crankbaits

[lazycricket000]

ive been going with a 6'6 med hevy with a baitcaster

[MrPhotographer06]

well i've been crankin with a spinning reel.. its got a lower gear ratio..

[3dkicker]

Just take 25-50 yards of line off your baitcaster and you'll slow down your retrieve speed. Having the right rod can make a huge difference when fishing a crankbait. Good fluorocarbon line can help too with the sink rate, sensitivity, and stretch.

[MrPhotographer06]

well i've got to buy some of these so called crankbaits

haha

any recomendations?

[BigBassin144]

Bandit's, any size, but the 100's are my favorite.

Bomber. model 2-5A's are what I use. I also throw a few fat free shad. But my best lure was a whitte with a gray back one I bought in a clearance bin at wally world in Alabama last year at the get together. I don't even know what it is.

If you've got a bunch of cash burnin' holes in your pockets, go ahead a pick of a few lucky crafts... I've heard they're good.

Rapalas are good, but on the high end price wise for me. The DT's are good, and I've got a few. I got a DT Fat 3 this winter and can't wait to try it. I also like the X-rap Shads. I was so excited when they brought out the shallow one this year. Ialready have three of them.

BB

[lazycricket000]

Originally Posted by 3dkicker

Just take 25-50 yards of line off your baitcaster and you'll slow down your retrieve speed. Having the right rod can make a huge difference when fishing a crankbait. Good fluorocarbon line can help too with the sink rate, sensitivity, and stretch.

yea i was thinking about switching to a fluorocarbon line sooner or later

got any idea on the brand? i was thinking about sufix but idk

[MrPhotographer06]

yeah but fluorocarbon is good leader material.. not good for the while spool...

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by MrPhotographer06

well i've been crankin with a spinning reel.. its got a lower gear ratio..

Most of the time, true. But if you look at amount of line retrieved per handle turn, you'd be surprised.

Standard 6.3:1 baitcaster: 26-28:
Abu Garcia Soron (2000 size): 5.1:1, 27"
Shimano Saros 2500: 6.0:1, 34"
Daiwa TD Pro 2500: 4.7:1, 28"

Just saying.

Originally Posted by MrPhotographer06

yeah but fluorocarbon is good leader material.. not good for the while spool...

True, fluoro makes good leader material. but also False, it is good for the whole spool. I Use Seaguar InvisX on my worm rod (baitcaster), and it's awesome. I don't however, use it on spinning reels. that's when I'll use it as a leader. Or on my reels with braid when fishing clear water.

BB

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by The Doc

When fishin a crankbait, you gotta run it into structure. Boat dock pilings, tree stumps, rocky bottom. Structure contact is key. It's how I caught this one.

Great fish!!!!!
Back to the subject at hand. If I'm gettin no action on a crank and I know the fish are there, I'll alter my retrieve before switching to a different crank. Reel it fast, reel it slow, pause it, jerk it...whatever it takes to attract the fish.
I'll also switch colors to see if that gets a response.
If this doesn't work with several cranks, then I throw on a fluorescent crawler. If that doesn't work, I kick somethin and head home

[TennesseeBassHawg]

what a nice buckethead, what part of the country are you fishing. it looks like the good old south to me. Lately i've been leaving my worm bag at home and making myself throw crankbaits. I've had great results.

[bcklash]

Welcome Hawg, you will enjoy the people on this site

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by MrPhotographer06

well i've got to buy some of these so called crankbaits

haha

any recomendations?

Bass Pro Shops XPS Nitro Minnows are a great place to start. Especially at $3.99
So are Cotton Cordell Jointed Grappler Shads.
Less than a week here and I already sound like a broken record!
I picked up a couple Smithwick Suspending Rogue Jr's a month ago but I'm in Michigan so the jury's still out, but I noticed that Cabela's has the Smithwick Floating Super Rogue on sale for $2.88. Perfect time to try those out.
I'm also dying to try out the Reef Runners i got the other day.
Michigan sucks

[MrPhotographer06]

i'll try and get some at BPS this weekend

[lazycricket000]

skelley as you know im with bomber

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by MrPhotographer06

i'll try and get some at BPS this weekend

You won't regret the Nitro Minnows. I recommend the chrome clown and silver shad colors

[Bassboss]

Originally Posted by MrPhotographer06

theres a pond i'm going to get out and fish this week thats real mossy but kinda clear..a friend of mine thats great at fishing [dont fish with him because he's verrryyy biast to what he fishes with and nothing else..and his ideas are right and no one elses are]

caught 5 extravagant fish last week off of crankbaits and plastic worms

1- 9 1/2 lb
2 8 lb
2 4.5 lbers

lots of 3 lb less..



he fishes it in the middle..






haha those are some hip-fired shots.. all those trees he says everyonee fishes them and theres nothing there.. he fishes the middle and catches fish..

its a shrine club pond and all the rich mofos go in there with there trailered sneakboats and trolling motors and go in there and make alot of noise..

