Craiger12 wrote: βMon Feb 20, 2023 8:08 pm
I'm getting waaay ahead of myself here...but does anyone have any experience using the MB P5 Z-Crank Elseil with these smaller 1/4-3/8 oz cranks?
I agree that you are getting a bit ahead of yourself but since there is a similar topic on the BBC Rods & Reels Forum about these types of light jerkbaits and crankbaits, I thought my cross-posted reply to that post may help illuminate your own light crankbait question regarding the MB P5 Z-Crank Elseil and provide some additional viewpoints on other similar casting rods.
First and foremost, these are my opinions based upon my real world on-the-water experience which is what I suspect you are seeking and since I have owned or previously owned all of the rods you have listed, I'm happy to share my impressions and experiences on all of them.
Megabass Destroyer USA F4.5-611X One Ten Special
I own four of the MB Destroyer USA One Ten Specials and for the last four fishing seasons, they formed the backbone of my 1/2-3/4oz jerkbait presentations from the ubiquitous MB Vision 110, the Jackall Rerange 110SP, the Lucky Craft Lightning Pointer 110SP, and the DUO Realis 110SP jerkbaits, this rod is capable of presenting all of them exceptionally well. Further, as Phrog Phil alluded to earlier, the One Ten Special is able to perform admirably for presenting topwater walking baits such as the 1/2oz MB Giant Dog-X, the 3/4oz MB Dog-X Diamante, and the 9/16oz Evergreen Shower Blows 105. Lastly, like Phrog Phil, I have never tried any light 1/4-3/8oz crankbaits on the One Ten Special due to the fairly fast taper of the rod.
Megabass Destroyer JDM P5 F4-65X One Ten Stick
I own two of the MB Destroyer P5 One Ten Sticks and have found this rod to be an excellent light jerkbait rod for presenting 3/8oz DUO Realis Rozante 63SP, LC Pointer 78, and the 5/16oz Jackall Squad Minnow 80SP jerkbaits. The One Ten Stick is half a power weaker than the MB One Ten Special and possesses a slow taper. Out of the rods you have listed that have all graphite rod blank compositions, this would be the rod I would use to present light crankbaits. Indeed, on two different fishing trips where I forgot my Sedition White Falcon and MB Valkyrie rods in the other bass boat, the One Ten Stick did a fine job of presenting the 5/16oz Deps Evoke 1.2 and the OSP Blitz square bill crankbaits. Finally, the One Ten Stick is phenomenal at presenting the 5/16oz Evergreen Shower Blows 77 and other similar size/weight topwater lures.
Megabass Destroyer P5 F4-66X Cyclone
The Megabass Destroyer P5 Cyclone fondly evokes great memories of my Megabass Destroyer X7 Cyclone Advantage, as similar to that extraordinary rod, is a great all-around rod that works best with medium sized spinnerbaits and excels at presenting a weightless wacky rigged 5" Senko on a 4/0 Ryugi Infini EWG hook. Due to its regular fast taper, I prefer to use the Cyclone for presenting the 1/2oz Megabass Pop-Max topwater popper. In a pinch I have used it for presenting 1/2oz jerkbaits, but the tip is too slow for me to be able to "rip" these lures in the warmer portions of our fishing in NW Wisconsin. I could see a use for this rod if I had no other choice for presenting light crankbaits, but there are better options within this list of rods.
Megabass Destroyer P5 F3.5-70X Z-Crank Elseil
I admit to being perplexed by the Megabass Destroyer P5 Z-Crank Elseil, it's "designed" to be used to present small crankbaits but is also noted as being capable of presenting topwater lures and jerkbaits too. I presume that by small crankbaits, Megabass was alluding to the newest generation of the Super Z1 and Z2 crankbaits as the first Megabass Z-Crank I encountered back in 2009 was a 1/2oz wooden square bill style crankbait and there was nothing "small" regarding its movement or retrieval profile as the lure had fantastic and erratic "hunting" action. For many years until the rise of the Deps Evoke 1.2 and the OSP Blitz crankbaits the Z-Crank was my preferred shallow water (4ft or less) crankbait. So why is the P5 Z-Crank Elseil perplexing to me? It's simple, the Z-Crank Elseil has too much power to properly present the small 1/4oz Megabass Z1 and Z2 crankbaits and the regular fast taper leans toward the faster portion of the taper and less towards the regular side of the equation. Perhaps, in the future, I will find a good use for this rod but in the meantime this rod will remain in long term rod storage.
