Getting cranks deep

[Norco]

I always use live bait rigs and do well but want to expand my tecniques to deep water cranks but my problem is I don't really know whats the best way to start. How do I get a crank bait 30-40 ft deep? To get a crank that deep trolling would I not need to let out like 300-400 ft of line? Sounds like to much or how about three way rigging with a heavy weight, does that work. I have many Reef Runners and Walley Divers. Any advice would be great!! Oh yeah any of you use that Precision Trolling Book

[Bobb-o]

first off if you are fishing them that deep you have to understand that not many of the fish that you catch are actually going to survive it mostly catch and keep beyond aboot 25 feet. Three way-rigs do work quite well...... and in my opinion the precision trolling and precision casting books are like the bible......

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Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the former.
-Albert Einstein

[Walleye_GFA]

Get the trolling book, and if your gonna do alot of deep trolling invest $500 for a set or d riggers....

Remember when long line trolling at a certain point (depends on line weight and lure, again get the precision trolling book) letting out more line does no good... it just sags the line and may actually bring the lure back up a bit...

The inline weight is the best cheap idea, or you can buy some dipsy divers or other small "downrigger discs" that attach to the line and really get them down there, but they are REALLY hard to figure out exactly what depth they are running at... Need a slide rule to do the math...

Wally

[Scott Steil]

30-40 ft is pushing the limits of leadcore and snap weights. Especially if you are going to run any kind of plug that can actually catch fish.

Downriggers make if very easy to troll deep. However, if you are after walleye, usually trolling well above them is the way to go.

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Mille Lacs Guide Service
www.millelacsguideservice.com

[Norco]

Thanks for the advice guys! What depths do you guys run cranks at? I heard that cranks are best run when they bounce off the bottom sparaticly but will try running them over head of the fish. Like I said Im new at this and am looking for help to save my time on mistakes. Thanks

[Gerd]

If fish are 30-40 feet deep, crankbaits would not be my first choice to go after them. But if you insist on it, all of the methods described above are the way to go.

[Scott Steil]

Rarely do I run cranks on the bottom anymore. After fishing tournaments I have changed the way I think about fishing. Most of my cranks are run well off the bottom or suspended. However, I am looking for bigger fish.

There are times that ticking the bottom is the only way you can get bit pulling cranks. Usually the bite is really tough when this happens and you basically have to hit them in the mouth with it. The best way to become a good troller is to practice. Also, don't forget about casting cranks, I do way more casting then trolling throughout the year.

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Mille Lacs Guide Service
www.millelacsguideservice.com

[can it be luck?]

Scott's right. A lot of bigger walleye are up off the bottom feeding on suspended fish and aren't afraid to leave the "shelter" of the bottom. Fish hugging bottom are less active, and generaly smaller. A slower finesse approach is generally used. In the past my thinking was that ALL walleye were bottom dwellers, rarely ever straying far from it. My baits were jigs, slip sinker rigs, etc...I only caught one "trohy" walleye fishing like this. Numbers, yes. Size, no. Since fishing Lake Erie quite a few years back my tactics and views have changed....So has my catch's of big walleye! Applying this to other big bodies of water, and some small, I've been able to catch the larger fish and target areas I probably woudn't have in the past. My cranks never "tick" bottom, at times I've caught walleye in the upper 10' of 50' water. If I'm fishing for "big" walleye in lets say 40' of water, my baits will run anywheres from 14-30' down. It's not always needed to have your baits "on the bottom".

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[This message has been edited by can it be luck? (edited 10-07-2003).]

[MT Net]

For you crankbait trollers; what size crankbait are you using, lengths? I just started a bit of trolling, and really want to troll more next season.

Can it be luck, cool webpage, nice photos. Send me an email for your smilies.

[This message has been edited by MT Net (edited 10-07-2003).]

[MT Net]

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[can it be luck?]

MT Net, Thanks for the kind words about my pictures, I wish I had more room to put them all up! As far as cranks, I use mostly deep divers and some suspending type cranks. Hot-n-Tots,Shad Raps,Husky Jerks,Thundersticks,Reef Runners, and Frenzys. I dont know the size and numbers as far as the nomenclature is concerned, but 4"-6"s are how long they are. My E-mail is bigones_919@hotmail, if you care to let me in on the "secret" of the smileys. Thanks, Mark.

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[can it be luck?]

Darn, delayed post

[This message has been edited by can it be luck? (edited 10-10-2003).]