<1 ft crank/jerkbait??? Huh?

[Tweek1106]

Got a Lucky Craft Flashminnow in my MTB last month but on the box it said the running depth is <1ft....never seen that on anything but a square bill before and wanted to know if anyone had any tips or tricks for using?

[Raul]

Cast and retrieve ?

[RyanFishing]

Does it suspend or float? If it floats you could work it like a dying minnow just jerking it a few times then letting it rise. Kind of like a floating rapala. If it suspends I'm assuming it would work well over shallow cover like a normal jerkbait.

[Evan K]

Do you mean greater than 1 ft or less than?

[CJ]

I tear up a lot of jerkbaits because they aren't made to be a contact bait. Some of the biggest bass I have ever caught was because I was crashing a jerkbait into something, mostly rocky bottom contour. I would love to have a jerkbait that ran around 1-3 ft. that was built to take a beating.

[Paul Roberts]

I'm guessing over the top of weed beds and up on shallow points and flats. I used to use a smaller size Bomber Long A for super-shallow flats where other cranks couldn't run. I also had a Bagley's Topgun (a super-shallow floating minnow plug) that I doctored into a suspender. It was great on shallow warming flats in early spring, where other jerks ran too deep and fouled in bottom muck. I say "was" and "had" bc, as with CJ, the lip broke!

 

[Hogsticker]

Is it a sinking jerkbait? It should say on the box. 

[primetime]

The Flash minnow is designed to run less than a foot, they have several models, actually more than several on their international site, but the Max Rap from Rapala was designed to be similar to the flash minnow..

It is a killer lure, I had one for a bit but lost it, and I had a slow floater, maybe it suspends in the cold, but they are designed to be fished over grass in placed most guys throw a fluke...All Flash minnows are great lures as far as I know.. I just have not been able to find a floater and I am not sure if the one I had just floated slowly instead but I loved it instead of using a Long A or Rapala...The Max Rap suspends in salt water but will float in some temps in fresh water, only dives about 8" on 20lb test, and is deadly over grass...I like the slim profile and the flash minnow has colors that are hard to replicate....Suspenders over grass that only dive a 1' are out there, but I don't like them since I can't see them at all times....I use a suspending Flatt Shad by Sebile if I need a suspending bait to work in a foot of water since it casts further than a floater, and if you just pull of the split ring it will float slowly and dive only a few inches...it gets bit when not moving most times, I like to either slow roll the minnow lures a few feet then pause for a long count, shake, and if that doesn't work the twitch twitch pause often is best...In the summer I have had days you wouldn't get bites if you paused it, key was to keep the Jerkbait moving just under the surface and barley let it splash....You don't need to see it on those days as they kill it, but if windy with waves, and casting far, just color the top with some red nail polish so you can see when a fish swirls and misses so you can follow up with a soft bait.

You get alot of swipes on floating jerkbaits that give away the location, its amazing how a lure with 3 treble hooks can have a lower hook up percentage than a frog at times...Usually a color change from chrome to gold can help, but also a size....but usually they are just not committing, they will almost always hit a worm tossed at em and big fish often barely make a ripple on the surface, don't think little swirls are panfish etc....Big Fish are curious at times and will just push it with their nose....If you can fish  a hard bait over grass it is always worth a try when every other boat is throwing a fluke, worm or frog...Most guys also throw round wake baits and fish them to fast imo alot of times, but you have a great lure even if it sinks...That lure has wicked action when you twitch it or swim it.....

2 hours ago, Paul Roberts said:

I'm guessing over the top of weed beds and up on shallow points and flats. I used to use a smaller size Bomber Long A for super-shallow flats where other cranks couldn't run. I also had a Bagley's Topgun (a super-shallow floating minnow plug) that I doctored into a suspender. It was great on shallow warming flats in early spring, where other jerks ran too deep and fouled in bottom muck. I say "was" and "had" bc, as with CJ, the lip broke!

 

You can still find Top Gun's from Bagley on Ebay for under $5 since they made that lure up to the point of the prism image series and I have been using the Top Gun and the Bang o lure for over grass forever..I just with they casted further but if you made them a suspender that helps with casting distance, I prefer a floater, but that is just me...I will load up suspend dots to get it just right however....I thought I wast the only one with a tray of Top Guns...

["hamma"]

i have a few manns baby stretch 1- that i use for fishing over weeds when they have grown to about 2 to 3 feet from the surface. or anywhere a standard jerkbait gets fouled The lure has a wide wobble and rattles which lends itself perfect to this situation. It floats quickly, casts well, and has won me some cash. ,... so i always have them on my boat. i let the fish dictate the retrieve they want,...sometimes its a steady retrieve, sometimes they want it paused 

try your new lure when you come across weeds growing to the same depth , cant hurt, hope this helps