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Shimano ups the ante with the re-introduction of the Crucial
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Date: |
1/06/05 |
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Tackle type: |
Rod |
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Manufacturer: |
Shimano |
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Reviewer: |
Cal |
Total Score: 8.83 + Best Value!
Introduction:
With their introduction of
the original, pearl white Chronarch a decade ago, Shimano has built a strong and
almost impenetrable reputation in the fishing world by producing quality fishing
reels and backing them up with one of the most highly skilled and customer
friendly warranty service departments you can find in any industry. While many
marvel at the marketing and engineering success of their reels, Shimano fishing
rods, despite offering competitively priced, quality products, have had to fight
an uphill battle to break through the highly competitive and fiercely battled
mid-level fishing rod market. With the re-design and re-introduction of their
top line freshwater series of rods, the Crucial, Shimano has now given notice
that they’re finished playing nice and are turning up the heat in this already
volatile market.
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Shimano Crucial CRC-D66M Specifications |
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Material |
IM9
Graphite |
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Pieces |
1 |
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Length |
6’6” |
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Grip |
Cork
(split rear grip) |
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Foregrip Length |
2
inches |
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Reargrip Length |
8
inches |
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Line
Weight |
6-12lb test |
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Lure
Weight |
1/8
– 3/8 ounce |
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Guides |
10
total (Fuji Alconite) |
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Power Rating |
Medium |
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Color |
Dark
Metallic Green |
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Action |
Extra Fast |
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Rod
Weight |
3.6
ounces |
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MSRP |
$130 |
Impressions:
Shimano has gone both
technique specific and general application with their re-introduced Crucial line
of fishing rods. But perhaps the most eye-catching in this entire lineup is
their Drop Shot / Shaking special. Available in four spinning and two casting
configurations, these rods are sure to catch many an anglers’ attention with
their split rear grip and exposed reel seat design. They are surprisingly light
for a mid-level production rod and the attention to detail in their assembly is
quite remarkable. Once we lifted this rod out of the rod rack, it never left our
hands until placed into the car to take home!
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The Shimano
Crucial 6’6” Drop Shot special shown here with a Scorpion 1001 MG |
Real World Test:
Needless to say, we were
extremely anxious to get this stick out on the water to see what it could do.
For our tests, we paired this rod up with an equally light Shimano Scorpion 1001
Mg and spooled the reel with 10lb Yozuri Hybrid. Together, the entire combo
weighed in at only ten ounces. Balance was superb and we couldn’t get to a lake
quickly enough to see how lively this rod would feel on the water.
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Complete Test Rig for Crucial CRC-D66M |
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Rod |
Shimano Crucial CRC-D66M |
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Reel(s) |
Shimano Scorpion 1001 MG |
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Line |
10lb
Yozuri Hybrid |
Casting & Pitching:
With its extra-fast tip, the CRC-D66M casts both drop shot rigs and weightless
Senkos very well. The light action tip loads easily and rebounds well to send
offerings sailing across the water to your destination. What’s more, for a 6’6”
rod, the CRC-D66M is an amazing pitching rod as well. We were able to accurately
and quietly place our baits up to an estimated fifty to sixty feed away with
relative ease.
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The Shimano Crucial CRC-D66M is a very light and well balanced
fishing rod. |
Sensitivity:
Where this rod truly shines is in its sensitivity. Shimano has done an excellent
job with this rod, creating a tip that is so ultra-sensitive, you can feel the
“tick” of your rod tip from simply reeling in the slack after letting your bait
sink to the bottom. This especially holds true while fishing the Senko. We
rigged Senko’s both straight weightless Texas style and wacky (weightless and
drop shot) and were simply amazed with regard to the feel this rod afforded us.
Not once while fishing this rod in depths from two to twenty feet did we have to
wait for our line to move off to the side to signify a fish. Each pick up was
transmitted quickly down the length of the rod letting us know it was time to
set the hook. The CRC-D66M delivers a feel not common among rods at this market
point.
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From it’s extra fast tip (middle) to its parabolic bend (right),
the CRC-D66M is well suited for its intended application. |
Power:
As one might expect, from such a sensitive, lightweight rod, the CRC-D66M is not
exactly a powerhouse and is best suited for finesse applications in waters that
are relatively free of heavy cover. That having been said we certainly
encountered no problems with our quarry of black bass to one and a half pounds
and actually, quite enjoyed the exhilarating battles that ensued with every
hookup. The power curve of the CRC-D66M is quite parabolic – an action coveted
by most deep water drop shot anglers, but not really apparent until you have a
fish at the end of the line. At the same time, the extra fast tip of the
CRC-D66M does well to transmit strikes without feeling mushy. This delicate
balance in action is well suited for finesse applications.
