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Old 04-02-05, 10:30 PM   #1
Scott
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Default Best time for a crankbait???

When is the best time of year to use a crankbait? When is the best time of day to use a crankbait?
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Old 04-02-05, 10:35 PM   #2
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Default Re: Best time for a crankbait???

Anytime is a good time for crankbaits, except maybe the dead of winter with water temps 40 or less. Even then a suspending jerkbait can make a difference. The only place I don't throw a crankbait is in real thick weeds where all you get back is about 10 pounds of weeds.

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Old 04-02-05, 10:37 PM   #3
bassfisher14
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Default Re: Best time for a crankbait???

Sometimes you won't even come back with weeds. You might come back with nothing on the end of your line.
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Old 04-02-05, 10:41 PM   #4
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Default Re: Best time for a crankbait???

Anytime!
Esp. right now in early spring with a extreme slow retrieval rate.
The crank bait is a excellant searching tool, also a favorite against rip rap
We like to use them in the back of the creeks when the shad are all schooled up in the fall
plus , in the hottest days of summer , many a bass wont be on the banks, they will be staged on a deep pt and the sinking rattletrap crankbait is one tool that can reach the fish at that depth,, I learned that the hard way loosing to guys that had perfected the method in lets say 15-20 ft of water that the average angler doesn't even fish, they are too busy beating the bank....
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Old 04-02-05, 10:44 PM   #5
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Default Re: Best time for a crankbait???

maybe its me, but i dont throw cranks in weeds(i throw them along the weed line) for fear that it will get hung up. i dont have to many crankbaits now and 2 of them are chips. i once got one of chips lures stuck and broke the line, so i rigged a treble hook onto my line and knocked it loose, i ended up chasing it down the river and finally wading up to my waste to get it, i couldnt lose a 11 dollar crank. maybe when i get alittle more confident in throwin cranks i will throw them into weeds. how do you guys manage to throw cranks in weeds and not get hung up?
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Old 04-02-05, 10:48 PM   #6
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Default Re: Best time for a crankbait???

if theres weeds almost up to the top of the water i throw a shad rap that only goes about 2-5 inches below the water and pops up fast, hoping to find a hole that "mr lips" is hanging under..in ponds weeds area way of life, on a big lake many a angler prays to find weeds,.. i know one effect way to run a rattletrap just above the weed line if you find them in lets say 5-7 ft, and then let it fall for a second or two and then start up the retrieve, they like to nab it on the downward fall..it takes some trial and error to find the right depth but can be good time in spring i think
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Old 04-03-05, 10:50 AM   #7
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Default Re: Best time for a crankbait???

[quote author=JB link=board=news;num=1112491849;start=0#5 date=04/02/05 at 20:48:46]if theres weeds almost up to the top of the water i throw a shad rap that only goes about 2-5 inches below the water and pops up fast, hoping to find a hole that "mr lips" is hanging under..in ponds weeds area way of life, on a big lake many a angler prays to find weeds,.. i know one effect way to run a rattletrap just above the weed line if you find them in lets say 5-7 ft, and then let it fall for a second or two and then start up the retrieve, they like to nab it on the downward fall..it takes some trial and error to find the right depth but can be good time in spring i think[/quote]


My favorite place for lipless cranks is over submerged vegetation I prefer to burn them fast though. Makes for some ferocious hits 8) I really need to get some suspending ones.

Lizards
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Old 04-03-05, 12:49 PM   #8
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Default Re: Best time for a crankbait???

Bassfisher,no disrespect why are you spending $11.00
dollars on crankbaits...your crazy...wow you can get nice
crankbaits on sale just about anywhere as you know
for $2.99-$4.99. BUt if you have a think wallet than run
with it. Dont be afraid of weeds the only way to learn
to fish weeds is to fish it. use a crank that just hoovers
over the tops on the weeds...and quiet buying the million dollar crankbaits ......I mean well.
Denny
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Old 04-03-05, 01:22 PM   #9
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Default Re: Best time for a crankbait???

In autumn, nothing pinpoints bass faster than a bulky crankbait. And besides its ability to locate fish, a crankbait will frequently return with weeds, providing samplings of weed types and physical conditions. With any luck, it'll sport dark green coontail, and if it does, toss out a marker.

My preferred crankbaits are DT Series Rapalas and Down Deep Rattlin Â*Fat Raps. Both models dive deeply and are appealing to bass. For example, fished with 10 pound test monofilament, a #7 Down Deep will dive to 18 feet, and do so in a hurry. As far as colors go, consider shad in clear water; parrot when it's a little stained and hot mustard in sullied conditions.

Now, suppose you've encountered a scrumptious weededge. Position the boat beyond the vegetation and cast back past the weedline, onto the flat. The plan is to make the crankbait tickle the weed tops and afterward cut through the outer verge. Reel slowly. The crankbait should be wobbling not burning. Baitcast reels with low gear ratios, like 4:3, execute best. And match the reel with a 6 ½ to 7 foot, medium action rod for maximum performance.