Megabass Valkyrie VKC-69M+
In an ideal world, the composite Megabass Valkyrie VKC-69M+ casting rod would be a Medium-Light Plus or a straight up Medium powered rod, unfortunately, it's too overpowered for presenting 1/2oz jerkbaits and, even worse, the VKC-69M+ is a bit too close and overlaps the power and versatility of the standout VKC-71MH rod (the best rod in this model line) but lacks the power of the latter rod to reliably present 1/2-3/4oz Jackhammers and similar weighted Megabass Uoze Swimmers. After much experimentation, I have found that the forte of the VKC-69M+ rod is presenting the 3/8oz Z-Man/Evergreen Jackhammer over weed flats and around fallen logs where the need to keep the lure higher in the water column comes into play. The other presentation that I have also found the Valkyrie 69M+ to excel at is presenting the 3/8oz Megabass Deep-X 100 and 1/2oz Megabass Deep-X 200 LBO crankbaits and this rod is absolutely the best out of all the rods on this list from a pure crankbait presentation perspective. Due to its composite construction, it possesses the buttery smooth casting curve found in pure fiberglass rods mixed in with enough graphite in the rod blank to be able to detect major bottom contour changes. Make no mistake about the Megabass Valkyrie model line, the VKC-71MH, VKC-71H, VKC-74H+, and VKC-76XXH rods form the basis of my deep diving crankbait arsenal and they perform these duties exceptionally well day-in and day-out with no issues or drama.
Daiwa Steez Compile-X AGS 69M Universal Light
The Daiwa Steez AGS (USA) medium powered Universal Light is a fundamentally sound light jerkbait and crankbait casting rod. It handles everything from the 1/4oz Megabass X-Nanahan jerkbait to the 7/16oz LC Staysee 90SP deep suspending jerkbaits and just keeps coming back for more. I've come to appreciate the Universal Light so much that I now have two rods in each bass boat at all times since I fish jerkbaits during all phases of the fishing season. It's too early to tell if the Universal Light will overtake the seminal Daiwa Steez Racing Design RD 681M/MLFB casting rod as my favorite all-purpose light casting rod, but only time on the water can determine such an outcome.
Other Rod Considerations
If you are already contemplating casting rods of the caliber you have listed, it makes sense to discuss other JDM jerkbait casting rod options from the absurdly impossible "Unobtanium" bespoke rods to the ultra-high-end production rods that are available for purchase today from major JDM online retailers.
The "Unobtanium" Bespoke Jerkbait Rod
The Sedition SDC-605MMR-FTW Bloody represents the ultimate light jerkbait rod from JDM custom rod builder Sedition Rods. The rod exemplifies the essence of a "bespoke" casting rod fashioned from the fertile mind of a obsessed perfectionist rod builder who walks his own path and does not care about "traditional" ideas of what constitutes a jerkbait rod. The Sedition Bloody possesses a regular taper that effortlessly controls and dominates big smallmouth bass during the fight yet is also features a tip section that is sensitive enough to allow you to determine when you have a blade of eelgrass wrapped around the front treble hook of your favorite light jerkbait so you can quickly reel the lure in and not waste a retrieve. And when you forget your favorite light spinnerbait rod for presenting "finesse" 1/4oz OSP High Pitchers and Bottom Up Chibeebles, there's no worry, the Sedition Bloody takes up the challenge without any fanfare and proves itself so superior at the finesse spinnerbait game that it permanently relegates the older Luxxe Oltre B67M casting rod into long term rod storage.
The Ultra-High-End Production JDM Jerkbait Rod
The Evergreen International Kaleido Inspirare IRSC-70MF-SXF Cougar Elite 7 RS represents the best jerkbait rod from one of the very best JDM production rod builders in Japan. The EG Cougar Elite 7 RS is a medium powered rod that possesses the "dual action" taper that is sometimes found on high-end JDM casting rods, it possesses a super sensitive tip section backed up by a progressively more powerful belly and forgiving midsection that allows the EG Cougar Elite to effortlessly cast every jerkbait from 3/8-1oz and work them properly cast after cast. The EG Cougar Elite 7 RS and its counterpart the EG Cougar Elite 7 GT are the primary reason for retiring my four Megabass Destroyer USA One Ten Special rods. The relentless pace of innovation and exquisite use of ultra-high quality rod blank materials has resulted in the best of the last generation jerkbait rods being put into long term rod storage and collecting dust. That is how good the EG Cougar Elite 7 RS/GT rods performed last season for presenting all flavors and forms of jerkbaits. Lastly, I have no idea how these rods present light crankbaits since I'd have to stop using my Sedition White Falcon, Smith LTD Tourer V-Spec, and my old school Megabass Tomahawk GTZ Hien casting rods before I'd ever have that specific challenge.
Hopefully this extended rehash and diatribe is of use to you as you try to figure out which of the many crankbait rods available in the JDM and US markets may be best suited for your light crankbait needs. Good luck with your crankbait rod search and please have a wonderful day!