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Detail shots of the Shimano Crucial CRC-D66M. Note the unusual
bait keeper (Top Left) intended really, to help stow drop shot weights, but
also effective as a hook hangar. |
Design & Features:
Shimano has taken some relatively bold steps in the detailing of their new drop
shot line of rods. The CRC-D66M has the look and feel of a rod costing twice as
much with the most notable detail being the split rear grip of the rod. This
split grip not only adds a little flash of interest in the rod’s appearance, but
also helps to reduce its overall weight. Located at the end of the rod above the
butt cap, the bait keeper is intended more to hold a drop shot weight than it is
an actual hook. However, it serves both purposes well even if it does not appear
to be the most solid state hook holder available. The guides for the Shimano
Crucial line of rods are Fuji Alconite which are Fuji’s new, mid-level offering
sporting durable, lightweight frames and ceramic inserts. Lastly, located at the
very end of the rod is a decorative plate with a stamped Japanese character
“Kanji” representing strength. While a nice touch, we feel Shimano missed a
golden opportunity here to insert an engraved counterweight that would truly
elevate the stature of this line of rods. Overall, the CRC-D66M sports a fine
array of components features not found on many rods costing twice as much.
|
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The character insert at the base of the CRC-D66M is the Japanese
character Kanji whose literal translation is gusty or strong. |
Application:
Designed as a technique specific rod, the Shimano Crucial CRC-D66M serves very
well as a finesse fishing rod for drop shot and shaking presentations. The tip
has just enough play to aid you while gently shaking the worm to tempt those
pressure fished bass and not too much to where the shaking becomes unnatural. In
fact, one of the ways we found to impart action on the worm with this rod was to
tap the base of the rod instead of trying to shake the tip. Taps are transmitted
to the tip on a slack line and are an easy way to impart subtle movements in the
worm while leaving our rod hand ready for that hookset. We also found this rod
quite effective at pitching and casting Senko’s and as an effective shallow
crankbait rod.
Warranty:
Following suit with the
Compre series, Shimano offers a limited lifetime over the counter warranty with
their Shimano Crucial line of rods. This is a very reassuring feature for those
concerned with warranty coverage and shows how dedicated Shimano is to customer
satisfaction despite their large corporate status.
Ratings:
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Shimano Crucial Ratings (?/10) |
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Construction/ Quality |
Our
CRC-DD66M was very well crafted with components inline or slightly above
what one would expect from a mid-market rod |
9 |
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Performance |
Extremely sensitive, the only thing we found lacking in this particular rod
was power, but again, it is a finesse rod |
8.5 |
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Price |
Extremely competitive, amazing when you consider all the nice little touches
that Shimano added in |
9 |
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Features |
With
a split rear grip, exposed blank reel seat, and Fuji alconite guides, this
rod is about as feature laden as can be |
9.5 |
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Design (Ergonomics) |
Eye
catching design and well balanced. Rear grip could be a tad longer. |
9 |
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Application |
A
technique specific rod for finesse bait applications. |
8 |
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Total Score: |
8.83 |
Pluses and Minuses:
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Plus |
Minus |
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J
Extremely Sensitive |
L
Questionable bait keeper |
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J
Super light weight |
L
A little soft in the
power department |
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J
Contemporary Design |
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J
Attractive price point |
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J
Quality components |
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J
Great tip action for
casting and shaking |
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Conclusion:
With the re-design and re-introduction of their top of the line freshwater
Crucial Fishing Rods, Shimano is poised to make a serious move into the
mid-level mass produced fishing rod market. A market crowded with
indistinguishable also-rans where finding the true values and worthy investments
is almost as difficult as running into that one-hundred fish day. The Crucial
CRC-D66M is one offering that has the potential to catapult the entire Shimano
Fishing Rod line. As sensitive as any rod we’ve fished, and as aggressive in
appearance as some custom
sticks, this finesse fishing rod has some serious upside. With just a little
more refinement and perhaps, a tad more power, we’d easily be willing to pay
close to twice the asking price for this rod, yet, as it stands, the CRC-D66M is
a fantastic value and worthy of consideration by any angler seeking eye-catching
design and true fish catching performance at one incredible price.
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