Cranks4fun

I just picked up two lightly-used crankbaits at a flea market that I visit weekly. I buy cheap lightly used Bandits, Bombers, Rogers, Normans, Strike King, Storms, and Rapalas, etc. there. There were a bunch of new lures there including these two flat balsa cranks with circuit board lips and life-like, glued on eyes (not painted eyes). They look like a custom bait but there is no name on them. I know nearly all of the standard brands well, but I do not typically buy customs, if these are customs. I know there are lots of tackle connoisseurs, bait-monkey addicts, semi-pros and pros out there on BR. I figure if anyone can identify these guys, it will be somebody on here. Check out the pictures and give me your opinion on these if you would. I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

Bruce424, Yeah, I know what you are talking about. I've tied those while saltwater fishing. I grew up on the lower Chesapeake Bay and we used those snelled looped leaders on saltwater bottom rigs. We bought two-hook, pre-manufactured bottom rigs and then usually bought the snelled hooks (hooks on factory-pre-tied leaders) and looped them onto the bottom rigs. A big *** oz. weight was then snapped onto the bottom clip. I think most inshore saltwater fishermen are familiar this rig. You could save money by tying your own in the way you described above. Some crappie and perch fishermen use similar 2-hook bottom rigs too. They were the original "drop shot" rigs but they had two hooks. They have been around for decades.

I have used the double uni and others and they work well but they always seemed time-consuming to tie in the boat. I just went back a looked at the video on the 6-turn "surgeon's knot" that Turkey sandwich mentioned. I have heard of that many times but never tried that one. It looks very easy. I am going try that. The reason for all this renewed interest in these braid-flouro-leader set ups is that we have started doing mini tournaments and we often use huge (10-20 acre) weedy ponds with big open areas along the weed edges. My buddy schooled us last week (first time in 4 trips- Ha!), but he's talkin' trash now so I need a BIG home run win next outing. He Never fishes the drop shot and teases me about it being a sissy, trendy, nerd style of fishing. So, I need a "power drop shot" set-up to clean up along the thick weed edges. I wanna make him cry! I really appreciate all of the tips and feedback. I can smell victory already! Haha!

I can tie the knot I just described in the dark. I cannot do that with the alberto knot or the uni knot. Even the video instructors warn that you have practice those knots for a while. The knot I tied above is much, much easier to ME, but I know everyone is a little different. Maybe you have the knots down after years of practice, but not me. I used to never use leaders with braid but rather I'd go straight fluoro with one knot (line to lure) and still do quite often. In fact, I actually usually go straight braid when using braid (no leader) because of the headache of connecting the leaders out on a boat. Regardless, if this works well, it will be easier for me anyway. Thanks for your sharing your insight

A-Jay, Yeah it sounds too good and too simple to be true. I will test it some more and modify it if there are unforeseen issues. If it does work like it seems to so far though, this will be a HUGE time saver. If not, back to the blood knot, the uni knot, and the it-is-easier-to-turn-back-flips-while-drinking-coffee-than-to-tie-these-on-a-boat knots! Haha!Thanks for the insight!

First, let me say that I am praying for those facing Hurricane Irma in the south Atlantic. Now to the knot: I have been thinking about trying this knot for a while. I actually learned a similar application while perch fishing on the great lakes with a friend years ago. I just tried it and it seems to work great! I have been experimenting with casting it through spinning gear in the back yard and pulling the knot very hard with both hands and it casts and holds up very well. I will include a picture or two below. You simply take your fluoro leader and double the end over like you are tying a palomar knot. Instead, tie a simple overhand loop knot, making the loop very small (anywhere from 1/2' to 1/8"). Then tie your braid to the loop with a palomar knot and cut the tags off very short. After all of the uni knots, FG knots, Alberto knots, etc. that we have learned on Youtube, it seems that this one works just as well. I have not done comparison tests with competing knots lifting weights yet, but it seems strong pulling it by hand. I am going to keep experimenting, but just like discovering the simplicity of the palomar knot, I feel like this thing is going to work, even if it holds to just 85% of the fluoro strength (10 lb. test) it will be fine for my applications. The knot casts through the smallest eyelet of my 7 ft. Berkley Lightining Shock rod with very little observable resistance, just a slight tick sound occasionally if you listen very hard. There are at least two advantages to a knot like this: 1) When having to retie a new leader onto your braid while out on the boat in the wind, rain, burning sun, etc., and 2) to pre-tie a series of leaders (for back-ups or to vary leader thickness or length) and have them ready to simply tie on with a palomar. Maybe this is not new to you guys but I have never read about anyone doing this. There may be some downsides on the water that I haven't yet considered but I am ready to try it fishing this Saturday. Let me know if you have tried this.

