cranks vs plastics

[canon]

Hello everyone, Plastics vs crankas and when to use them? That is a question I have. I started bass fishing about 3 years ago quite regularly, I first started at a lake with a few minnow raps and had success and a lot of fun! A good friend of mine is exclusively a bass fisherman, he introduced me to soft plastics, I didn't care for them at first because I liked the cast and reel effect with the cranks, but I found a bait called "sweet beaver", it has been amazing for me. I hardly used any crankbaits after that until one day a Linder video playing at Gander got me excited to try the wounded minnow rap. Wow, it produced some fish, then I looked into blade bates, rattles, ect. Now I am trying to understand when to use what and what will work best for what condition, like water temp, color of water, ect. It has become a quest of mine to understand this. I know some people like plastics and others cranks and many use both. Any info on this is much appreciated. I am new to this bass forum, I spend most time on the Croix forum for that is where I do most of my fishing.

[slipperybob]

There's simply just more versatility in presentation with plastics vs cranks. A crank often time performs one specific function, the variance is all in your retrieve method or rythm. Cranks simply just don't swim some and then dive to make bottom disturbances in the same manner that you can work a plastic with a weight. Personally I know I can catch more bass with plastics but I enjoy my fishing more with hardbait cranks, suspending jerkbaits, and topwaters pencils and poppers.

Swimbaits kindof fuse the two together...namely those Storm lures.

[Deitz Dittrich]

While cranks can be very effective, and there are cranks made for just about every depth of the water we fish, they are not going to get everywhere a plastic could, and often times are not the best lure to throw at the fish. Also, having a crank of the proper color and diving depth for every situation would get EXTREAMLY Expensive!

I dont think this should be an either or.. one whould have a good assorment of both.

[mr walleye]

I fish walleyes in the fall in very shallow water. and have found that some nights they just don't hit a crank-bait. but they will hit a swim-bait or a jig and plastic so hard they almost take the rod out of your hand. I think the different noise that a swim-bait or twister tail makes can make all the difference.

[tritonman]

Canon

Crankbaits are an extremely important part of every good bassfishermans tools. I, like most, use them probably 75% of the time for locating fish. You can cover a lot of water and at many different depths. Once you find fish you can go through that same area a lot slower with plastics and catch the less agressive fish but... when the fish are really on you can load the boat in one heck of a hurry with crankbaits alone. Hope this helps you out a little.

[hhguide]

Well said "tritonman"

[Craig Plummer]

So you use Crankbaits for locating fish? Then what about Spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits? Couldn't those also be used for the same purpose. or do you use those type of baits in other situations?

[hhguide]

Yea those can be also great ways to locate fish! Like Tritonman said I use them to locate fish and keep the trolling motor on 3/4 to full I like to use spinnerbaits right away in the spring and chatterbaits when it warms up alittle more!

[kt]

Hey hhguide,

I see you are located in alexandria, just wondering what are some of the lakes in the area that you like to fish. I fish several area lakes for bass and am always lookin to try new water, plus the research gives me something to do until opener.

[hhguide]

well I like to fish on the chain in Alexandria. Then Lake Ida which has both smallies and largies and Osakis and then some down on minnewaska which is known for its smallies!

[MidCoast]

Cranks are the best!! From my experience they catch BIGGER BASS!

[tritonman]

Yes Craig, those are also search tools. They help you cover a lot of water to locate fish faster. They are mainly used for locating fish in shallow water where-as cranks can run at a lot more depths and faster speeds in the depths than spinnerbaits and chatters. Just like I stated with the cranks though, if the fish are hot, aggresive fishing with spinnerbaits and chatterbaits can also load the boat a lot faster than plastic fished slow.

[ocf1]

Yep, they pretty much have it but.... remember how KVD catches alot of his fish, FAST. He doesnt care for the slow stuff as much, so pretty much; Sometimes the rules mean breaking the rules.

[joeyquicksand*]

yeah, chatterbaits are sweet... chatterbaits catch a lot of fish.

[bassNspear]

that they do, and you can cover alot of water with them if you need to.

The thing i like about cranks, is you can cover alot of water to locate fish, but you can also get fish to become somewhere aggresive, and get them to bite a action bait. I feel there going to see that reaction, and smoke it even thow they might not be hungry.

Catching fish cranking is Awesome.