Learning Crankbaits

[amateurfishing]

How does someone "learn" to use crankbaits and other similar artificial lures stick baits, rattle raps, etc. from the different brands to the colors/profiles to the different body types, and depth profiles, not to mention proper combo setup from reel to line to pole to get the best/most use out of them. I have been slowly stocking up on sales and have had minimal success in the past but am hoping to crank (no pun intended) it up a notch on the success chart this year instead of throwing darts at the board.

[dan z]

Casting or trolling. As they match the hatch and reed your locator to see were the majority of the fish are and then use the correct lipped bait to get to those fish. Its really tough to learn and time on the water will only increase your knowledge on what crank goes were. I have my plano boxes all marked up as for depth wise. I think the toughest thing is learning the depths and how much line out with your pound line will change this drastically and then put how fast your going. I'm kinda new at it but its fun once your dialled in. I learned a ton going to seminars and reading.

[MattL]

It's tough to sum everything up in one post, but for me the learning process came down to a lot of trial and error (and getting skunked alot). I did, and still do, read as many online articles as I can.

One way to zero in on the correct size, profile, and color is to pay attention to what the fish you catch are puking up in the livewell or cut their bellies open when they are on the fillet board.

[JakeJ_Mn]

Your cranks need work down to the proper depth that holds the fish you are targeting. There is a trolling book if you can find one that shows lures/line/feet behind and speed to attain a certain depth.

I agree with trial and error. For example, if you are targeting walleye in a sand flat 10' depth, a #5 shad rap - with 10# fireline / 120' behind the boat @2.5mph will bring the lure down approx. 9'. I use line counters for more accuracy.

Colors can be based on what the fish is eating, grey sky/sunny sky, time of day. Only time on the water makes it better, but not perfect.

[tunrevir]

There generally is a diving range printed on the box of the cranks when you purchase them. Some will give a range of 6to8 feet. These are general guidelines but the dive curves will increase or decrease based on the line diameter and the distance the lure is away from the boat. The dive curves are typically based on a standard cast with 10# line. There are a lot of variables that go into the running depth of a crank, length of line on the cast, diameter of line and even speed of the retrieve. One thing I do is I put similar sized cranks in my box and take a sharpie and label the top end of the box with the suggested running depths. This way, at a glance I know that a #5 shad rap will run 6 to 8 feet or a wallydiver 8 to 10'. I use these as reference points for the water depth I am targeting. After you fish cranks for awhile you will learn what lures will run at what depths. When trolling cranks there are resources available with written dive curves for specific line diameters and even dive curves which you can use to extrapolate what depth a lure may reach on the cast. Once you get the crank baits dialed in you will really enjoy fishing them. One of my favorite ways to fish!

Tunrevir~

[Borch]

Precision Trolling is an excellent resource for dive curves. I think they have an app out as well but not sure if it's been released or not yet.

Otherwise I tend to use stickballs more when the water is colder and shad baits more in the warmer water months. Then there's action types, rattles or not and colors to consider as well. Not to mention trolling speed.

Helps when you have a couple of people in the boat to try some different stuff until you get it dialed in.

[amateurfishing]

I have been searching out the precision trolling books, wife also bought me 2 packs of stickers from ff last year. I have also read the dive curve on the packaging and have the app on the phone (just have not purchased anything specific on it yet). I was just wondering more about fire line compared to lead core, does brand make a difference or the type like rattle rap, stick bait, shad rap, colors, profiles, etc., rattles better than non rattling, etc.

im sure time on the water is the best answer & cure just like learning the new fish finder but was hoping to speed the learning curve up just a little bit in hopes of having a little more success for my son. I did get 2 lead core setups on sale late last year but unfortunately did not get a chance to use them, maybe that will be a bigger game changer alone more than I realize. It usually just my son and I on the boat and he is a real trooper even with only 1 fish in 6 hours!

[tazimna]

for trolling cranks, a line counter reel REALLY helps take the guess work out of the equation. Rig up different cranks and run depths till you hit bottom or weeds, look at amount of line out, write down for later reference and your set to go.Once you have the distance down, it's not to complicated to run cranks. Good luck

[fridron]

As a basic guide on line, Fire Line, etc will generally run 1/2 again as deep as the general rule of 10# mono [10' on mono, 15' on FL at 120 fol]. I have 2 line counter set-ups for rod holders and/or in-line planers in the boat, but also have a 6.5' rod with colored braid that I like to hand hold while shallow water trolling with Raps and still know how much line for depth. Nothing beats the feel of a fish hitting the rod while you're holding it. Super lines will wear out the pads on your in-lines a lot faster.

[amateurfishing]

for trolling cranks, a line counter reel REALLY helps take the guess work out of the equation. Rig up different cranks and run depths till you hit bottom or weeds, look at amount of line out, write down for later reference and your set to go.Once you have the distance down, it's not to complicated to run cranks. Good luck

How do you know when you are hitting bottom?

[kfk]

Some things you have to take the time to learn on your own. Crankbaits is one of them. Read all the articles you can find, watch some videos, go to seminars, and fish with someone that knows how to fish with crankbaits.

The most important thing is to spend time on the water and learn how to do it for yourself.

