Crankbait tackle for Bass

[Guest]

Ok, I'm looking for the perfect crankbait tackle, it would be for open water cranking a lipless crank. I like St. Croix rods, so I'm thinking 7' Premier Medium Fast Action, with a 5.0:1 Curado, and spool that up with 10lb Silver Thread line. How does that sound??? any suggestions?

[RossT]

Cabela10,

Looks like you've got the right rod picked out and a good reel for the job, but you may want to use a high speed gear ratio (ie. 6.3:1) when fishing lipless cranks. You will need the extra speed to burn traps over the flats. As far as line, in my opinion, for lipless cranks, 10 is a bit too light. Try stepping up to 12, I prefer 14lb. Sensation - lower stretch and thin diameter, not mention it's very strong. Good Luck!

[delmuts]

like ross said; if you plan to use it mainly for rattle traps , then i would step up to a higher gear ratio reel. i just bought a 5.0:1 reel for fishing deeper cranks, and am finding it works well for slow rolling spinnerbaits too.

[fisher98]

Like they have already stated, the rod is right, the reel needs to be of higher ratio, but for my line of choice I would use a braid of some sort. When fishing lipless cranks you need to get the bait to tick the tops of the weeds, and when you do this you will occasionally get hung up, and that is when you need to rip it free. If you have ever watched Mike Iaconelli on the Bassmasters, he rips his cranks from weeds and this ripping action many times triggers bites.

If you want to use mono, use something around the 17-20 lb. test line, one that does not have a lot of stretch. You may be able to get away with lighter line if there is not much for weed growth.

my 2 cents!!!

fisher98

[sami0115]

i too would suggest using a higher speed reel like the 6.3:1 good choice with the Curado, the Shimanos are about all i use anymore.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Listen to what Ross has to say on this one... Ross is one of the better tounament anglers in MN and knows his stuff.

With Lipless crankbaits like Rattle Traps, speed is often one of the triggering aspects of the bait. A shimano curado SF would be much better suited for this job and will also give you longer casts. I often use a fiberglass rod or a composit rod when fishing traps. Fish are notorious for being able to throw these baits when they jump. A softer action rod will allow that bait a better chance of staying hooked up. I too lean twards 12 lb on lipless baits... but have used 10 in the past. P-line Premium is my preferance.

However, in the fall I will fish a trap on MH gear and braid... my intension here is to let the bait fall into the weeds and rip it out... I have caught some of my biggest fall bass this way.

Best of luck with the new rod and reel!

[carlcmc]

are lipless cranks effective in some of this cold water if we were fishing over in the backwaters this weekend? how about during bass opener? You guys talk about running it fast, will they strike on this in cold water? I had thought that slower presentations in colder water were called for?

I'm a neophyte to crankbaits. I've fished worms/senkos etc quite a bit but not cranks.

[fisher98]

Yes they are very effective!!! I probably will be throwing them this weekend in Wisconsin. They are a tremendous search lure that can be fished with many different retrieves. Some like to yo-yo the bait, some fish it like a jerk bait, and others vary the speed on a retrieve. Experiment with these different presentations and you will be succesful.

Also experiment with different colors. I like orange or crawfish imitators, firetiger, and a chrome color this time of year.

fisher98

[Deitz Dittrich]

As fish98 says. .they are quite effective in cold water. Its just a matter of finding a retrieve that works.. As stated they can be a great search lure, once you catch a fish slow down and work the area with slower baits to see how many may be there.

[Ray Esboldt]

I agree with Deitz's opinion on glass rods. I prefer a glass rod for any cranking situation. The fish just can't seem to muster up the leverage they need to throw the bait.

The trade off is the inability to rip a bait free from the weeds. A soft rod just doesn't tear through the weeds like a stiffer graphite would. I also like a slower reel, in the 5.x to 1 ratio. I've tried reeling faster reels slower, but it seems you lose some of the feel. But, really, that's probably just a mental thing for me.

12 lb. test is what I use for all cranking, but I will admit, heavy line with less stretch is nicer for lipless cranks around weed cover. I just like all the stretch and give in my setup because I know I lose less fish.

[FishinBill]

what brand rod do you get for glass rods? I have looked for some but haven't really found any.

also what are the price ranges?

I know st croix has premier glass rods. but then they have avid crankbait rods. doesn't say they are glass. Just looking for info on this b/c I throw lots of cranks and if glass is a better way to go then I need to adjust

[Deitz Dittrich]

fisbill.. I am switching all my crankbait rods over to the new Crucial(shimano) TC4 Crankbait rods... They are a layer of glass sandwiched between graphite blanks... I got to use one for a week or so last year.. I was so impressed that is what I will be going with this year.

[delmuts]

if you are a tight bugget;( like me! ) take a look at the B.P crankin sticks. they just had them for $30 a couple of weeks ago. i had a 6-6 med lite, but it was to wimpy, so i got a 6-6 med. i like it!

[carlcmc]

I have 2 compre (im8) and 1 crucial rods (im9). Which would be better for cranks? What is the problem of using graphite mh rods for cranks?

[delmuts]

cmc. one can use the graphite,but it is easier to tear/rip the hooks out of a fish with to much back bone. and some times you will feel the fish starting to take the bait before he has it and you can pull the lure away from it. when fishing over weed beds, a little more back bone can be a bennefit so you can tear the lure out of the weeds. there are pros and cons to each. try what you have and see if it works for you!

[Deitz Dittrich]

Carl-I would go with the Compre IM8, save the Crucial for jigging or an application where sensitivity is key!.. and del explains why the higher IM Rods and the MH may not be good.. just not enough forgiveness, you tend to loose more fish with heavier action rods.