I need some tips on using cranks

[mariner]

i havent really fished cranks till now and i need a few tips thanks again guys

[Rebbasser]

Contact. You want your crankbait to to hit something. For example, throw a deep runner up shallow so it digs into the bottom digging up a mud trail or get a square billed shallow runner and run it through flooded timber-the square bill makes it surprisingly snag free. Most hits come when the crankbait deflects off something-a rock, stump, branch, etc.

You really only need 2-3 colors: shad, crawfish, and firetiger (looks like a bluegill). Most crankbaits are some variation of one of these colors.

[mariner]

i just baught a 0-4 foot square billed fat crank but when u say ''snag free'' do u mean weeds and every thing or just structure

[Jim80]

he means that the square bill will deflect some of the stuff you would get caught on that does not mean that it is a weedless lure though and you'll get the hang of throwing one after a little pratice and patience . I'm sure zooker will chime in sooner or later and give the search bar a shot it will pull up the topics you are looking for it's another good way to find info , good fishing man

[Jigger]

Originally Posted by Rebbasser

You really only need 2-3 colors: shad, crawfish, and firetiger (looks like a bluegill). Most crankbaits are some variation of one of these colors.

This is good advice. You can really go overboard with cranks. Ditto on the colors. Then, get those colors in shallow, medium and deep runners and you've got it covered. I like Bandits because they usually run true out of the box and don't need a lot of tuning. By "tuning" I mean you don't need to bend the eye with your pliers to make them run straight. A crankbait that won't run straight is practically worthless. Another tip: Stop a crankbait momentarily every now and then on the retrieve. Sometimes the stop will make a following fish strike.

[BigBassin144]

Zooker...

nuff said.

BB

[BigBassin144]

For real though, one thing lots of people don't know is cast and crank isn't the best method ofr fishing a crank. If possible, bounce it off things, whether it be weeds, timber, or even the bottom. If you fish a lot of places like me with no cover: reel, pause, twitch, jerk, but dont just reel. This will make it look like a baitfish frantically fleeing.

One of my favorite things to do with crankbaits in weeds is fish them over deeper weeds. use a FLOATING CRANKBAIT!! Reel till you feel it hit the weeds, let it float back up, repeat.



BB

[mariner]

thanks again guys that really helped claer things up

[zooker]

yes as stated contact is key. the thing i have found is alot of poeple wont toss a crankbait into a snaggy are-like lay downs- but it will amaze ya just how much you can pull a crank through and not snag up. it will also teach ya how easy they snag up too. alot of guys say to hit an object and stop the bait and then keep cranking.which will work if your just hen pecking bottom but in laydowns NEVER stop the bait.or your snagged remember while the bait is moving the flow of water forces the hooks back against the body of the bait... stopping it causes the hooks to fall down and they tend to snag up faster..if you are losing alot of fish there is two main reasons hooks and drag the hooks have to be sharp and the drag has to be loose...



some of my best crankin bass came off trees


zooker

[mariner]

how much did that weigh, zook?

[zooker]

about 7 pounds from secert lake here in nc...



zooker

[mariner]

o wow that is big as i have ever caught whats ur pb

[zooker]

9.3 on a stein-same lake though..

zooker

[stevomac59]

When fishin' cranks, try to get a crank with a max depth DEEPER than the depth that you are fishing. For example, if you are fishing a 5ft area, try to get a 6 ft diving crank. However, don't get a 11ft diving crank and use it in 3ft of water, it will effect the lures motion, and will not look "natural" to the bass. Also, when fishin' them, take zooks advice, don't stop reeling. The motion of the crank when retreiving will make it virtually weedless; however, when stopped, the lure tends to snag in the structure you are fishing.

Hope this helps.

-stevo

[stevomac59]

Originally Posted by zooker

if you are losing alot of fish there is two main reasons hooks and drag the hooks have to be sharp and the drag has to be loose...


zooker

Loose? I never knew that.

Good 'ol zook, dominatin' the crank post!



-stevo

[mariner]

Originally Posted by zooker

9.3 on a stein-same lake though..

zooker

whats a stein and thats a big fish mine is only a 7

[stevomac59]

ZOOK-n_Steins lol

[mariner]

what is that

[zooker]

hell in a white skirt..

nuff said..

zooker

[stevomac59]

Originally Posted by zooker

hell in a white skirt..

nuff said..

zooker

LMAO hell in a skirt


-stevo

[mariner]

ha ha

[Robbie R.]

Get an empty line spool (1200yd) and spool up some 100 lb test nylon line (or 50lb) and fill the spool then get a good heavy made plug knocker, attach the nylon line to it and then add 3 good strong smaller size dog chains securely to the bottom of the plug knocker...........then your ready to fish crank baits anywhere you want.

When crank bait hangs, put plug knocker on line and let it slide all the way down to plug, get over the top of it and shake it a little then pull gently until you feel resistance, then lay into it to bend hook off of whatever it's hung on.

The dog chains are the key here.......they catch on the trebles and when you pull it bends them and you can easily bend them back.

This set up has saved me many a dollar in crank baits over the last 20 years.

Of course you should not get hung that much, but if you do this will work wonders.

Robbie R

[bamabassman]

zooker is refering to one of his hand made blades myfriend. a thing of beauty (as i have read), that is too much for da jug mouthed to take. rumor is that if a lucky ol sap was to use this blade..... he would be hunted down like a rabid dawg for life by the ghosts of past lunkers for life. still wanting to taste it to make sure it ain't real food.

[zooker]

i throw alot of deep diving lucky crafts so yeah i tend to have a plug knocker or three in the boat..

zooker

[mariner]

where can i get a plug knocker