fish. There were too many times I reeled my crankbait in to find a big cheek scale hanging from one of the trebles.
The Quantum Tour KVD Cranking Rod loads very well when you get a bite. It maintains a pretty noticeable bend throughout your retrieve, but when you get a bite it absorbs the energy excellently and slowly loads to allow the fish to really “eat” the whole crankbait.
The energy absorption of this rod also comes in handy when fighting big bass. When one eats it in deep water, you have your work cut out for you—there’s a lot of distance between you and the bass for it to throw the hooks. This rod, however, doesn’t put too much pressure on the fish when they surge to deeper water. As a result, I lose very few fish on a deep crankbait.
Is it difficult to make long casts?
Regardless of your crankbait’s weight, the Quantum Tour KVD Cranking Rod will launch it into the next dimension. It features a composite blank that blends E-Glass and carbon, which means it has a parabolic bend and a ton of backbone. This allows it to load well on the back cast and send your crankbait flying in order to get it down to the strike zone quickly and efficiently.
The Alp’s LXN micro guides have aluminum oxide inserts that promote flawless line flow throughout the cast. Even when casting directly into the wind, you’re not going to hear, feel or see any line slap against the inserts.
Can I feel what’s going on?
I’m a huge fan of the reel seat on this rod as well. The blank is exposed right where you would put your middle finger during the retrieve, allowing you to feel everything your crankbait is doing.
Sensitivity is a big deal when you’re deep cranking. With other rods, I kind of felt like I was spitting in the wind when looking for specific bottom compositions—I could feel my crankbait hitting things, but I couldn’t tell what those “things” actually were. With the Quantum Tour KVD Cranking Rod, I can feel everything. I can tell when I’m grinding on shell beds, bumping on pea gravel or deflecting off of old tree tops.
When I take folks fishing who are new to deep cranking, I see a bunch of false hooksets and lose a ton of crankbaits. Some rods just don’t give you a good idea of what a bite really feels like. I’ve been impressed by how easy it is to detect bites with this rod—there’s no doubt about it. It’s very easy to feel the difference between a collision with deep cover and a big bite.
If the thought of deep cranking appeals to you but also seems a bit intimidating, I’d suggest checking out this rod. In my opinion, deep cranking is all about having the right gear and this rod will significantly shorten your learning curve.
The Quantum Tour KVD Cranking Rod is available at TackleWarehouse.com.
