Mark Rose KLX Offshore Rod 7'6"

[Scuba Scott]

Looking for opinions on this rod as a deep cranking stick. 6XD,DD22,Fat Free Shad's.DT16, etc. will be its intended use. It will be paired with a Chronarch D5. I want to stay in the 7 1/2 foot range as the 7'11" are just too long for my liking. What type of action does this rod have? I am wanting a rod with more of a even parabolic bend in the first 1/3 or so of the rod before it gets to the backbone. How is the weight of the rod and balance once you hang a 1 oz lure on the end? Handle length.....too short?

I am also looking at the Powell Max 3D rod in the 755 CB model. I have actually held this rod and liked everything about the rod but it did not feel like it had much of a parabolic bend to it. It seemed to be a Xtra fast cranking rod if that makes sense. It is a compoiste glass graphite model so not sure how it actually behaves once you have a fish on it. Any reviews on this rod would be appreciated.

[timsford]

Im also in the market for a shorter 7'6" or so deep cranking rod. Anyone tried either or both of these rods?

[SankTheBoat]

I asked a similar question about that same rod over on BBC recently. Here's the response I received:

When compared to the KLX Crank-Rip-Twitch, the 7'-6" Mark Rose series has a similar action at the tip (perhaps slightly stiffer) but the remainder of the blank to the handle is different. The blank is setup to let the rod load up a little more through the entire blank while I feel the CRT does more of it in the tip of the rod. So you'd get more of a parabolic shape when hooked up on the Mark Rose blanks.

Maybe that'll help you. I own one MH KLX Crank, Rip, and Twitch in 7' and one in 7'3". Just caught a first-cast 4 pounder on the 7' less than ten minutes ago, throwing a 1/2 ounce Picasso Shock Blade. Thinking about asking if they'll make a 7'6" full cork version for me. Two things about the Mark Rose rods are questionable for me:

- Non-exposed reel seat (no good reason this should matter to me, but it does), and
- they're probably a little more powerful than what I want.

I need a ~ 7'6" rod to throw cranks up to the 5XD, since I already have another rod for 6XD's and above. Looking at your intended lures, the MH MRO rod might be perfect in power for you.

[Scuba Scott]

Most cranking rods these days are either 7'0" or 7'11". There are not a whole lot of rods in that 7'6" range. I have been through a ton of deep crankbait rods over the years and have never really found "the one". I am still a fan of Loomis crankbait rods. The original CBR rods had some of the best actions but the handles were all too short. The current GLX crankbait line has some sticks that i like but either too short or way too long. The GLX 855 is a very nice rod, just too short for deep cranking. The 957 is a nice stick as well but the handle is way too long for me.

My thoughts were that the KLX Mark Rose rod may be a bit too Heavy for what I like. The powell sure felt really good in my hands but did seem like it might be a bit too Fast. You never really know until you put one on the water for a bit.

[SankTheBoat]

Right there with you. I have an ALX Grind (7'10", Moderate, 1/4 - 1 1/4 ounce) for deep cranks. That leaves me needing a rod for long distance casting of lipless and mid-depth cranks. Preferrably something a little faster than a true moderate action, like the Dobyns 764 CB RM (with a little more power) or KLX CRT series (with a little more length). I previously owned a 764 CB RM, and just didn't seem to like it for whatever reason. That has kept me from giving the 765 CB or CB GLASS rods a shot, even though they sound perfect for what I want.

I can tell you this: Kistler has ruined me for most rods from other manufacturers. I feel like any rod weighing more than 4 ounces is like swinging a tree limb around.

Can't make any promises, but the guys at Kistler are super helpful on the phone. It wouldn't surprise me if you called them, chatted with Reuben, and ended up with a custom rod on order for only $20-$50 more than stock. They've made similar alterations to stock rods for me in the past.

And, by that same token, you can always call up Alex at ALX rods. He'll build you just about anything you want (within reason; no gold-plated Torzite inserts in adamantium micro guides) for not much more than his stock models cost. My ALX Grind is a true deep cranking rod, but only weighs about 4.7 ounces even at 7'10" in length.

[Scuba Scott]

A custom stick is a very nice option. I have done this in the past for a few other rods. They were very well built and I have enjoyed them. I had sticks built on the MBR GLX and Crankbait blanks....which are no longer offered. Mattman and George Roth are both excellent builders. Kistler is another option I did not really think about. I am very unfamiliar with their blanks. Do they use North Fork blanks?