Crank Baits

[Jim Sutter]

What are your four favorite colors of crank baits when fishing a semi clear pond? Also, what are your prefer methods of fishing them.

[papajoe222]

I basically go with the color of the main forage for the body of water I'm fishing. For my home lake, that's bluegill and Live Target offers the most realistic one I've ever used.  The other color that I really like is a red craw and Bill Norman's Chili Bowl is my fav. I don't care what body of water I'm on, I know it'll flat out catch fish.

As for retrieves in a pond, assuming there aren't any lay downs or brush piles, I'd go with a bait that will dig bottom without a lot of effort on my part. Crank it down until it's digging bottom and work it by slowly pumping the rod. You can tell when, or if, the bottom composition changes, if and when the depth increases and will feel when the bait starts to load up with any vegetation. Thats when you stop raising the rod, let the bait float up and repeat. The bait doesn't get fouled and the bass have a hard time resisting it.

[Jim Sutter]

papajoe222,

Thank you for that information. If its not raining tomorrow evening, I will try those colors of crank baits at the pond I will be fishing.

[GReb]

I keep it pretty simple. In stained water throw something with chartreuse.  Clear water throw something in the natural shad pattern.  Red and black work well here early in the year.  Bream patterns with purple and orange work for me in the early summer.  But I find that chartreuse and shad work more times than not.  

 

Typically I deflect squarebills off hard cover and dig deep cranks into bottom.  Vary the retrieve speed and pause/jerk until finding what works.  Buy a good lure retriever to save $$$. 

[Sphynx]

For clear water I'd have to say a bluegill, perch, or shad would be my go to choice, and then I'd probably throw in something crazy like a citrus shad or some other wild color, I have had surprising success using a "locater" sort of color in clear water when the fish just aren't having any baitfish imitations.

[NYWayfarer]

Bluegill and Perch patterns in these parts work best for me. 

[Jim Sutter]

GReb, Sphynx and NYWayfarer,

Thank you for your suggestions. If it doesn't rain this evening, I will try your preferred colors. GReb, I will do as you suggested in varying my speeds. Thanks again for all your help. Please take care and have a wonderful and safe day.

 

[Dirtyeggroll]

White, black, earth tones, red in the spring.

 

I don’t do a lot of chartreuse in clear water, but I also don’t have the opportunity to fish a lot of clear water.

[Jim Sutter]

Dirtyeggroll,

Thank you for your information. You listed four colors that you use. I believe, I have every color but black. Thanks again for your information.