I wanted to build my main crankbait rod so I have everything I consider important in a rod, such as handle, reel seat, guides etc, the way I want them. My question is what rod works best. I've heard a lot about Loomis crank rods, but I don't know which model to use. The 843 blank in a 6'6" med. action or the heavier model in 7' med. hvy action? Note that the local SoCal lake I fish is shallow(30 feet at deepest point) and full of tullies and shallow cover. Therefore medium and shallow cranks are what I use most often, so I'm not hauling big divers all day. There are tons of docks, and casting accuracy I've found pretty important, so I was thinking the 6'6" model but what do you guys think? Any other blank suggestions are defintely appreciated( none of that Loomis only crud, their just the only blanks in my price range so far.)

I have the 843 and the 845 Loomis crankbait rods. I didn't have them custom built, but all I can say is they are great rods. As you would expect from Loomis. Actually the 843 is a 7' rod as is the 845. The 845 is for baits up to 1 oz. the 843 is for baits up to 5/8. I threw on the new chronarch (5.1:1) on the 845 and have a curado super free on the 843. Both have soft tips and seem to work pretty well for most of the crankbaits I throw. TW has them, give them a try, you won't be disappointed. :-)

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpageRDCGLOOMIS-GLCBCR.html

As an added bonus they throw in a couple of Lucky Craft crankbaits, can't beat that !

I use the 847 for shallow baits close to cover so you have some power to get them out. But all the Loomis Crankbait rods are awesome. The 845 is sweet for rip baits too

I agree on the 845,its the most versitile one of the ones mentioned.Awesome rod for sure.

Cool guys, thanks for the help. I'm probably going to go with the 843 blank for what I'm doing. The forage is usually small at the local lake, so the baits are not likely to weigh more than 1/2 oz. The Loomis blanks prices are great, I can build my own with the blank only costing me about $120 instead of $200 + for the factory rod! I want to put a Kistler style handle on it, so I can bring down the weigh and feel every little wiggle or piece of cover when I'm cranking. It should be easy, just a lighweight reel seat with a large blank check(rubber-type ring)to keep the front protected. I'm also putting a smaller rear grip so it will suit my smaller arms better, longer handles tend to slap on my forearms when I'm ripping or using some stop'n go with a crank. Put some Fuji Alconite single foot guides in the picture and I'll have myself a fish catchin' machine!

http://www.kistlerrods.com/pdb_img/site/cat-img/hanger-helium.jpg

;) Dan