Casting crankbaits

[Derek Haller]

Searched the forum for anyone else that might have this same issue but have not found anything. First off I'm not new to bait casters have been using them for 9 years or so and recently have started fishing deep cranks. Casting distance is obviously important with cranks to maintain depth. My problem is everytime I throw a 3-6xd crank it helicopters like crazy in the air before landing 25 yds away.  

Setup- 7:4" KVD casting rod. 5:1 curado with 10lb seagur fluro. Brake and drop tuned correctly.

Also I have no problem getting good distance on my DT cranks. Any advice would be great. Thanks in advance.

[BassThumb]

Are you trying to cast them too hard or with too much 'snap'?

I always do a side-arm, arcing lob with those huge cranks, with the path of the rod similar to that of a baseball player with an uppercut swing. You definitely want to get some elevation to the cast!

Norman DD22's have a similar issue because of that huge bill.

[junyer357]

What is the weight range of the rod as well? Is its top range below the weight of the crank? 

[Derek Haller]

Trying to throw to hard may be part of my problem but if I don't get the crank out far it barely hits full depth before coming up to the boat. The rod is rated for 3/8- 1 oz lures. And I agree it's partly due to the huge bill however I know people can cast them good.. frustrating because certain colors in the strike king line up work best for me.

[MickD]

If you have had to tighten down the casting controls to prevent backlashes with the flouro try a soft mono of about 12 pound test.  It should allow you to free up the controls.

[jbrew73]

i find that certain crankbaits require me to adjust how far the lure hangs from the rod tip when casting.. 6",12", 18" ,etc.. to avoid helocoptering.. 

[juicebass]

ive heard of guys long lining deep cranks..put the crank in the water behind the boat and leave the bail of the reel open and troll the boat and your line out. Then engage once you've let a lot of line out and reel in. 

[primetime]

I would practice with your reel in the yard with a casting plug that is 3/8 until you get the  hang of it..I find whenever I am having issues with distance my tenion spool is too tight and I am using to much muscle...

It also makes a difference on the rod, a crankbait rod should have a good amount of bend in it at the tip for 2 reasons...Treble hooks to absorb the shock, and to cast lures further. I have never used that rod, so every company makes a different rating than other companies so until you hold it is hard to tell...

I have been working on getting better at cranking since it is one of my weak areas, and recently I have been trying to throw nothing else...I have been having most of my success on a small Bomber Square A which I would guess weighs 1/8 on 12lb test Mono, Med heavy Rod with what most would consider too stiff, and I can chuck it as far as I can any other lure, I just have to keep my thumb on the reel to avoid over runs at the end, but often smaller lures cast further than heavy larger lures due to aerodynamics...

The best example I can think of is a Spro Popping Frog which I think weighs 1/2 ounce, and I feel I can cast that frog longer than any other frog in my box, including the 1 oz king Daddy which catches wind most days....I also never throw it when it is calm but little lures cast best when you know your reel, have it broken in, and can cast without the tension knob even on, brakes on maybe 2....I only use my wrist, and never try to cast far, it just happens....Hope that helps, you will get it....Coated braids are a nightmare, make sure you are not using a superline for distance, make sure it is a weaved braid or stick with a Nylon Mono like Trilene etc....Just my take.

I find I can cast big cranks llke the Strike Kings and Rapala Dt 20's, Norman DD 22's fine if I have the right rod, and just lob them, and get the real engaged as soon as it hits the water...it is tough to get them in the strike zone without long lining, I like deep diving cranks with a bearing system that rolls inside on the cast, Yo-zuri does a great job of making lures that cast a mile, Long cast bearings make a huge difference and usually they are almost always in surf casting lures but some cranks have them....It helps.

[Derek Haller]

10 hours ago, MickD said:

If you have had to tighten down the casting controls to prevent backlashes with the flouro try a soft mono of about 12 pound test.  It should allow you to free up the controls.

I may try this because I can cast my one reel that has mono a good distance without any trouble. Also the distance between rod tip and lure is something I've been trying. Works well sometimes just not consistent. Deep lining isn't a very good solution for what I'm doing. I've been using this reel a while, newer rod but similar to my old crank rod. I'll try some of the suggestions this weekend and report back. Thanks for all the suggestions!

