Gear Review: John Crews ICON Big Bait Rod

WHAT IS IT?

Cashion John Crews ICON Big Bait Rod

WHAT SETS IT APART?

The Cashion John Crews ICON Big Bait Rod is built on a 7-foot, 10-inch moderate-fast, medium-heavy CR6r carbon fiber blank that is rolled in-house. Designed to efficiently cast lures with weights of 1/2 to 3 ounces, the rod features American Tackle Microwave guides, Cashion’s signature hand-crafted carbon fiber/fiberglass grips, a blank-through reel seat with shortened threads for direct blank contact and a 12-inch handle. Cashion backs this rod with a lifetime replacement program.

HOW DO I USE IT?

A well-rounded tournament angler must develop proficiency across the bait spectrum, and while Elite veteran John Crews has proven himself lethal with the finesse stuff, he won’t hesitate to sling the big baits when scenarios warrant. For this part of his game, Crews worked with North Carolina-based Cashion Rods to design a handcrafted rod specifically built for throwing sizable offerings such as 7-inch glidebaits, 6- to 8-inch boot tail swimbaits, 1-ounce spinnerbaits, oversized deep-diving crankbaits like the Strike King 10XD and umbrella rigs. The bottom-line objective: Balance the right amount of power to throw these baits with a moderate enough action to prevent ripping hooks out of the fish’s mouth.

HOW MUCH?

$269.95

MORE INFORMATION:

CashionRods.com

ANGLER’S INSIGHT:

Not only are the larger baits more challenging to throw, they’re also tough on the body. It’s great when the bass you’re looking for crushes a hefty lure, but the road to success often requires a lot of chunking and winding. A rod made specifically for this task makes the labor more bearable, while bolstering performance.

Crews offered this insight: “The Big Bait Rod is very unique because it is versatile for throwing many awkward, larger baits. The rod became dependent for me (during the 2023 Elite season) for throwing oversized crankbaits, big spinnerbaits, smaller glide baits and even big topwaters.”