Hey guys, since you were all so helpful about the braided/mono/flouro and jigs I thought I'd ask about crank baits too. I know they're a good lure and I use them all the time, but I never actually have a reason to use them. I just say, hey I'm going to use a crank bait and then I pick a random depth and color and throw it out there. I think I've only caught one bass on a crank bait but I've used it a lot. Any advice that might help me pick a time to use a crank bait instead of just randomly guessing (and failing)?
i'm not an expert on cranking at all and don't do it too much so i can't comment on times but i do know that depth is important. you don't want to throw one that dives to 10' when it's 15' unless you're deflecting it off of something like rocks, trees, whatever. you typically throw something that reaches the depth you're fishing and then some so it's running on the bottom kicking stuff up and deflecting off of structure. that is the key. most hits come when the crank bounces off of something like a rock and you pause.
colors usually follow the general rules across all lure types - match the hatch, and natural darker colors for clear water, brighter colors for stained. overall, crank baits are reaction strike lures. bass usually aren't going to chase one down because it looks like good food. for the most part you're covering a lot of water, making extremely long casts, and finding structure to deflect it off of. or strategically casting to an area and depth where you know you can bounce it off of stuff.
colors usually follow the general rules across all lure types - match the hatch, and natural darker colors for clear water, brighter colors for stained. overall, crank baits are reaction strike lures. bass usually aren't going to chase one down because it looks like good food. for the most part you're covering a lot of water, making extremely long casts, and finding structure to deflect it off of. or strategically casting to an area and depth where you know you can bounce it off of stuff.
yup, what he said - that's it in a nutshell.
you only really need three colors - a shad or baitfish design(summer and fall), firetiger(dingy water), and a crawfish(early spring, or if you're after smallmouth). The ( __ ) are just suggestions, as there are no hard/fast rules when it comes to bass fishing.
Of course there are a bajillion variations on these three(Sexy Shad is a color that's all the rage right now), but you get the drift - match the hatch, i.e. give em what they're eating. If a pond or lake has yellow perch as a baitfish, give em a yellow perch design. Aelwives or herring, same deal.
I'm a shore angler(unfortunately) so I usually have to fish shallow water exclusively, so that's reflected in my lure choices, so I don't have any big-billed 20+ divers.
One of the most fish-catchingness crankbaits EVER is the Bomber Model A - I absolutely LOVE it.
Another killer bait that is GREAT for shore anglers(and boat anglers too) is the Mann's Baby-1 Minus. It dives to only 1' deep, guaranteed. You can also reel it super-slow to just wake/wiggle it at the surface. It's excellent for retrieving over the top of submerged vegetation.
you only really need three colors - a shad or baitfish design(summer and fall), firetiger(dingy water), and a crawfish(early spring, or if you're after smallmouth). The ( __ ) are just suggestions, as there are no hard/fast rules when it comes to bass fishing.
Of course there are a bajillion variations on these three(Sexy Shad is a color that's all the rage right now), but you get the drift - match the hatch, i.e. give em what they're eating. If a pond or lake has yellow perch as a baitfish, give em a yellow perch design. Aelwives or herring, same deal.
I'm a shore angler(unfortunately) so I usually have to fish shallow water exclusively, so that's reflected in my lure choices, so I don't have any big-billed 20+ divers.
One of the most fish-catchingness crankbaits EVER is the Bomber Model A - I absolutely LOVE it.
Another killer bait that is GREAT for shore anglers(and boat anglers too) is the Mann's Baby-1 Minus. It dives to only 1' deep, guaranteed. You can also reel it super-slow to just wake/wiggle it at the surface. It's excellent for retrieving over the top of submerged vegetation.
I've had real good luck with various colored lipless crankers this season. I like them because you can basically control the depth by the amount you let it sink and speed you reel in. The hooks are always out in the open, so not the best in thick weeds, but sometimes are good when the weeds are sparse, and obviously in open water over rocks or around trees (not in the trees though!).
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Hey guys, since you were all so helpful about the braided/mono/flouro and jigs I thought I'd ask about crank baits too. I know they're a good lure and I use them all the time, but I never actually have a reason to use them. I just say, hey I'm going to use a crank bait and then I pick a random depth and color and throw it out there. I think I've only caught one bass on a crank bait but I've used it a lot. Any advice that might help me pick a time to use a crank bait instead of just randomly guessing (and failing)?
I was intrigued with the crankbait hype as well. I watched all the youtube videos and the pros throwing the crankbaits and realing in these monsters.... but it doesn't make sense in the northeast it seems. There's very little clear water fishing... most of the fish caught up in these parts are caught in cover, ie where you have a difficult time throwing a crankbait.
With the treble hooks on a crankbait, it seems like if you go through weeds, you're going to get hung up and lose the lure. I went to Bass Pro Shops and bought a bunch of 2$ crankbaits out of the bargain bin to give it a try... not a big loss if I lose it. I thought I would give it try.
Can anyone share some experience fishing a crankbait through cover up in our parts???
With the treble hooks on a crankbait, it seems like if you go through weeds, you're going to get hung up and lose the lure. I went to Bass Pro Shops and bought a bunch of 2$ crankbaits out of the bargain bin to give it a try... not a big loss if I lose it. I thought I would give it try.
Can anyone share some experience fishing a crankbait through cover up in our parts???
