crank baits

[basschamp4]

i understand this topic has probabaly been covered many times but i have never had an ounce of luck on a crank bait will someone please help me out

time of day?
line?
rod?
type of water?
how deep?

if any one could help me out it would be greatly appreciated

[lunker-lander]

Well, it all starts with the rod. For a rod, I like about 7', M-MH power, and a moderate or moderate-fast action tip. This would be a great rod to cover about all cranking applications. Of course, for deeper or lipless baits you may want a dedicated rod, but for starting, this rod would be almost unbeatable. I use a St. Croix Premier Crankbait Series, MH, Moderate Action. You can find this rod for around $120.00. I'd also recommend Falcon, Fenwick Elite Tech Crankbait Rod, G. Loomis, BPS, etc.

Of course, with a rod, you'll also need a reel. The reel I use is a 6.2:1 Shimano Citica, Left-hand. Some people may disagree with the gear ratio, but I like to "burn" my baits. This means cranking fast as to create a reaction strike or bite. This is a great reel because it has "High Efficiency Gearing", (HEG), which is used to crank baits without excessive cranking power and strain on the user.

As for line, I like 10 lb. monofilament. Yes, some people will disagree with the fact that it's 10 lb., but 10 lb. will get your deep baits deeper and will allow you to hoss alomost any bass from the depths. Some people prefer fluorocarbon, but it gets expensive. Braid is also OK, but you have to be light on hooksets.

As for areas to fish crankbaits - nearly anywhere where bass hide! My all-time favorites include: drop-off's, boat docks, deep weedbeds, open flats, rocky ledges, standing timber, rock piles, etc. Mainly anywhere where you can fling a trebled lure without excessive snagging.

Hope that helps you out,

-Lunk-

[brushhog]

Lunk, as a teacher I have to ask, do you put that much detail into your school work?

basschamp- crankin' is work, you've got to stick with it and get comfortable with your presentation. It might help if you tell us what crankbaits you are fishing and what kind of water you are fishing....

[lunker-lander]

Originally Posted by brushhog

Lunk, as a teacher I have to ask, do you put that much detail into your school work?

basschamp- crankin' is work, you've got to stick with it and get comfortable with your presentation. It might help if you tell us what crankbaits you are fishing and what kind of water you are fishing....

Haha... I try to Teach. For my Middle School career, (6-8th Grade), I recieved straight A's on 10 of 12 card markings.

-Lunk-

[Marty]

I've used crankbaits extensively ever since I started fishing 39 years ago. I'll give them a try almost any time and place as long as the cover permits it, which means when the weeds aren't prohibitively thick. I would start with shallow crankbaits over some weed tops and cover a lot of water if necessary. I consider this a fairly high percentage method of catching something and you need to catch some to give yourself the necessary confidence to continue with them.

As far as I'm concerned, crankbaits rank near or at the top in a lure's ability to attract strikes and I hate to see someone deprive themself of such a potent weapon.

[BigBassin144]

Time: I use crankbaits all the time. If you're using them at night or early morning, make sure they have rattles.
Line: 10lb Mono. I'd suggest Stren Orig. or Suffix (Elite or Seige).
Rod: I prefer a spinning rod for cranking. 7' M should cover most crankbaits, I'd go a little longer and to a MH rod for larger cranks.
Reel: Shimano Symetre. Gear ratio not too fast, yet not to slow. For larger cranks, go with a 5.1:1 gear.
Where: Same as time, Pretty much anywhere. Crank them over weeds, use them as a search bait in open water, cranks can even be used as topwaters (i.e. XCalibur Wakebait). Also Square and Coffin billed crankbaits can be fihed through more cover (weeds, wood, etc.) then regular ones.

As for which cranks: Bandit 100 Series in Bluegill has been my favorite crankbait this past year. All the Bandits are great though. Rapala DT's (DT's DT Flats, DT Fats, DD Sure Set) All good baits.

BB

[Jigger]

For me, rocks or rip rap= crankbaits.

[bassnman30]

Time of day: Morning through nite.
Line: 10 lb mono. or flouro.
Rod: Stiff back bone w/a flexible tip (I have a G. Loomis 906). However much cheaper rods are available.
Type water: Less than muddy
How deep: I've caught most of my bass on a med. crankbait. (4'-6') However in the late summer and winter they may be deeper, 10'-16' deep. Once in a tounament I caught 2 that weighed more than 10 lbs.
My partner caught 5 that weighed over 27 lbs. All fish were caught on Bagleys db III over stumps.
Reel: med to slow, 5.1 or 4.1.