We developed a reliable method for standing up in my 12 ft./ 36" wide jon boat. I am not encouraging anyone else to do this but we have never had a fail (flip over or fall in) in many years of doing this. If two people are in the boat, only one stands at a time and only when motor is off and there are no waves or wakes (over 3-4 inches). I have actually done this while trolling but I do not advise others to do it. When you stand, spread your feet 18-24 inches apart, toward each side of the boat (port & starboard) and have one calf of one leg touching the bench seat at all times. Have your hips facing the front of the boat ready to collapse into a seated position if you get destabilized. If there is only one person in the boat you can do this too. With a trolling motor and battery and the kind of tackle bags we haul, there is still a low center of gravity in the boat, but keep that calf touching the bench! Be careful and have fun!

I still fish out of a 12 ft. jon boat (Alumacraft) frequently. I use it in ponds, small rivers, and even in large lakes. I have used it in Table Rock (MO), Grand Lake (OK), and in Beaver Lake (AR). When alone I have little fear unless the winds are excessive because the front of the boat will bounce over fairly good sized wakes. When I have two in the boat, I tend to be more cautious. I have never had water come over the side though. Years ago in VA I used to take my little 10 ft. Jon boat out in the mouth of the James River which was 4 1/2 miles wide and was open to shipping, real shipping (150 plus ft. long tankers etc.). That really was not very wise though - I just couldn't stay away from those stripers and croakers! You just have to be careful and watch the weather on big water and stay relatively close to shore (within 100 yards or so). If you have to hop big wakes try quartering over them (angling into them instead of straight on). It is always wise to to err on the side of safety but typical bass lakes/ reservoirs should not be a problem unless winds are really strong or you are really loaded down with weight.

Bluebasser86, I completely understand liking certain baits better than others. I slay fish when I go wacky rigging with senkos but it is my least favorite way to fish. Why? Not sure... It is slow and not as exciting as feeling the jolt I feel on a crankbait or spinnerbait. Everyone has their preferences. BTW, I still throw those wacky rigs if my buddies start pulling ahead of me in numbers! Haha! I also like to win! I cannot hardly believe those zebra mussel pictures. That is horrible! When I lived in N. Indiana, I used to fish Lake Michigan every spring for brown trout, yellow perch, Steelhead, and Cohos. We had zebra mussels too, but someone had accidently introduced round gobies and they, it has been discovered, eat zebra mussels (up to 100 a day). What is even more interesting is that smallmouth bass love gobies! While non-indigenous species are usually harmful, gobies have turned out to be helpful (following the zebra mussel invasion). There are lots of interesting new reoprts and studies out on this. I wonder if round gobies could help your lakes?!

WRB, If you read down the responses, Mcfishing620 says that he fishes out of a Sun Dolphin 120 boat. Look at his first response to his post. Deep diving crankbaits are not effective in weeds. Most medium divers are not unless you have 4-6 ft. of weedless water above them. Regardless, he can try whatever. I was just sharing my thoughts from my experiences. I wish I knew how to fish deep divers through weeds. If you have some tips, please share them.

Big cold fronts followed by strong high pressure are one of the most difficult challenges to bass fisherman, as we all probably know. I am no expert on cold-front fishing, but based on lots of reading, fishing slower and REAL CLOSE to heavy cover. In high pressure situations in winter and early spring, you just about have to drag the bait across their lips sometimes. I fished with a guy in VA who used to use weightless ribbontail Zoom worms (pumpkin/chartreuse). He would cast to cover and let it sink and just sit for about 30-45 seconds (painfully LONG!). Then he would twitch it or drag it about 3 inches every 5 seconds or so. He caught bass that way but he deep hooked a lot (even killed some). I use drop shot after a cold front and lots of guys use shaky head worms moved very slowly. Good luck!

To respond to the original post, weed coverage, depth, and water clarity have a lot to do with crankbait choices. Since you are fishing from a boat, you will not lose as many cranks. Hopefully, you will lose none. In water less that 6 ft., Square bills, Baby 1 Minus, wake baits, etc. If the weeds are choking the water you may not be able to use the squarebills. If you are fishing water up to 10 ft and weeds are not an issue in the deeper water, the options are almost limitless. If the water is muddy or green, use noisy baits or wide wobblers like the Norman Fat Boy or the BL Echo. The number and age class of the bass will be a factor too. If the pond is overrun with bass 14 inches and under due to poor stocking, they will often hit anything that moves. If you have Big bass in the pond, fish as close to cover as you can. They like the weed matts and wood, even deep wood in midday. In ponds, sunfish and crawdads are often more important forage than shad or shiners, which may be absent altogether. Match the hatch, or fish baits that look like the forage you think they are eating normally. Good luck! Let us know what you discover as you fish the pond. We might need your tips!