You're right that crankbaits aren't too hot in heavy weeds. But there are situations where they can and do work.
1) Fishing around docks, stumps, rocks, and other hard cover. Deflect them off the cover as best you can. The bill and the angle of the crankbait should help prevent hangups. You can even fish certain crankbaits in flooded brush, but expect some hangups now and then. Or, in my case, all the friggin' time.
2) Fish it over weed beds. Sometimes a shallow diver, like a 1-Minus or a waking crankbait will call up fish hiding in the weeds. Bonus points for ever so gently ticking the weeds. Ease up when you do, or you'll get buried in the weed. This requires a pretty sensitive setup to not go nuts. I tend to just get a louder crankbait and impart some erratic behavior myself.
3) Fish it parallel to weed bed edges. Again, the trick is to make contact with the bottom if possible.
4) Fish on the Cape, or in places not choked by weeds =)
It's definitely easier to fish the crankbait when it's colder out. Spring is nice because the weeds aren't grown in yet, and a nice tight wobble crankbait can be just the ticket on the spring bass. One of the things you have going for you with a crankbait is that you know what depth it runs. So if the fish are sitting in 8 feet of water off a ledge, tie on a crankbait that dives 9-10 and fish it parallel to the part of the ledges where the fish sits. You don't have to wonder if you're at the right depth, the feedback from the lure will tell you.
1) Fishing around docks, stumps, rocks, and other hard cover. Deflect them off the cover as best you can. The bill and the angle of the crankbait should help prevent hangups. You can even fish certain crankbaits in flooded brush, but expect some hangups now and then. Or, in my case, all the friggin' time.
2) Fish it over weed beds. Sometimes a shallow diver, like a 1-Minus or a waking crankbait will call up fish hiding in the weeds. Bonus points for ever so gently ticking the weeds. Ease up when you do, or you'll get buried in the weed. This requires a pretty sensitive setup to not go nuts. I tend to just get a louder crankbait and impart some erratic behavior myself.
3) Fish it parallel to weed bed edges. Again, the trick is to make contact with the bottom if possible.
4) Fish on the Cape, or in places not choked by weeds =)
It's definitely easier to fish the crankbait when it's colder out. Spring is nice because the weeds aren't grown in yet, and a nice tight wobble crankbait can be just the ticket on the spring bass. One of the things you have going for you with a crankbait is that you know what depth it runs. So if the fish are sitting in 8 feet of water off a ledge, tie on a crankbait that dives 9-10 and fish it parallel to the part of the ledges where the fish sits. You don't have to wonder if you're at the right depth, the feedback from the lure will tell you.
one of the keys to bass fishing is forget about losing lures - it happens, don't sweat it. Does it suck? yeah, but that's an acceptable risk for what could be the fish of a lifetime. Any cast could result in a personal best... or more.
Don't be afraid to throw in the nasty stuff - appropriate to the lure, of course - bass will bury up in stuff where you wouldn't think they can even swim, I've seen it with my own eyes(pickerel too!). If you're afraid to throw into someplace for fear of losing a lure, you're gonna miss out on alot fish you might otherwise catch.
Don't be afraid to throw in the nasty stuff - appropriate to the lure, of course - bass will bury up in stuff where you wouldn't think they can even swim, I've seen it with my own eyes(pickerel too!). If you're afraid to throw into someplace for fear of losing a lure, you're gonna miss out on alot fish you might otherwise catch.
I use the smaller cranks like -1's during the cooler water months. Staying with shallow baits I also like a j9 and shallow rap color based on water clarity for sluggish fish. The traps are also usually an early/late in the year bait for me. But I do use them in deeper water during the warmer months do to it's ability to be fished deep becasue I have little confidence in bigger billed baits to date the deepest crank I tosss is a berkley frenzy mid depth billed bait say around 8 feet.
Rapala's DT series is supposed to be really good. 'DT' means 'dives to', so the number is the depth it will go. They also have one called the DT Thug, which is supposed to be a beefed-up version... it also comes with some funky "Sure Set" trebles:
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10209781____SearchResults
I dig just about everything Rapala makes.
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10209781____SearchResults
I dig just about everything Rapala makes.
I'm pretty much a Rapala fan boy, but the one issue I have with the floaters is that they are soooo light for their size that they can be a little hard to cast, especially in wind.
I ordered up a yo-zuri floating crystal minnow to try out -- they are significantly heavier than the Rapalas. Looking forward to trying it out.
-G
I ordered up a yo-zuri floating crystal minnow to try out -- they are significantly heavier than the Rapalas. Looking forward to trying it out.
-G
I'm pretty much a Rapala fan boy, but the one issue I have with the floaters is that they are soooo light for their size that they can be a little hard to cast, especially in wind.
yeah, I'd always go to Bomber Long A's when the wind was up back in the day - we'd go walleye fishing at night in the fall and just slay em on #11 Rapala floating minnows. Orange back with the gold sides was our best producer. My buddy thought I was nuts, but I even went up as high as a #18... my biggest was a 7.78 pounder, which is huge down in Oklahoma(my home state).
If you fish water with alot of rip-rap that is a great area for crank baits. Just bounce it of the rocks and it will produce. Also the square-billed crankbait are made to go throughall types of cover and they actually work. If you have large areas of grass use a lipless crank bait on braid and rip it through.
