When Choosing Cranks...

[Buzz Wing]

One has oh, so many choices to choose from. You can buy anything from a $1.00 no-name crank, all the way to a Lucky Craft Pointer for $15.99. With colors from "blue" all the way to "Table Rock Shad", or "Clown", this can be very confusing!

That said, how do you go about buying specific crankbaits? Are you partial to one particular body style over another? How do you choose a color over another?

-Buz

[JB]

Depends on the forage of the lake, and time of year..sometimes ya need a tight wobble, sometimes the big wag...color depends on water clarity, and being seen, either as a natural looking fish or something that the fish can see if the waters not so clear.
I like the bandits, the bombers, rapalas, and traps.

[Jigger]

I keep it pretty simple with crankbaits. You can go way overboard with crankbaits and spend way too much money for very little difference. Two colors. White or some variation thereof for clear(er) water or chartreuse or some variation thereof for stained water. Three types. Shallow, medium and deep. It's as simple as that for me. The main consideration for me is whether they'll run true. It drives me crazy when a crankbait won't run straight. The most dependable ones I've found for running true without having to tune them all the time are Bandits. Bombers are pretty good too but not as good as Bandits for running true out of the box and staying true.

[Buzz Wing]

When buying deep cranks, how 'deep', do you normally buy? I use a 7' MH/Moderate St. Croix Premier and a Bomber Fat Free Shad really has some pull, almost too much in my opinion.

What cranks do you prefer when 'deep' crankin'?

-Buzz

[JB]

get a variety of ones the only go under the surface, like a manns -1
then get some bandit 100 series for 2-3 feet, and 200 series for 5-7 etc..
you can let a rattletrap sink to any depth if you want deep cranking, however most times fish that show up suspended on the graph will hit something above them. Any long billed crankbait will have info on the package on the depth it will go..
Some lakes deep cranking is only 7 ft, others can mean 20+..
get a DD22 from normans if ya want to try deep crankin

[Buzz Wing]

Uh-Oh...

I see Zook is viewing. Hope he doesn't post those 30 odd boxes of cranks he has!

-Buzz

[zooker]

i use 3 basic colors. shad,firetiger,blue back chartruese.. i keep it just that simple. i use bandits, normans,bombers,rapala,lucky craft,lure jenson,and cotten cordell. they all have there place a bandit 100,baby n,or a rc 1.5 are tough to beat in shallow water..

zooker

[Buzz Wing]

Would you say you crank shallow or deeper water more, boys?

-Buzz

[zooker]

depends on where i find them. i have 5 rods set up for a reason. i may hit an area start shallow if nothing work deeper till i find the fish..

zooker

[Buzz Wing]

I soon hope to get a deep crankin' rod after my lipless rod, but storage in a 14 boat gets scarce...

-Buzz

[Marty]

Don't drive yourself crazy. Two colors does it for me, a light, such as shad or bluegill, and a bright, like firetiger. Buy a couple in the depths you want to fish, buying from companies whose names you know. Once you get the feel of cranks, you'll have a better idea of what you want.

[BigBassin144]

I use mostly Bluegill, perch, and firetiger colors. with a few differents one mixed in here or there. Bandits are by far my favorite cranks.

BB

[Buzz Wing]

Thanks for all the input guys, I hope to put it to good use Tuesday. This weather has been so inclement that it's hard to find a good pattern.

Oh, what about line? Right now, I just use one crankbait rod and have it lined with 10-pound Spidewire Easy Mono. This stuff is sweet.

-Buzz

[BigBassin144]

Suffix or Stren mono. don't use trilene, it's crap. 8-10lb is the perfect diameter for cranking, but given the.... inhabitants of some of the lakes you fish Buzzie, I'd go with 10.

BB

[Buzz Wing]

Haven't hooked one on a crank - yet!

-Buzz

[zooker]

8-10 is ok but remember the shallower you get the thicker the line you need to use.. i use 8 pound on my deep diver. shallow cranks i use 15 pound mono..i use alot of 12 pound also..

zooker

[Buzz Wing]

As an all-around rod, mostly flingin' 8-12' baits, what would you use, Zook?

-Buzz

[Rebbasser]

Originally Posted by Buzz Wing

I use a 7' MH/Moderate St. Croix Premier and a Bomber Fat Free Shad really has some pull, almost too much in my opinion.

-Buzz

That's because you are using a high speed reel. There is a reason I swear by a BPS David Fritts crankbait reel for throwing the big bruisers like a DD-22 or Strike King Series 5. The 4.7:1 gear ratio makes throwing a deep crank about as hard as throwing a Bandit 200. With a high speed (6.3:1 or higher) reel I'm good for about 5 casts with a big crank but can throw it all day with the lower gear ratio of the Fritts reel.

Here is a crankbait tactic that works extremely well: Throw a deep runner like a DT-10 or Deep Little N up shallow so it digs into the bottom kicking up a mud trail. I have caught a LOT of bass doing this.

[PowerBass]

I do throw alot of medium divers when I fish. I use a BPS Crankin' Stick 6ft 6in Medium power rod. My reel is goign to be replaced with a Quantum Energy 5.1:1 reel, only because they dont make a low speed revo yet... I crank with 12 lb line and dont have issues.

Baits of choice Strike King series 3, Bandit 200's, Rapala DT 6 and 10, Bomber 8A

[InEccess]

I very rarely ever get bit unless my crankbait is deflecting off of something. Having said that, I only carry 2 (sometimes 3) crankbaits. I like the RC 1.5 when fishing shallow stretches (paralleling banks), other then that, I have a Strike King series 5 crankbait on. With the series 5, I can bump the bottom down to about 14'. If I still can't reach the bottom, I'll use the series 6, which goes 16' +. If I still can't touch the bottom, I'll throw something different.

[WTL]

Pick a crankbait and learn it inside out. It is way better to know 1 thing well than over complicate things.

[Lilmoosecountry]

I like shad raps & nothing else for crankbaits. I stick to fire tiger & shad colors. I break out the fire tiger in dingy water. In clear water most bass are already eating shad so i stick to the same pattern.

[Buzz Wing]

Firetiger is a great color, although I despise Rapala's 'Firetiger'. To me, a firetiger should be blended, not as 'sharp', per se, as Rapla's 'lines' and 'dashes'.

-Buzz

[Lilmoosecountry]

What ever son they catch fish for me.

[Buzz Wing]

Thanks for all the great answers guys!

Now, as for specific baits, I'd like to hear ya'lls opinions. Specifically, these baits:

1. Bagley Bulgin' B - Specifically looking at the 2 3/8", 9/16-ounce bait. Looks great, blasa too. What do ya'll think?
2. Strike King Pro Model Series 4s - Says it's made for wide vibrations; like their colors. I've heard the paint sucks?
3. Luhr Jenson Speed Trap - 1/4-ouncer says Shallow/Medium depth? This means how deep? Zook, you said you used 'em?

Thanks again,

-Buzz