Wow! lame!

[MrPhotographer06]

yeah haha that is lame

[Jim80]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

Most of the time, true. But if you look at amount of line retrieved per handle turn, you'd be surprised.

Standard 6.3:1 baitcaster: 26-28:
Abu Garcia Soron (2000 size): 5.1:1, 27"
Shimano Saros 2500: 6.0:1, 34"
Daiwa TD Pro 2500: 4.7:1, 28"

Just saying.



True, fluoro makes good leader material. but also False, it is good for the whole spool. I Use Seaguar InvisX on my worm rod (baitcaster), and it's awesome. I don't however, use it on spinning reels. that's when I'll use it as a leader. Or on my reels with braid when fishing clear water.

BB

I spool my spinning reel with Seaguar invizx as well and have had no problems as long as you take your time putting the line on the reel and close the bail by hand and not by turning the handle you should be fine .


Jim

[Bassboss]

Originally Posted by The Doc

When fishin a crankbait, you gotta run it into structure. Boat dock pilings, tree stumps, rocky bottom. Structure contact is key. It's how I caught this one.

btw what state you at?

[zooker]

sooo what your sayin is these guys need to own a $300 rod to chunk crankbaits with??

gee all this time i have been wrong. i thought that an $80 american rodsmith stick was the right thing...

but don't let a guy who fishes in the land that CRANKBAIT built.in the crown jewel of cranking it self-highrock lake- tell ya how to go about it...

i would not give 3 hoots in hell for either of your rod choices.. both have WAY to much feel and that fancy g-stik will break in less than 6 months...

zooker

[BigBassin144]

I've held the Loomis crankin' stik rod blank and, although light, it didn't seem much like a crankin' stick to me. The blank my crankin' rod is gettin' built on is made by Rainshadow (they mostly to rod building stuff). like 36 bucks, plus about 20 for a set of guides, 4 for a handle, 5 for cork (my dad has a lot left from when he used to build a lot of rods, so we only bought decorative cork), and the time it takes to build it. oh, and like a buck and half for some pearl thread as an accent to the black and yellow to match the skeet reese.

and why do you prefer a high speed reel for cranking? just wondering. I know the Skeet is high speed but the line retrieve is 24" btw a 6.3:1 high speed and a normal 5:1 cranking reel. and I don't do much, if any, cranking deeper than 10ft, so I won't worry about big deep cranks.

BB

[MrPhotographer06]

hey doc what was the weight on that fish?

[pacmanrocks]

Originally Posted by delawarebass

One of the most effective ways to catch huge bass in lakes and rivers are lipless crankbaits. These baits are especially effective when the water temperature is between forty-nine and fifty-eight degrees, especially in stained or muddy water in lakes and ponds, but it also works well in the rivers. Some of the techniques outlined below will help you catch bigger bass all over the country in the early spring starting in March, and peaking in April



TYPES OF BAITS




There are are variety of lipless crankbaits on the market that catch bass, but in the spring, in most lakes and ponds, in the Northeast, the Rat-L-Trap by Bill Lewis Lures, the Rattlin' Rapala, Lucky Craft, and the Ambush Stealth Diver, are some of the best. All lipless crankbaits have a different sound. Some are much louder than others, and will produce bass when some other quieter baits won't. At other times, the more quiet rattling baits will produce better. You just have to experiment with several baits until you find the ones that are producing best in the particular body of water you're fishing. Sometimes the same baits, in the same size, by the same company, make slightly different sounds that can be better than the other, and experimentation is the only way to find which bait works the best. Some baits won't run as true at different speeds, and they turn sideways a little more than others, so you just have to watch them in the water, and find the best ones. The hooks should always be changed to a premium hook system such as Daiichi or X-Point. There are many other great hooks, but I prefer these. Most of your lipless crankbaits should be used in a 1/4 to 1/2 ounce size, but recently, bigger bass in the Northeast and in Florida have hit the larger Salt Water Traps in the 3/4 to 1-1/2 ounce sizes.