Bluebasser86, I was wondering why you were unloading your hardbaits too. I probably need to unload some because I have hundreds. I do have an addiction but I catch so many bass on cranks that it seems crazy sometimes. I am converting my buddies to crankbait fishing because I keep hauling them in with 'em. I saw the orange craw Bandit 200 on your picture. I just schooled two guys on Stockton with that. They were throwing ned rigs and jigs and fluke Jrs. and I out fished them with the Bandit off of rocky bluffs (maybe I shouldn't be telling that- ). They guy using the Ned rig did catch a few early, but as evening set in I passed them. He also caught two on the Whopper Plopper. Anyway, don't unload all your crankbaits just yet. You may end up having to buy more next spring. By the way, what do zebra mussels have to do with not fishing cranks? Are they cutting your line or are you snagging up?

All of the baits mentioned above have their loyal users because they generally work: grubs, spinners, Rebel Wee Craws, tubes, jigs, etc. The last two years I have caught my biggest stream smallies on crankbaits, craw colored or brownish crankbaits. I had some great days on those SK Bitsy Bug jigs last year too! 4 inch Senkos have worked great in the past for me too. Someone mentioned that the fish in the larger deeper pools don't bite often. They will bite in those pools if you hit them early in the morning and late in the evening. I had about a 20-fish evening trip recently and most of my fish came from those large pools in the last 1 1/2 hours before dark. about three weeks back, I caught a 17 incher (big around here) on an H2O Xpress CRUL crankbait in bluegill. He was in faster water behind a boulder with current flowing over it. When you catch one in or near that current, they feel like they are three times bigger than they really are! I included a picture of the 17 incher below but my phone camera lens was dirty or something. Sorry!

Often, fishermen are casting well but the bass are not biting at all or they are not biting what you are throwing. Bass get into moods: 1) chasing and eating; 2) chasing but rarely biting; 3) biting but refusing to move more that 3-4 inches; 4) not moving and not biting; 5) Swimming in full view of your boat on a sunny day but refusing to look at a lure; Etc. I have watched largemouth and smallmouth in clear water ignore baits they were chasing and biting an hour earlier. Sometimes you are casting right in the face of bass that will not cooperate. For whatever reason, they are not feeding actively. There are debates regarding whether bass can be angered into biting. I do believe that modifying your presentation helps sometimes. Casting the same way and hitting the same spots or within the same proximity can bring different results sometimes by just slowing WAY down or going finesse. Going MEGA helps too sometimes. I actually fished a large (10 acre) pond in Missouri where the bass we caught averaged 3 lbs.with several over 5. They would not respond to a 6-7 inch worm but hit 10 inch worms with some degree of regularity. We fished that pond several times with that same response. 10 inch worms were not the ONLY thing they bit though. They liked Stanley Ribbits too!

Dorado, I have not used the "Rapala Ultralight crankbait" but I love the way they look! I do have some of the old Rapala Rattlin' fat Raps in 3 sizes and the smallest size is an ultralight size (not the tiny sinking balsa fat rap). I have caught bass on that small Rattlin' Fat Rap but I have not given them much time on the water, to be honest. I should probably use them more. I'll throw a picture in below. I just saw Iceintheveins mention the Rattlin' Fat Rap #4. I believe that is the smallest one. Dmainor, I have some Yozuri Snap beans (gold and silver ones) but I have never caught anything on them. I have not given them much time on the water either. I have read on some forum that lots of guys love them though.

I am about 45 days late on this topic, but "finesse" cranks or ultralight cranks are a favorite of mine unless I am fishing exclusively for BIG LM bass. Those H2O Xpress (Academy brand) ultralight cranks (box item description "crul" and "cruld") are great for LM bass, SM bass, white bass, spawning crappie, and large bluegill. White bass and smallies really love them when they are feeding actively. Those rebel teeny R's are pretty good too for spawning crappie and schoolie bass. The small #5 Shad Raps can be real productive too, but I usually do much better when I'm trolling with them as opposed to casting and I am not really sure why. The teeny rebel craw (smallest size) can be killer too, especially in clear water like creeks and streams. I have even had good trout fishing days with those Rebel craws but the hooks bend out very easily and larger hooks seem to change the action. The SK Bitsy minnow is great for bluegills and occasionally crappie. And then there is the one ultralight crank that has been a BIG fish as well as a numbers bait in years past: The Norman deep Tiny N. I caught 16 smallies in about an hour on one last year before my line broke. I have Shimano, Daiwa, and Quantum baitcast reels but I cannot cast any of these reels well with true UL cranks. I use spinning gear with 4-10 test line (based on conditions). Sometimes the light-line battles are unbelievable. I LOVE fishing these little cranks. If you and a buddy are having a bass numbers contest, using a tiny crank with two sticky trebles and just the right speed or cadence can mean game over - unless your buddy also keeps a stash of these skunk killers! I have a few UL cranks in every tackle box but I have one box dedicated to UL fishing (shown below).

