Getting your crank baits down.

[DonBo]

I used a snap weight today for the first time to my cranks down to 20+ fow. Worked pretty good, but what do you guys do? Don't want to buy a new rod for lead core for the couple times a year I might need it.

What works for you?

[wishing for walleyes]

I use rapala deep tail dancers and cranks that are made to go deep.

[Mike Walerak]

Leadcore gets the nod but snapweights work well too. In stained water you can get away with adding a rubber core sinker.

mw

[Sandmannd]

Don Snapweights work great to get them down. You have to let out quite a bit of line for it to work.

[PerchJerker]

I agree with the others, snap weights work and are very versatile. If I can't get my baits deep enough on their own I usually run leadcore, and snap weights are the next option in line.

[Northlander]

I will run 3 ways or sticks off a heavy bottom bouncer too. I really like snap weights and lead core has its times too. Dypsie Divers or Jet Divers are other options as well but I usually pull more spoons than sticks/cranks on them.

[Ed Carlson]

Mojo Weights commonly used by bass crews work too. Less drag than Keel weights and you can stack them to fit your needs.

You can add a bobber stop knot to trim how much leed you need to the bait from the weight set.

[Tim_Anderson]

I use deep diving crankbaits. Fireline. And then play with how much line I let out, and my speed. The more you increase both, the deeper you go. I can easily get tail dancers down 25-30 feet with 10/4 fireline and 3mph (no weights).

[hanso612]

I've been on a quest to find a way fish stick baits at 30 to 40 feet that doesn't cost a fortune when you snag. I've ultimately started making my own snap weights out of 4 ounce pencil weights and a rubber band. I toss out a deep diver let out fifty feet of line and put on the weight and let out another 100 feet. Depth can be controlled by speed. Removing them is a one hand afair.

If you buy Offshore snap weight in the kit the weight are too small and the individual components can be purchased for half the price of the kit. I use old red releases from my yellow bird in line planer boards as cheap solutions. But rubber bands are the cheepest. With bands snags are down to under a buck plus lure. Snaggs are more like 12 dollars for a dipsey and snubber. Jet divers are great for getting unstuck, but they pull like crazy and you have to be moving pretty fast to get any depth.

I have yet to try the Dive Bombs and have posted on other sites looking for any info, but they look promising.

I know people who use pieces of rebar with a plastic sleeve over the top with a hole in it as a cheep and invironmentally friendly drop shot or snap weight.

The key is to use the thinest weight as possible or speed will lift it up no matter what the weight. That's why leadcore works so great-but you need a whole new rig to run leadcore and snags are tough on the line.

So this these are my findings on the quest and would love to here what others do to get baits down. Hans

ps Sinking baits like Yo Zuri's hydo magnum with the weight are costly and snag. I like to tick bottom and let the floating lure back away from a snag. Sinking lures just seem too always be taken by the fish gods.

[Mr.Seaguar]

2-3-4oz bottom bouncers. Nobody ever beleives me so I dont figure you will either. Even the guys in the boat with me have taken a while to listen.

[hanso612]

I'm a huge bottom bouncer fan, they are snag resistant and transfer the feel of the lure, bottom or bite really well.The only downside is you are limited to a short leader length if you do not like to hand line the fish at boatside. Long rods can add a foot or too, but I like a longer lead in clear water.

I think you can push a fish away with a bottom bouncer and it will bite if it has time to turn and see a bait coming later. On a short lead the bait comes to fast for the fish to get back on it after being pushed off. Just a theory but I'm sure someone will show some camera footage of this soon.

I like Cabelas pencil weights used as a snap weight because they have the wire sticking out the bottom like half a bottom bouncer. This gives you a heads up that you are in contact with the bottom without the risk of a snag and you can have unlimited distance between the weight and the lure.

The transfer of feel is muted with the snap weights but trolling crankbaits is less of a feel game and more of a get you bait in the right zone game and hold on.

So ya I'm with you on the bottom bouncers-now if we can just invent one that slides to the bait as you reel it in and still transfers the feel the quest will be over. Hans

[DonBo]

I like Cabelas pencil weights used as a snap weight because they have the wire sticking out the bottom like half a bottom bouncer. This gives you a heads up that you are in contact with the bottom without the risk of a snag and you can have unlimited distance between the weight and the lure.

I like the pencil weight idea. I'll pick some up and give it a try. Thanks for all the suggestions.

[UncleKes]

Year and years ago they used to drill a hole in the crank bait and insert and glue spit shot in them. Another way they used to get them to sink is if the crank bait was plastic and hollow they would burn a small hole in the bait and inject water into it with a syringe and then add a drop of super glue to seal the hole.

One of the old In-Fisherman videos showed this trick and it worked quite well. Of course, some manufactureres are making cranks that will run at those depths but the baits can be expensive too.

If you have a few older crannks you don't mind doctoring up a bit this might be an option for you to try. Tow the crank on a 3 way rig with a bottom bouncer or some kind of bottom hugging sinker or you can just cast the bait out, let it sink and reel it back.

For my money, I never had a lot of success just casting the thing out but I know of some who have.

I mostly used to do this at night in the deeper sections of the St. Croix or on Leech lake or some lake that has deep feeding eyes. Of course, I buy the deep running cranks now but for those of you who are on a tight budget doctoring up your cranks in the way described might be an option you might want to try.

Tight Lines;

Uncle Kes

[DinkADunk]

I've started using downriggers with 4lb balls to get down to 20-30' and then let the crank bait take over (another 5-15'). No change in rod/line/rigging just adding the downrigger.

[rodmaker]

If you are fishing the 20-30 ft levels, give the deep diving TailDancers a shot. They are designed for the depths 20 ft +++

[riverrat56]

Reef Runners will really dig down into that 20+ range too, if the water is clear, you do not need to get right down but the fish, within 3-4 ft of the bottom is close enough, and that deep fish will often suspend off the bottow a few feet anways.

[Team Otter]

Or you could use a spoon plug...

[rodmaker]

You have mail from 7/10. Did you rec. it???

[Team Otter]

If you sent it to [email protected], then no. I have a new e-mail account. It is [email protected].

[Grant Pearson]

2-3-4oz bottom bouncers. Nobody ever beleives me so I dont figure you will either. Even the guys in the boat with me have taken a while to listen.

I've used bottom bouncers as well. I like to put an 8-10 foot leader of florocarbon behind it with the crank on the other end of that.

[rodmaker]

I'll shoot you another one in a few days

[fishinmajishin]

Originally Posted By: Mr.Seaguar

2-3-4oz bottom bouncers. Nobody ever beleives me so I dont figure you will either. Even the guys in the boat with me have taken a while to listen.

I've used bottom bouncers as well. I like to put an 8-10 foot leader of florocarbon behind it with the crank on the other end of that.

So how fast you guys going with your bottom bouncers?

[croixeyes]

Threeway trolling is the most accurate system you will find for getting your bait deep.You wont have to let out alot of line depending on how much weight you use.You can go with bottom bouncers or a couple of other styles of sinkers.Dropper lengths can be adjusted to cover different depths off bottom.Threeways offer better contour trolling than deep diving cranks on longline or leadcore and snapweights.All those types of trolling have their nich though.The faster you want to troll the more weight you may need,You want to keep your line at a 45degree angle.Example,If im pulling a lure at 2mph in 25fow I may use a 3ounce bell or bottom bouncer,If I cant maintain that 45 Ill go to 4ounces or more if I need.