If you should get snagged, shake the rod tip, don't rip it. Oftentimes the crankbait will come unglued and float slowly toward the surface.

Most hits befall at the weededge to about 30 feet beyond the greenery. And when a bass does take, don't stick it hard. Instead, make a sweep with the rod and continue reeling; setting too hard results in more misses than catches.

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Old 04-03-05, 03:17 PM   #10
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Default Re: Best time for a crankbait???

if you are afraid of losing a crank bait yhen you should not use it. a crank bait is designed to bounce of objects docks, trees, rock, and lake bed. if you are not hitting any of these you are not using a crank bait to it's fullest potentenal.


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Old 04-03-05, 07:13 PM   #11
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Default Re: Best time for a crankbait???

zook,
you use alot of cranks, and heres a question for you, Have you ever tried the Cotton Cordels Wiggle "o" it was given to me out of the package and im looking for its weight and how deep it will dive
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Old 04-03-05, 07:41 PM   #12
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Default Re: Best time for a crankbait???

umm no i have a couple c c shad's and love there spots but i don't know about there wiggle o.

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Old 04-03-05, 09:53 PM   #13
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Default Re: Best time for a crankbait???

denny, im sure a few people can back me up here, that chips custom lures are one of the best cranks around. the money is worth it, plus, when you get a fish with one and take a pic with the crank still in its mouth then you get another free lure of your choice. i will eventually use a crank in the weeds, but for now i will stick to submerged stumps and dropoffs.
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Old 04-04-05, 07:38 PM   #14
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Default Re: Best time for a crankbait???

Im with zooker, If your not getting hung up and sometimes losing baits, your not fishing a crankbait to its fullest. Yeah sometimes dont throw your expensive baits into thick weeds, esp. wooden baits because sometime they can snap/crack. But for anyone throwing a crankbait, throw it and use it.
As far as temperature, I guy fishing with me on Jan. 2nd 2005 caught a smallmouth on a crankbait, in 39 degree water. so there really isnt a bad time to throw a crank but sometimes theres better options.
On to the wiggle O, dont like them a whole lot, try bandits and luhr jensen speed trap... both have lots of colors and the bandits have a model for every situation. Careful with the speed traps, they can be fragile but flat out catch fish.
When you do get weeds hung up on your hooks, take the time to remove them by hand rather than slapping the bait, learned my lesson the hard with with several speed traps, couldnt figure out why they stopped floating.
Also for people willing to spend more $$ on quality baits... check out my link, great baits there too...
whip
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Old 04-04-05, 09:05 PM   #15
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Default Re: Best time for a crankbait???

im been lookin at robbys and chips cranks, once i get some money saved up, and after i buy my rod, i may have to order one from each of them
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Old 04-04-05, 10:27 PM   #16
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Default Re: Best time for a crankbait???

[quote author=JB link=board=news;num=1112491849;start=0#8 date=04/03/05 at 12:22:30]

My preferred crankbaits are DT Series Rapalas and Down Deep Rattlin Â*Fat Raps. Both models dive deeply and are appealing to bass. For example, fished with 10 pound test monofilament, a #7 Down Deep will dive to 18 feet, and do so in a hurry. As far as colors go, consider shad in clear water; parrot when it's a little stained and hot mustard in sullied conditions.

Now, suppose you've encountered a scrumptious weededge. Position the boat beyond the vegetation and cast back past the weedline, onto the flat. The plan is to make the crankbait tickle the weed tops and afterward cut through the outer verge. Reel slowly. The crankbait should be wobbling not burning. Baitcast reels with low gear ratios, like 4:3, execute best. And match the reel with a 6 ½ to 7 foot, medium action rod for maximum performance.

If you should get snagged, shake the rod tip, don't rip it. Oftentimes the crankbait will come unglued and float slowly toward the surface.

Most hits befall at the weededge to about 30 feet beyond the greenery. And when a bass does take, don't stick it hard. Instead, make a sweep with the rod and continue reeling; setting too hard results in more misses than catches.

[/quote]

Ditto JB on the DT Series Rapalas! I also love the Original Storm Wiggle Warts when the water warms up. Great advice in your quote above. RRW4258, I would also suggest banging your crankbait (one with a big lip) into rocks, stumps, or dock pilings so it deflects off these objects quickly. This can cause violent reaction strikes from bass. If you have access to a pool you can submerge a few 5 gallon plastic pails and practice this technique. The clear water in the pool will allow you to see how the bait reacts as it caroms off the pails. This will help you develop a touch. In the real under water world, this is how baitfish appear as they bump into objects when being chased. David Fritts gave me this tip at the Auburn, N.Y. Bass University Seminar. Considering he's one of the crankbait masters on the pro tour, I'd say it's worth a try. It has definately worked for me.
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