Is it possible? In the age of carbon composite boron graphite kevlar and who-knows-what exotic material that today's rod makers use, have they made rods that are too sensitive? In one particular situation, the answer is probably yes.

When it comes to fishing crank baits, there has been an exodus away from the ultra modern multi modular blanks. You know the rods I'm talking about... the ones where you can feel a gnat land on the rod tip. I'm not knocking these rods because for just about every style and type of fishing you can imagine, these super-sensitive super rods have lead to greater success for both professional and weekend anglers. That's good. But when it comes to fishing crank baits, it may be bad. And here's why.

According to my friend (OK, I'm a name dropper) and ultra Zen guru of crank bait fishing Rick Clunn, the new super sensitive rods may be too sensitive, causing you to set the hook just a microsecond quicker than if you were fishing a less sensitive rod. And what are the consequences? Well, in less time than it takes to blink your eye, a fish can either be hooked right, or hooked wrong. In other words, that split second of response may not give the fish enough time to totally inhale a crank bait, leading to a less secure hook set, and before you know it that beautiful 6-pound largemouth breaks the surface, shakes his head a time or two, and your crank bait comes flying back at you like a bullet with treble hooks. Many of today's top pros, following Rick Clunn's lead, have moved back to fiberglass rods because they are just a bit less sensitive and seem to lend themselves to more secure hook sets and less lost fish. I have made the move, and it really works. Plus, there's more fish fighting power in a fiberglass rod with a fast tip, and when you make a living getting fish in the boat, that matters big time! The move back to glass for crank baiting has become so popular, that many of today's top rod manufacturers are making fiberglass rods again. So grab one if you get the chance and see for yourself if fiberglass increases your success. Hey, if it's good enough for Rick Clunn...