Anyone know roughly  how much changing from 10lb fluro to 12lb mono will affect lure depth?

[Fishes in trees]

75 feet isn't a superlative cast - but it doesn't suck either.  How far do you think you need to cast?   I don't have any suggestions other than work on being "smoother".   When I finally figure out that I'm throwing  shorter than I want to, it generally come back to a technique issue, i.e.  I'm being too "herby jerky", trying to snap and hurry stuff rather than being smooth with correct technique.   I'd probably re-lube the reel, just to take that out of the equation.

Another option - when I know I'm going to be throwing cranks long for a significant portion of the day, I do to my distance casting rig.  This consists of a 7' MH ( tending toward medium) spinning rod with an old Diawa 2600.  (an old big reel with a large, long spool)  It is filled all the way with 14 lb Fireline and a short (less than 15") 20 lb fluorocarbon leader.  50 yards is easily doable with this rig, longer if yoiu wind up and really sling it.   The fluorocarbon leader is mostly for my own peace of mind, it makes me feel a little better smacking the lure into stuff on the bottom.  I wonder sometimes how much effect it really has.   Secondarily it is there to remind me not to reel the knot past the tip guide.  The little bit of leverage helps me she in getting distance.

[papajoe222]

The difference in running depth depends on the difference in line diameter. I'd venture a guess of 1ft. Less for .02 increase in line diameter.

In regards to your original post, your KVD rod may not be loading up sufficiently to make longer casts an you are trying to compensate for it by casting 'harder.'  Do you have a rod with a Mod, or Mod/Fast action.  If so, try casting with it even if the lure you're using doesn't fall within its rating. 

Deep Cranks, because of their shape and bill length, are going to tumble.  Helicoptering is completely different and is usually the result of too much effort on the'follow through' (don't know how else to describe it) of your casting motion.  If you've ever fly fished, you'll understand what I mean. 

[Derek Haller]

Papa joe thinking back to how i cast you are 100% right. Im throwing that bait as hard as i can, thinking of getting a different rod for all around cranking. I dont do much real deep 20ft plus hardly ever so i am probably going to have to pickup a decent 7' mod action rod. Suggestions?

[blckshirt98]

Get a glass or composite crankbait rod.  I think the heavy rod you were using with max casting force is making the bait spin like throwing a baseball.  The glass or composite rod will load the rod properly and should let you slingshot the lure out when you cast.  I use a Phenix XG-3 for heavier/larger crankbaits and chatterbaits and a Orochi Swingfire for medium weight ones, would recommend both!  You may want to consider the Phenix XG-1 for a 7'-er!

[Derek Haller]

I have a Cabelas, gander mountain, and ap and bobs private shop near me and Im finding it hard to find an assortment of  rods with mod-fast action. Only e6x by Loomis. Nice rod. More than I'd like to spend. Never heard of Phoenix though

[papajoe222]

Cabela's has their tourney trail rods on sale for Father's Day for under $50 The 705 is a M/H Mod.Fast.  May be worth looking at. 

[Derek Haller]

Tonight I spent a few hours visiting all the different shops near me, ended up with a 7'4" st Croix medium power moderate action glass rod. It feels good in the hands and I think it will be a great all around crank rod. The medium power rod feels closer to a MH power. It was a tough choice between this and the Duckett medium crank rod which had a bit more whip to it. Final decision came down to the build of the two rods, st Croix much more rigid looking, but not as gigantic as your typical full size crank rod. Trying it out tomorrow morning will see!

[blckshirt98]

Awesome, let us know how it goes!

[chadmack282]

22 hours ago, papajoe222 said:

Cabela's has their tourney trail rods on sale for Father's Day for under $50 The 705 is a M/H Mod.Fast.  May be worth looking at. 

Wish I had a Cabela's within 60miles of me!

[Derek Haller]

The new glass rod works great! Definitely would recommend to an yu one looking for a cranking rod. The new e glass used  makes the rod lighter than my last 7'4" KVD composite rod. Great feel with this rod and it even boated two 3lbers for me over the weekend! I still do have some bait tumbling  with lures that are light weight with large bills. I'm getting more consistent at not helicoptering my bait and it comes down to smoothness of the cast and also loosened up the tension knob so there's less drag.