raywillett Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 Does anyone know where I can locate an old 7' Diawa VIP crankbait rod? Hope this is legal. The condition of the guides and handle is not important I can repair anything except a broken rod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoBits Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 Does anyone know where I can locate an old 7' Diawa VIP crankbait rod? Hope this is legal. The condition of the guides and handle is not important I can repair anything except a broken rod. I own one, but I don't think its for sale. I enjoy the rod too much. Its been my #1 crankbait rod for about the last 15 years. Why is Diawa so quick to discontinue their good rods ? They quit making the Light and Tough and then brought them back out again, I would like to see the VIP series brought back also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raywillett Posted March 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 I agree they are great rods. I have had mine since they came out twenty years ago. I recently re-tied the guides and sanded the handles down to a smaller size. They are great for wood crankbaits. I am hoping to find some more and rebuild them to 7'6" and try them on with 3/4oz Hotlips Express. thanks for the reply Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoBits Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 (edited) Are these VIP rods S-Glass or E-Glass ? I also have a 6 foot VIP that I use for throwing shallow cranks in heavy wood cover, where I need the accuracy of a shorter rod. Is it possible to re-do the handle , maybe split the grip and do away with the foregrip ? Edited March 2, 2009 by TwoBits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJ Smith Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 About three years ago I made the mistake of selling my last two..... Been kicking myself in the butt ever since......... I even tried to buy them back......... and got laughed at........... The best of luck with your quest....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim45498 Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 The VIP were the glass rods. Great for crankbaits. Most fishermen hang onto them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raywillett Posted March 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 I think they are E-glass. I saw a 6' straight handle on E-bay recently and I thought real hard about buying it. You can easily re-due the handle. If the handle is a straight handle it is as easy as turning the rod on a rod lathe and sanding away the unwanted cork to produce the split handle. the fore grip can be sanded to make it smaller. If you have the pistol version it will be more difficult. You will have to carefully cut off the real seat with a band saw and then rebuild the rod with the new handle design. What I want to do is take a 7' rod and cut off the real seat add 6" to the butt of the rod and then rebuild it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boone Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 I have two a 7' and a 6' footer .. Have tried to locate a few more over the years ... No Luck ... Very Hard to find but if you find a couple that you dont want , please let me know Good Luck Boone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoBits Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 I Googled by the mod number , Daiwa VIP53T:7 , and got a Japanese auction site too bad I don't know Japanese Daiwa may still sell these in Japan. This thread raised my curiosity so I emailed Daiwa about this series of rods and I will report back if I get a reply. And I did some research, they are E-Glass rods. Quantum has brought out an E-Glass rod, its the KVD Tour crankbait series. Just looking at the specs they appear to be similar to the VIP series only red in color and not the Daiwa honey color. Not real expensive either, Tackle Warehouse has them on sale for $130, right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJ Smith Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Two Bits, I am currently using two of the KVD cranking sticks.... both 7 footers.... one M and one MH...... Although they are sweet rods, they don't seem to have the "give" the old VIPs had.......... I would recommend them to anyone looking for a crankin' stick.... but they are not a spot-on replacement for the VIP. Besides going custom..... the Quantum Paul Elias Crankbait rods comes close to the old VIP in action but it only comes in a 7'6" length. Very good for an over the counter rod....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raywillett Posted March 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 In my opinion anything over $125.00 for a fiberglass rod is too much. Blanks are in the range of $50.00 + shipping if you know a builder that will sell to you. I have also considered getting a BPS crankin stick in the 7'10" model but have not seen it in the store yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoBits Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 Two Bits, I am currently using two of the KVD cranking sticks.... both 7 footers.... one M and one MH...... Although they are sweet rods, they don't seem to have the "give" the old VIPs had.......... I would recommend them to anyone looking for a crankin' stick.... but they are not a spot-on replacement for the VIP. Besides going custom..... the Quantum Paul Elias Crankbait rods comes close to the old VIP in action but it only comes in a 7'6" length. Very good for an over the counter rod....... I was at Bass Pro Shops today. Picked up the KVD Cranking rods and you are exactly correct. That rod is not nearly as soft as the Daiwa VIP's. The KVD rod has a backbone with a whippy tip. The VIP is more parabolic. Though , I think your correct the KVD Tour would be a nice crankin rod. Its probably a bit heavier than most like. But I think way too much is made of rod weight. I may be wrong, but that's the way I see it and I've been doin this bass fishin thing for a lot of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
