Crankbait Assistance

[Balshy Fishing]

I don't use crankbaits that often, although the very few times I have so far this year--I've caught two walleye and two bass with a cheap bass pro tournament special. So this has lead me to wonder here -- with these specific lures I'm going to provide, how would you retrieve? 

 

Now, I usually fish coves on the river with very large, SUV sized rocks and snagging is a big risk. I also bank fish and there is no vegetation. If i'm not fishing the river, I'm usually fishing a lake nearby with adequate amounts of milfoil and small rocks[no snags]. 

 

Is casting out and just bringing back with a normal, "slow" to mid-speed retrieval good good or should I vary? Any information based around the cranks I have is more than perfect. 

 

I use 10lb mono also. 

 

Lure 1: Bass Pro Tourney Crankbait --> http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Tourney-Crankbait/product/10225050/  --> the color i use isn't there but it has a yellow belly with a dark maroon top

 

Lure 2: KVD Squarebill Crankbait --> http://www.basspro.com/Strike-King-KVD-Square-Bill-Silent-Crankbaits/product/10209675/ --> I got the 1.0 with Sexy Shad color

 

Lure 3: Bass Pro Tourney Minnow --> http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Tourney-Minnow/product/10225045/ --> I have one with a bright yellow top and white on the underside 

 

Lure 4: Bass Pro Tourney Rattle --> http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Tourney-Rattle-Bait/product/10225063/ --> Red Shad

 

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I know I ask a lot of questions on here but I'm only trying to get smarter and learn new ways to get more fish on my line. 

[Catch and Grease]

With the rocks banging then and dragging them off the rocks to make them change directions suddenly will be your best bet, yes you will snag some but that is crankbait fishing... In the more open water more often than not you want a stop N go retrieve or a speedup/slowdown retrieve but a steady retrieve will work somedays

[hookset on 3]

With the rocks banging then and dragging them off the rocks to make them change directions suddenly will be your best bet, yes you will snag some but that is crankbait fishing... In the more open water more often than not you want a stop N go retrieve or a speedup/slowdown retrieve but a steady retrieve will work somedays

Well said.

Any cadence or speed change is usually a strike trigger. Guys talk about having cranks deflect off of objects, which is awesome if it's logical for the type of cover that you're working around.

Moss and slimy weeded bottoms will dictate that you create your own directional change with your rod tip.

[WIGuide]

There are very few times you will be reeling a square bill slowly. It's a reaction bait that seems to work best when burned back to the boat. You can fish them around grass, just use your rod tip to control the depth of the bait. With a square bill you want it to deflect and change directions so you'd want it ticking the tops of the grass, the bottom, rocks, or whatever is in the water.

[timsford]

Hit the billed cranks off the rocks and burn and stop them if the water is too deep to hit the rocks. Retrieve the minnowbaits with erratic jerking and reeling and burn the lipless baits or rip them up with your rod and let them fall while reeling in the slack. My two favorite spots to fish cranks are tailwaters below dams with big rocks and a lot of current at times. You will lose some baits but i catch way more bass by hitting cover and making my baits act wounded and erratic than by swimming them steadily along.

[Catch and Grease]

There are very few times you will be reeling a square bill slowly. It's a reaction bait that seems to work best when burned back to the boat. You can fish them around grass, just use your rod tip to control the depth of the bait. With a square bill you want it to deflect and change directions so you'd want it ticking the tops of the grass, the bottom, rocks, or whatever is in the water.

Yup very rarely do you need to have a slow retrieve with a square bill, you want then to hit the thing before they even know what it is! But some days I have done very slow retrieves over and beside grass and lillys with success

[Raul]

Sorry for being an arse but: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/72766-a-rare-insight-into-crankbait-fishing/, there you have.

[Kevin22]

Throw that squarebill on 14-17# line (if you can) and bounce into as many rocks as you can. When you hit one, stop, let the bait rise for a second then continue. If that doesn't work after a couple dozen casts, try speeding up once the bait hits a rock. Sometimes they want the deflection and quick reaction like a fleeing baitfish. 

 

If you can, pick up a KVD 1.5 or strike king series 1 in sexy sunfish. My #1 bait by far. 

[Balshy Fishing]

Appreciated y'all. I might up my current KVD to a 1.5, I'll remember these tips.