COLORS OF BAITS




The best colors for the spring, especially if you have a lot of crawfish in the lake, are red, red/orange, and other variations of these colors. Some have spots on them and these are very effective. The standard chrome, and chrome with a blue back, and chrome and red, have worked especially well for the larger bass. If the water is extremely stained to muddy, we forund that the red, and the chartreuse/brown combinations work well in this kind of situation. If you have a lot of bluegill in the area, and less crawfish or shad, then the Bluegill/Suncracker patterns work very well. The primary forage in the lakes are the best patterns, unless you know that many anglers are aware of this, and are using these colors also. Then switching to unconventional patterns can fool some of the wary bigger bass. Again, we switch only the front hook to a "Bleeding Bait Hook" by TTI-Blakemore, (Daiichi), and then change the back hook to the same brand but in the traditional nickel color.




TECHNIQUES




Most people just cast the baits out and reel them straight in. While this will always catch some bass, there are more specialized methods that trigger strikes from the bigger bass. Cast the Rat-L-Traps out, and depending on the depth of the water, count them down to the level of the fish before starting the retrieve, and if it is a sandy and/or gravel/rocky type of bottom, let them sink to the bottom, then slowly raise the tip of the rod till you feel the lure vibrating, reeling the slack up slowly, then lower the rod tip, and do it again. Many times they will hit as it is on the bottom, and first starts to be lifted up. If these techniques don't work in a few hours, use a slight pumping action of the rod as you reel, keeping contact with the bait. If it hits a rock, weeds, or other structure, hesitate a second, and then rip it off quickly, and reel it in with a steady retrieve. You can also yo-yo the bait similar to a spoon or spinnerbait in deeper water near points and drop-offs, which can be extremely effective in colder water or on inactive fish that are suspended. Most of the time in water below fifty-eight degrees they hit very mushy, like grass or leaves, or even like you are snagged on a small branch, but most of the time it is a bass.


As they get close to the boat they will see you and make a dash for the trolling motor, and down to deeper water, sometimes even breaking the surface to throw the lure. The bass have to played very carefully as lipless crankbaits come out of the bass's mouth much more easily than you might imagine. Most of the bass will be in the shallower water off the flats, near deeper water, rip-raps, if available, or any place where there are baitfish and/or cover near the north shore or bay, close to food sources, near their traditional spawning areas.




EQUIPMENT




I like to use spinning gear for the smaller 1/4 ounce baits, and I use baitcast gear for the larger 1/2 to 1 1/2 ounce baits. I use a 7 foot spinning rod in medium action for the smaller baits, so as not to pull the bait from their mouths, usually a S- Glass rod, a G.Loomis Cranking Stick, or a "Kistler" rod. In the baitcasters, I use a 7 foot, medium to med/heavy rod, with a high speed reel, but many people prefer a good reel in a 5:0:1 or 5:3:1 gear ratio. I always use P-Line or McCoy in ten to twelve pound test, but eight pound test is preferred by many. Stren is also a good line for this. Fan cast the baits in as many directions as possible in the prime areas such as the mouths of the back bays with creeks, where grasses and riprap are on a harder bottom, and you will start picking up some of these monsters this spring. A good scent on the baits, such as "Megastrike" can't hurt either.

Great article here. Everyone knows that you have to rely on your budget on what type of equipment to use but he lists what works best for him and in general for lipless cranks.

[zooker]

i didn't see the need to answer you before...but since your just beggin for an answer i'll point blank tell ya...

look around on this site...better than 1/2 the currant active members have been bass fishing about 3 years or less,most of them are under 25 years old. these guys are the future of bass anglin. in 10 to 15 years they will be where "we" are right now..

most of these guys have been on the "other" sites.. that are full of the "if your don't have $700 in a combo we don't know you" attitude..as i have personally seen it my self and personally know some of those idiots..these pompus blow hards really tick me off..



keep in mind 98% of these guys don't blow $10,000 a year in tackle..in fact in my opinon for these guys buying 1 or 2 decent sticks a year is a BIG deal..

since i consiter kevins site my own personal lil play ground. i don't bring the name of the tackle company i work for here..could i ? certainly...however i refuse to do it here...i am the guy behind tens of thousands of post,-spam if you will- on other sites...so yeah i know some one trying to promote something when i see it..you throwin down your website link every other post is just that...if your product/service is good they will come to your site.i have looked your site over it seemed ok to me..



i understand more about your style of bass fishing then most of the others here..i have my own opinion on "trophy" bass anglers which i wont get into at this time..could the guys on this site use some help in catching bigger fish i believe so. just take into account what i wrote above..

zooker

[WTL]

I'll back what Zook is saying a little bit. This site is different, it is not an advertising board so when we see what looks like a guy who is only pimping tackle we react to it. We want this to be a genuine place where the kids are taught not to chase the newest lures and junk, but actually where they learn to think.

We have lit in to people before for trying to corrupt this site, and trust me what zook said is very very mild compared to what is normally said. Just keep in mind where you're at and you will be fine.