Crankbait Setups

[Deitz Dittrich]

in my opinion there is really very little advantage to using braid when cranking. I do it in the fall when I am rippin traps on weed edges.. but thats about it. You can usually get deeper with braid as well.. but be prepaired to loose more fish as well.

[NTW]

You can get deeper with braid than flouro? Do both have the same sinking characteristics?

[Deitz Dittrich]

I would assume you can get deeper with braid as there is less resistance to the water because of a smaller diameter. Braid floats, but the smaller diam will cut through the water.. I could be wrong though.

[Cecil]

You can get deeper with flouro than anything. Braid has too much resistance in the water to allow that depth.

[TonkaBass]

All I know is that I don't think I'll be switching from my floro any time soon, I love that stuff!

[NTW]

I agree with you on the flouro, especially for jerkbaits. I am under the impression that flouro should give max depth because it sinks. I've never thrown cranks at fish deeper than 12' but have plans to this year.

[RK]

Hiya -

I do crank with braid at times, and I think between 20# braid and 12# fluoro it's about a dead heat on diving depth. I suppose there's some difference but there are also so many other variables that it's not something I'd worry about.

I crank with braid mainly when I'm fishing deep divers around coontail in late summer and early fall. With braid you can load the rod then snap your wrist and pop it loose - with no stretch in the braid it's a lot easier to clean off your lure so you're not wasting a cast dredging up salad.

But... You have to have the right rod for sure, and the right rod for braid might not be the best for fluoro. Ideally, I think a glass/graphite composite would be best. I get by with a very parabolic graphite rod because I don't use braid often enough to justify a rod just for braid and cranks (my rod lockers are full enough as it is...), but I need to be really careful fighting fish. I set my drag pretty loose and lock my thumb down on the spool when I snap off weeds.

HTH -

Rob Kimm