[jjohnson5150]

You can tell by the vibration changing and tapping the bottom. If you get into weeds on the bottom, the lure will usually surface. If dialed in, the crank bait should vibrate the tip of your rod slightly for a shallow runner or a great deal for a deep diver. I usually pull my trolling rod out of the rod holder every few min or so and give it a few sweeps to make sure it's still running right. I troll quite a bit from a pontoon. A number 5 rap dives to 4' with fire line and 150 revolutions of line out at 2 mph. It does not dive as deep since I'm already up high in the pontoon. This tells you each can be different depending on your boat, speed, lure, line, rod, amount of line out, etc. Spring and fall can be incredibly productive fishing this way, but it takes a time investment to dial it in. The best way is to get out there before the weeds start so you don't have to deal with them right away then move deep per as the weed line develops. Running this set up in the wind can change the depths and create different challenges, but the results are usually quite good if you can keep the boat from blowing into shore.

[amateurfishing]

thx all, but using lead core is a completely different animal compared to fire line, right?

[CaptainMusky]

Yes lead core is completely different animal than fire line. Depending on. Brand of lead core you can tell depth based on "colors" of line you have out. Typically 10 yards per color. I really wouldn't use leadcore until heat of summer like July and August. Before or after that just typical flat lining is best. Spring use smaller lures than fall.

[slick2526]

Dive curve charts with what pound and type of line with the bait your using is a must in my opinion when trolling. Also get your self sometime a of a line counter set up if you plan on trolling.

I would also watch as many jason mitchell, indepth outdoors, and anglersxperience videos and I could on youtube. Reading a article only does so much for me. I like to see the task actually being done and them explaining at the same time.

Casting and trolling cranks are two different types of fishing all together in my opinion. Lots of different ways to work a crank when casting and retrieving a crank compared to trolling. Stick type baits for the spring and fall and shad type baits for mid summer.

I am not a expert at all but the knowledge I have grasped off of youtube has helped a lot.

[Borch]

amatuerfishing,

Great way to learn beside the ways mentioned here so far is to jump in the boat with someone with lots of crank experience and knowledge. There's so much that guys do that they wouldn't even think about mentioning in the forums.

Tuning cranks, size, profile, action, modifying hooks, color, line, snaps, rod holder/holding onto rod, speed, reels, rods, storage, leadcore, snap weights, planer boards, etc...

[amateurfishing]

what kind of setup is needed for casting and retrieving? rod/reel/line

[mainbutter]

I was 10ish, my dad put a spinning rod in my hand with a jointed floating rap on it in perch colors.

He told me to cast and retrieve and catch fish.

Sometimes I caught fish, sometimes I didn't. It was fun, but it wasn't rocket science. Getting yourself to where the fish are is the confusing part, not picking the one magic lure.

[tunrevir]

The type of setup for casting cranks will depend on your preference of using a spinning reel or a bait caster. For lighter cranks I like a 7' medium action spinning rod and a 2500 series reel. Why the 2500 because it has a larger spool which will give you longer casts compared to the 1000 series reels. By lighter cranks I am talking about shad raps, Wally divers, flicker shads and most minnow style "stick" baits. I like a moderate taper with a fast tip and the longer rod allows me to cast further and the fast tip with the moderate taper allows me to feel what the bait is doing on the retrieve. For running heavier cranks say 1/2 oz or more I use a 7' medium heavy rod with a arbu Garcia c4 reel. I like the c4 due to the 6.3:1 gear ratio which allows me to burn cranks and spinnerbaits at a good clip but still maintain power to battle big fish. This can turn into a Chevy vs. Ford debate on whether baitcasters are better then spinning reels but I would say stick to whatever type of setup you are most used to fishing with. On my spinning rods I run 8# Berkeley trilene xl and direct tie to the bait and on the bait caster I use 40# power pro and generally direct tie to the bait. When you tie direct you get a slightly better feel telegraphed up the line for what the bait is doing. Some guys like to use swivels to their crankbaits which tends to slightly deaden the feel of the lure and may also change the swimming characteristics of the bait. I have seen times when baits tied direct out fished those with swivels and vice versa. Heavier and stiffer mono can change the diving depth of a crank as well as reduce the action again sometimes this can work in your favor or to your detriment. If you are looking at buying a setup specifically for casting cranks talk with the salsperson, tell them the types of baits you will be fishing and the type of fish you fish for mostly and ask what they recommend. I am sure others will chime in to the types of sit-ups they prefer for casting baits as well which may assist you in your decision.

Tunrevir~

[amateurfishing]

anyone know of any decent low end combos that would be a good starting point for cast & retrieve, already have trolling setups.

[delcecchi]

What do you mean by low end? I have had Berkely Lightning rods in the past and liked them pretty well. Under $40.

Spinning or baitcasting? feel the spinning reels and see how smooth they crank. Should be able to get an acceptable spinning reel for like $40. Baitcasting a little more. I see the Abu Garcia silvermax is 60 bucks and gets good reviews.

So for in the $100 or under. Bass Pro has a spinning combo with a Pflueger President and one of their rods for 69.95 that I wouldn't be afraid to buy.