Presentation Speed

[joetomlee]

How fast do you all retrieve your crankbaits/spinnerbaits? I generally fish them medium/slow, because I feel that while retrieving them fast I am bypassing a lot of fish before they have a chance to strike and also losing out on the lures intended wobble action - Is this wrong? The primary reason I'm asking is because I got skunked a lot last year and I am looking to tweek my technique. I know speed is something a lot of people play with until they get it right and that there are different speeds for different settings, so I am speaking more in general terms. I see my friends and other local fisherman generally retrieve much faster than I do.

 

Second question really quick, upon a stop & go technique, do you ever twitch the line for a crank or spinner... or is it just strict stop & go?

[Jigfishn10]

joetomlee, welcome to the site!

 

I like to start the retrieve slow in the early season/cold water conditions, just for the fact that fish are generally lethargic at this time. Once the water warms up and the fish are in more of a chasing mode I will speed it up. That doesn't mean they won't hit based on 1 retrieve speed, you have to change it up and let the fish tell you how they want the retrieve. Kinda go through a process of eleimination between retrieve speed and depth.

 

Good luck

[Felix77]

I don't know if there is a right or wrong answer for this one ... I generally start out slow enough to get a good wobble (or spin the blades - Spinnerbait) and go from there.  I vary my retrieve until I find what the fish want.  By vary I mean speed, add a twitch or two, jerk it, stutter it ... whatever until I get a bite or 2.

 

From there I try and repeat that for a while.  Once it doesn't work anymore I change tactics and repeat the process all over again.

 

Hope this helps.

[tbone1993]

I use different speed and styles of retrieve if the bite is tough. Generally speaking I have a steady retrieve for cranking. If I am trying to burn a bait then I will crank pretty fast. The key is subtle twitches and pauses every so often. When I fish a spinnerbait I like to use a stop and go method and most of the time I get hit on the fall. If I dont get hit on the fall a single twitch normally gets a bite. Also when cranking sometimes I rip the bait through the water as if I am pulling it through weeds, it works pretty well. 

[J Francho]

Not so much temp driven, but if the temp is rising, I'll start out fast.  Especially in the case of using lipless during prespawn.

[River Rat316]

J Francho hit it, if the water is warming I speed up, both lipless and spinnerbait, caught some of my best fish burning spinnerbaits in 44 degree water that warmed from 38 or so degrees in the morning. But speed in general is something to play with through out the day, whether it be drop speed on a jig, or speed of a spinnerbait, swim jig, or crank bait. From slow roll to burning, you never really know what they are going to be after until you check it out. Also don't be afraid to go "to fast" there is no such thing, almost all the power fishing techniques (crank bait, spinnerbait, lipless, swim jig) you are trying to draw reaction strikes from fish, if they have to long to look at them alot of the time they will turn their nose up at it.

[joetomlee]

Thanks for the replies, this helps a lot to hear what others are doing!

[Run&Gun]

You really don't know till you are out on the water and go through a process of elimination. I was out on a lake the other day water temps were in the 39-42 degree range. I was throwing a 1/2oz Ima RocknVibe lipless crank. Started out slow rolling, that wasn't happenin. Then I started burning it with hard quick pops like you would do fishing over big grass beds. Caught two pretty much right away. So like I said earlier don't count anything out. If you aren't getting bites the way you're working the bait, try switching it up till you find something that does.

[5fishlimit]

I mostly use a steady retrieve, but will mix in a pause after giving a sweeping pull in the line. I let the spinnerbait fall for a 5 count, and start the retrieve again. I will also burn them back keeping the spinnerbait just under the surface. Sometimes even keeping my rod tip up a little more to have the top blade just break the surface. This works well in the warmer days of summer for me.

[Bankbeater]

This time of year with spinnerbaits I start off letting them hit the bottom, and then working them just fast enough so that I can feel the blades spin.  I will work a lipless bait just fast enough to clear any cover and not get snagged. 

[WRB]

Know one should get into a set retrieve pace or cadence with any lure, big mistake!

Before changing lures or color and size of a lure you should first experiment with retrieve speed and cadence to determine what the bass may react to, if you know bass are in the area. Sometimes it's a dead stick bite, other times they want as fast as you can retrieve it and you can't reel in faster than a bass can chase it down!

Fishing memories will usually get you in trouble; the last time was out the bass wanted it.............fill in the blank.

With spinnerbaits you may need to change blade styles or weight to get the lure to run at the right depth and speed. Most anglers use a spinnerbait as it come out of the package; 1 willow and 1 Colorado for example and the bass are striking 2 willows burn near the surface or 2 indiana's slow rolled in deeper water, no set rules, just trail and error until you figure it out. Same applies with crankbaits: deep diving tight wiggle or slow wobble, lipless or shallow running, big or small...it takes time to determine what's going on the day you decide to go fishing.

Generally the colder the water the deeper and slower the lure pace, but not always. Can't tell how many times I have discovered what the bass want by mistake; a backlash and picking it out and the bass strikes or you crank the lure in fast to make another cast and bam!

Tom

[merc1997]

i have always fished with the thought of fishing at the right depth, at the right speed to trigger a strike.  with that said spinner baits have lots of variables in retrieve speed and blades.  experimentation is a great teacher.  different types of blades factor into the illusion of speed.  different styles of blades also have different vibrations, just as crankbaits have a variety of wobbles.  when i am night fishing after the spawn, and bass are roaming flat points, i will use a number 5 to a number 8 colorado blade.  this is chosen because colorado blades put off much more vibration than willows do and will call bass into investigate your bait from a greater distance.

 

bo

[wademaster1]

every lure and crank function better at different speeds, i've caught tons burning either of the two wide open through the water and triggering that reaction strike, just do some experimenting with it