I believe I had an old Walmart knock-off just like that years back. Walmart actually marketed some good generic baits (FLW, Dance's brands, Mister Twister stuff, BASS, etc.) that were other company's stuff made just for Wally World distribution. They even had their own balsa shad rap knock-off made by Mister Twister (says so on the bill- I still have one). I am pretty sure that Bandit 100 knock-off is a Wally world special, but I could be wrong. I was wrong once before back in '83.

Yeah, I guess that confidence element is a big part of "what works" too. I definitely have confidence in the plain 1/2 oz Chrome/ blue trap. I would love to have confidence in those Red Eyed Shads but I haven't had any good days with them yet.

While digging through my hoarded baits hoping to find some "glued-up" RES lures, I found two really awesome-looking Rat-L-Trap colors. The one that is red craw/chrome on the bottom looks like a stab at blending the two favorite colors together. Both main forage types (shad & craw) in one bait. I need to get that one in the water. I also found that I have some silent RES. I have never chunked them either.

Regarding those RES with "stuck" weights: Somewhere on these forums in the past someone shared that they complained to Strike KIng about the QC and frequent stuck weights in RES baits. The Strike King rep suggested wrapping them in a towel and smacking them on a table to jar the weights loose. In fishing situations, how often do these baits with "stuck" weights have their weights jarred loose after rattling through water, banging on rocks/ wood, and being shaken in a bass' mouth? Are they relatively stable in their flawed condition?

I have Rat-L-Traps, CC Spots, Red-Eye Shads, Booyah lipless, Rapala Rattlin' Raps, and one H2O lipless bait. I have personally caught more on the Rat-L-Traps, but in all honesty, I have used them more. Oddly enough, I just rescued myself (sort of) from a bad day fishing with a Chrome/ Blue Rat-l-Trap. I was fishing in NE Oklahoma for white bass and could hardly buy a bite. Talked to guys in 5 other boats they were striking out too. No one was doing well. I usually slay them on #5 shad raps in a shad color. In frustration, I just started experimenting with different lures: jigs, grubs, various crankbaits, and then... I chunked this 1/2 oz, chrome/blue Rat-L-Trap and it happened. My rod bent over and started pulsating. I giggled, yelled, nodded my head up and down, and smiled with a Mr. Bean grin at fellow fisherman in nearby boats as I pulled in a 12-inch white bass. I cast a few more times and caught another... then another... and another...five total. I felt like the pro among amateurs. Then these finicky fish just shut down or moved away or something. It was not a great day, but I do have a renewed affection for Bill Lewis' noisy, plastic, football-shaped contraption! I grabbed some more of those in chrome and stuck them in that box when I got home.

I never heard a word back from them.

Years ago I lived in Indiana and I was "boatless". I discovered that a good pair of neoprene waders gave me all kinds of opportunities and got me far enough away from the shore that my casting options were greater. I still do some wading for smallmouth bass in these Ozark streams, but I caught lots of crappie and LM bass with waders on lakes years ago. Even cheap, knee-high rubber boots can get you out into the winter waters a little. Good luck!

As most of the Shad Rap (#5 & #7) fishermen will tell you, there are some awesome set-ups for casting small cranks on spinning gear. You get great distance, decent cast control if you feather the line, and excellent line-lure performance (some small cranks perform much better on light line). You may know all of this already and still not like spinning gear. I hope you will experiment without dismissing the idea though. I love my bait casters but I have some AWESOME Daiwa and Shimano spinning reels that I use with small cranks and I would never put those lures back on bait casters. I have tried Shimano Curados, Citicas, high-end Quantums, Abu's, and even my awesome Daiwa Zillion, but none handle those little cranks like a good quality spinning reel. You can even use light braid (15-20 lb.) on those spinning reels for cranks and they perform very well. If you are a fluoro-only guy, that Seaguar InvizX is incredible on spinning gear. Everyone has their own preferences and that's cool, but I do hope you will give the spinning option a try. Best of luck to you. By the way, I caught my PB (9 lb3oz LM bass on 6lb. test Trilene XL mono on a Shimano Symetre Spinning reel. Just a bit of anecdotal evidence. God bless!