Tuning crankbaits

[eagle_3464]

How do you decide how to tune a crankbait when you can't see a physical difference in appearance or the way they run side by side 1 foot under the surface. I recently had great success on one particular crank so bought another the same. All conditions being the same, but the second has yet to get a strike. Apparently when it gets deeper in the water column it must not have the same action as the first. Has anyone experienced this and what do you do, short of purchasing a replacement?

[tunrevir]

Run it back behind the boat about 10-15' at trolling speed and watch the lure to see if it "washes out" to one side or the other. Once you determine which way the lure washes out, take a pliers and tweak the eyelet towards the side it washes out to and retest it to see if it is running true. You can have an easier time seeing how the lure runs with a superline like power pro or fireline versus mono as the vibration will transmit better up the rod. Sometimes, for whatever reason, a lure of the same type and color will not catch as many fish even when tuned correctly but that just gives you more reasons to load up on cranks

Tunrevir~

[scott b]

I read in a magazine once that only 1 out of twelve cranks will actually produce fish. When you find a crank that consistently produces, don't lose it.

[TravP]

I read in a magazine once that only 1 out of twelve cranks will actually produce fish. When you find a crank that consistently produces, don't lose it.

Ya, the writer must have been drunk.

[eagle_3464]

Quote:

Sometimes, for whatever reason, a lure of the same type and color will not catch as many fish even when tuned correctly but that just gives you more reasons to load up on cranks.

I like that thinking, but try and tell my wife that. She already thinks I have to many and then you get some that just don't produce.

Thanks for the info, I'll check it out though I haven't noticed this particular one washing out.

[tunrevir]

Just have to use the old, "What?, no these aren't new. They have been in my box forever, I just decided to try them out. " or remind her that cranks cost a fraction of what one pair of her shoes do. but don't throw in, "Speaking of shoes, what are you a centipede in training?" Good luck out there!

Tunrevir~

[delmuts]

That's not uncommon with crankbaits! The others may track/work fine as far as a person can tell, but there is something different that the fish like.I have several where i have four or five of each, but only one will catch fish. I mark that lure so i know which one it is. And i NEVER let anybody use that one!

[Jim Almquist]

I had a #7 perch Shad Rap that seemed to always catch walleyes to the point where the tooth holes in the body started to let water in. It actually got where it would suspend in the water instead of floating after a hour or two but it still caught fish.

[walleyeaddict]

Also "fish wear", as I refer to it, has a big impact.One Hawg or Northern often times will destoy a lure not physically but certainly in performance. But I also agree that all lures do NOT catch fish.

[Borch]

You can tune a crank in several different ways. Even if a crank runs true left/right does mean it's tuned right. Some baits just don't have the same action. By bending the lure tie down you will widen the wobble but the bait will run shallower. Bend it up and the wobble tightens and it will run deeper. I've had several baits that did catch fish suddenly become very effective once tuning the action of the lure.

[Northlander]

Also to get a real true running bait jack up your speed and then look at it behind the boat. How fast depends on what lures. Also removing certain(front) hooks will give the bait a different action that at times will increase your catch ratio. I have had certain Reef Runners that no matter what I did I couldnt get tuned. I run a lot of RR's so I send in all the bad ones at the end of the season and they send me new ones. They have been really good about that.

[tunrevir]

Good points there NL! It is really frustrating for first time trollers to get things down and when you have baits that wash out on you it makes it tough going. I stand by my statement about some baits being more productive then others even though they are of the same finish. Some produce over and over again and others just don't put fish in the boat. NL has certainly experienced this but untill you put alot of time on the water it can be tough to figure out.

Tunrevir~

[hanson]

I stand by my statement about some baits being more productive then others even though they are of the same finish. Some produce over and over again and others just don't put fish in the boat.

I concur with that and I think a little tooth rash on them may be a part of the attraction for some reason.

I know in the muskie world, some cranks have a tendency to dart to the side for whatever reason. They are running true and then out to the side. They aren't supposed to do this but they do. The erratic behavior of these cranks is the trigger. It probably happens with walleye cranks too to some degree as well.

When trolling, speed changes, starts & stops,etc are all triggering maneuvers. If the crankbait does something on its own that is a trigger, you got a winner!

[RumRiverRat]

Ya, the writer must have been drunk.

LOL!

[fishwater]

If you think a crank isn't performing deep, use a really heavy 3 way so it drops deep right off the side of the boat. This method allows you to surge the bait too.

[bucketmouth64]

You can tune a crank in several different ways. Even if a crank runs true left/right does mean it's tuned right. Some baits just don't have the same action. By bending the lure tie down you will widen the wobble but the bait will run shallower. Bend it up and the wobble tightens and it will run deeper. I've had several baits that did catch fish suddenly become very effective once tuning the action of the lure.

I will have to try the bending up/down. Haven't heard of this one. Good tip, Borch! Have you found this to work better for certain depth diving cranks(shallow/medium divers)?

[Borch]

It works best with baits where the tie off is on the nose of the bait rather than on the lip.