MajorCraft Crostage Hard Rock Game
CRS-792MH/B 7'9" Line: 10-20lb. PE1.0-2.0 Lure: 10-42gm.
I bought the rod and mothballed it for some time. I just wasn't in the mood yet to be busting my shoulder with a heavier casting rod. I had gotten the rod on gut feel, one look at the build with the nice fuji reelseat and double-footed K guides, EVA split foam grips of adequate length plus it had the kind of action I like, fast but not too fast.
i figured the rod would load perfect with a 25gram jig or topwater. I already had a reel waiting for it, a Shimano Speedmaster with 7.1:1 gearing.
So home it went with me. 7'9' is a bit longer than I like for working walk the dog lures but this opinion was forged over decades of using Composite and IM6 modulus rods whose weight limited comfortable length to 6'6"-7 feet. It was time for an eye opener.
A trip to Puerto Azul with it's nice pier was just what the combo was waiting for and so a few days back, the pair got its time in the sun.
I first tied on my favorite topwater the Pop Tiger II. After a few cautious casts to warm up the centrifugal weights I let fly. I expected to feel the weight of the rod pull my wrist lower on the back swing but there was none of that, only the pull of the lure as it loaded the rod. As I accelerated forward I could feel the smooth transition of the lure from its rearward vector to front (with an overly stiff and fast rod you'd have to either increase the casting force/velocity or projectile weight /mass to load the rod properly)
. Upon release, the lure went on a flat altitude gaining trajectory to its zenith before losing momentum and falling...way farther than I expected with the force I applied on the cast. I started to work the lure back walk the dog fashion. Surprisingly, there was no top heavy feel and the tip, although built with a little flex for casting, had the exact stiffness to give the right action. Too much play at the tip will kill the walk, too little and the lure becomes jumpy. A couple more casts with that topwater and I knew the rod like my right hand (good rods are like that). Now I switched to a heavier pencil plug at about 35-40grams. expecting to feel a bit of overloading but still the rod performed flawlessly with little effort, obviously this rod had a pretty wide sweet spot range when it comes to lure weight.
I shifted to my 22 gram casting jigs and this was where the rod really turned on. It threw the jig way over to the opposite side of the estuary...the splash of the jig was barely noticeable in the distance. This was with mild casting effort on my part. I could use this rig all day and then some. Now came the real test, I set the drag heavy and after less than an hour, landed four good sized fish that gave the rod a workout. The rod responded fast on the hookset without the hesitation some poorly tapered rods have and absorbed the shock from runs and jumps without any torquing felt.
Overall, the rod rates a 9/10 with me. I haven't found anything yet to complain about.
Notes:
I like the reelseat with the locking hood not integrated with the foregrip. I hate the newfangled locking foregrips that come on many rods.
The K guides perform flawlessly and as advertised. I'd love them on every rod I use.
The rod's design favors low profile reels. If using a round reel, make sure it's one that sits low on the rod.
Price is very fair for the quality, components and action of the rod.
The Spigot ferrule is well made. It locks solid with slight pressure with absolutely no play.
I've yet to test the rod with some real bruisers but as with all reviews I'm making, there will be constant updates for the life of the tackle.
You just flick the rod and your lure goes ballistic.
The Tica SA100/101 (right/left) baitcast reel.
It's a 200 size reel which means it loads about 150yards of 10lb. test. a good size for all around lure casting whether your game is freshwater haruanhunting or inshore salt. The description says it has 9 bearings and has an aluminum spool and frame. The spool is aluminum but I believe the frame is graphite or a polymer and not aluminum as stated. Outwardly, finish and tolerances are good. The reel is light and has a good feel, no rough nor sharp edges and has very similar lines to the popular Pinnacle brand whose manufacturer makes a lot of reels on brand swapping basis. Handle and drag knob were swept as what is in vogue, bringing your grip closer to the centerline of the reel which reduces torquing and rocking on a loaded retrieve. It's antibacklash system is magnetic with 10 variable settings, more to this later.
Inside, The reel is fairly standard for its price range.
The drilled out spool is a great way to reduce rotational mass which enables the angler to cast light lures. accessing the spool is easy with a small toggle near the front of the sideplate. I would have preferred a button on the sideplate for streamlining and as a rule, anything that sticks out gets a better chance of breaking.
For the test, I loaded the reel with 30lb. braid and mated it to my Daiwa Heartland rod. After spot oiling the worm gear and bearings, I headed to the park.
Nice and low for a comfy grip.
My regular setup came for the ride as a benchmark. I selected a set of lures ranging from unweighed plastics to crankbaits and heavy topwaters to test the casting and cranking efficiency of the Tica. Dragset was a low 1.2 kilos to give the reel time to settle in.
I set the antibacklash at 5 and on the first cast made a birdsnest that'd put a 70's afro to shame. I went up to 10 ( what I should've done in the first place) and the reel calmed down. I started with a heavy topwater to break in the reel. After about 30-40 casts the reel had smoothed out. casts were long and the lure floated which means the reel was giving line and not the lure pulling it out. I backed the setting down a notch to 9 and kept it there. It seems the system didn't give a lot of braking force but was adequate. I never use the friction knob and prefer to keep it at a setting that allows an extremely small amount of play on the spoolshaft.
I shifted to light lures. The reel's startup on casting was good even with very light lures. It was laying casts out accurately and consistently. This means bearings are good and the spool is true. The levelwind was efficient laying line properly with no bunching on either end. Cranking was smooth, the bearings made themselves well felt.
Ergonomics were well thought out. My thumb was were it should be, the palm was filled out for a firm but comfortable grip. Color...I really prefer black with absolutely no flashy parts that may spook fish but this is just me and others would love the deep Burgundy trimmed with chrome.
A nice toman gave me some good data on drag and cranking performance. i towed the fish in with the reel checking if the gears would jump or freeze, a sure sign of frame flex. No such problem! The fish got to within meters of the bank when it decided it didn't like dry land. Afterburners came on and the reel's drag responded smoothly. No chattering or hesitation. After a few runs the fish surrendered and the reel triumphed.
Proof of the fish's ferocity. The rear treble had 1 tine broken and another bent out.
After that cherry popper, the reel now a veteran, performed well. No apparent changes from the experience.
Overall:
The reel retails at Php:2,200. Cheapest brand new baitcaster with these features. Good for all around lure chucking. Adequate drag and antibacklash systems. Easy on the casting with light and heavy lures.
If you're a newbie with a small budget this would be a decent reel to start with. Match it to a Yoshikawa rod and at Php:3,000 you have a baitcast combo that will cast and land fish.
