Bass fishing rods are much like a golfer’s clubs; each an every one has a very specific application. This is exactly why I’m so particular about my rod collection. If I can’t find a good use for it, it doesn’t go in my boat. As a result, it takes a good bit to impress me in regards to design, application and performance.
I’ve been using the Daiwa Cronos Series Casting Rods with various techniques and lure weights over the past several months. After a lot of fish catches and many hours of experimentation, I’ve become a big fan of these rods. In my opinion, they perform better than many more expensive options.
Shorter butt length aids in reaction bait fishing
If I catch a big bass, there’s a 75 percent chance I caught it on some sort of reaction lure. It’s my absolute favorite way to fish and because I do it so often, I’m extremely picky about the rods I use. A big factor that’s often overlooked by manufacturers is a rod’s butt length.
Yes, you want a rod butt that’s long enough to stick in your ribs when you’re reeling a hard-pulling plug or fighting a fish. But there are a lot out there that are far too long; I do a lot of jerking, twitching and popping with my rod tip when I’m fishing and if the butt is too long, you’ll hang it on your shirt and it’ll hit your forearm too much and impede your retrieve.
The handle lengths for the Daiwa Cronos Series start at 13 inches which will likely take some time to get used to. But I really like them for crankbaits, jerkbaits and topwater lures. They’re plenty long enough to give you additional leverage throughout the retrieve and fight, but they stay out of the way when needed.
I’ve noticed that shorter butt lengths can result in a poorly balanced, tip-heavy rod with some manufacturers, but that certainly isn’t the case with these rods. I’ve been testing the 7-foot medium and medium-light rods and they’re balanced beautifully. They feel awesome in your hands and don’t cause any undue fatigue throughout a day on the water.
Sensitive for bites on slack line
I think anglers miss a lot of bites on slack line when they’re using reaction baits. Baitfish don’t swim in a straight line when they’re threatened, so I always make an effort to differentiate my retrieve in order to make the lure act erratic. This results in a fair amount of slack line throughout the retrieve. If you’re using a generic rod, you will miss a lot of those bites; I promise. It used to happen to me all the time.
I’ve been hugely impressed by the sensitivity of the Daiwa Cronos Series rods. When I’m cranking, I’m able to feel small changes in submergent vegetation, changes in gravel and rock size and small changes in tension, such as when a bass pushes my lure towards me.
Jerkbait fishing has been equally, if not more impressive with these rods. The majority of your jerkbait bites come on the pause, so it’s essential to detect very miniscule changes in your lure. I’m pleased to say that the bites I’ve had while using the 7-foot medium-light Cronos have been incredibly obvious; the second my line tension changes, the high-modulus HVF Graphite blanks transmits the feeling straight to my hands via the exposed-blank reel seat.
Quickly transfers to power when the fight is on
Daiwa designed these rods with Braiding-X carbon fiber that adds some serious backbone when you’re fighting big bass while preventing blank twist. It’s sounds fancy, but in simple terms, this essentially means that even on the lighter-action rods, the sensitive tip transfers into the strong blank excellently.
Most of my big bass come on medium-action rods and the Cronos has not disappointed whatsoever. The tip is soft enough to allow for a slow load and a great hookup ratio, but when the fish reaizes it’s hooked and makes that first run, the blank comes into play and takes total control.
I have yet to feel overpowered when fighting a fish with this rod. It absorbs shock from hard runs without issue and helps you land a very high percentage of the fish that bite.
Final impressions
This is an outstanding rod for those who like to fish with reaction lures. It has the right dimensions, it feels great and it handles big bass without a problem. If you’re in the market for a new crankbait, jerkbait or topwater rod, it’s certainly worth a look.
The Daiwa Cronos Series Casting Rod is available at TackleWarehouse.com.