[basstech]

speed of retrieve is critical. I think most people tend to crank to fast. Typically the correct speed of retrieve is determined first by the bait you're using and then by the activity level of the fish. I always first start cranking at a speed the allows me to feel the crank working and getting max vibration throught the rod tip. For deep divers strictly use a moderate action tip rather than fast or extra fast. I, like lunker tend to prefer the st. croix premier cranking series of rods, but for deep divers I strictly use a glass rod. all my stuff is 6'6" or shorter though. That's my 5cents(due to inflation has gone up from 2).

[Lilmoosecountry]

Ok young man when i started tournament fishing long-long time ago. I was the crankbait king well before fritts. My #1 bait was the Rapala Shad Raps. Speed is the most important issue. Now you need to expierment alittle on your part. I've had days when i had to burn a bait to get a fish to strike. I've had others when i could'nt go slow enough. But after you find that speed that there hitting.Your best bet is to stick with that speed. Shad Raps are a for giving bait the will let vary your speed. Limp lines like braids are fine. If you use mono 6 to 8lb works the best nothing over ten. This line size will give you the most control over a shad Rap.

[lunker-lander]

I burn almost all my baits.

-Lunk-

[Patrick Krueger, Jr.]

My first serious year of bassin' I used cranks almost all of the time. They were definitely my confidence bait. Everyone above has given good advice. Just stick to it, try different brands, stop and go, burn 'em, just don't put them down for one outing and you'll get bit.

[Texas_Justice85]

get you a rick clunn 1.5 in lavender shad and youll be good to go

[k-money]

Rat-L-traps work good around stumps. They make a bunch of noise that attracts the fish. It works good for bass, but it also works pretty good for Pike.

[pignjig]

Basschamp, for what it's worth, I learned to crank by taking nothing but cranks to the water and throwing them all day. There wasn't any plastic, jigs or spinnerbaits to use as a back up. If you've got a buddy who's good with cranks, maybe ask him/her to go with you and just throw cranks all...day...long. Good luck!

-Pig

[Patrick Krueger, Jr.]

Originally Posted by Texas_Justice85

get you a rick clunn 1.5 in lavender shad and youll be good to go

Dude, those are great! I lost the three I bought, gotta' get more. But Bomber's Model A has caught me a ton of bass, and they're the right price.

[basstech]

Keep in mind no one crankbait is a do it all bait that works well all the time, you still have to match the cranks to the water and weather conditions, ( for color and action) and the correct depth so the fish can see it or find it easily. Sometimes the rattlin' baits spook fish, other times without rattles you won't get bit. There are always exceptions. I won't own say a rebel wee R in a craw pattern, but I know people do well on those all the time. Just something in my mind says the fish aren't probably going to see to many craws swimming a foot below the surface in 10 feet of water.

[fishin' fool]

I always match the crank I'm throwing to the season, current pattern, water clarity, light intensity, cover, bait present and water temp. So the possibilities of choosing what crank is endless. A good rule of thumb, in summer deep cranks, spring/fall shallower cranks until transitions periods. When Im fishing an area I usually throw a crank that runs deeper than the area Im fishing. This makes sure I get more contact with the bottom and structure. So if I'm fishing in 6-8 feet, I'll throw a crank that runs 10-12 feet.
Always match your rod and reel set up for either shallow or deep diving baits. When I'm throwing shallow square billed cranks, I use heavier line 14-17lb, 6-7 foot rod, and a reel with a lower gear such as 5:1:1. The slower gear gets the right performance from square billed baits, but if you go any slower than a 5 gear ratio for square bills, the action of the bait may be affected an not run right.
In summer, I throw baits that can run depths of 18 feet. I use 10 lb floro because it sinks in the water so it doesn't work against your crank when you're trying to reach max depths. Don't be afraid to throw 3/4 oz or 7/8 oz crank on 8 or 10 lb line, it can handle it. My rod choice is longer in summer because I'm not casting to any targets, I'm just trying to make the longest cast possible. For summer crankin I even go slower with my gear ratio, 4:1:1. The slower ratio will force you to move that crank very carefully through thick cover which will decrease ur hang ups.
One of the most over looked part about crankin is boat position! All cranks reach their max running depth for a short period of time and at different times. If you're fishing a small isolated piece of cover that requires that crankbait to hit it just persicly at that max depth; you have to position your boat so your bait will it that sweet spot at just the right time!
Remember lenght of cast, line size, line type, retrieve speed and rod postition will affect the running depth of crank baits. So its best to pay close attention when throwing them so you learn what works and what doesn't. Cranks can be a challenging bait to throw and learn how to use correctly. But they can be very affective, and thats why I love them!
Good fishin

[BassinBandit]

I love to throw a crankbait. I have a lot of confidence in it, The thing I do is I will throw one anywhere into any kind of brush or anything. If it gets hung up I will go get it. I rarely lose one, So my best tip would be to just throw it. You will catch fish on it. Just follow what alot of the guys have said on here about matching your crankbaits w/ forage.