Crankbait Productivity Dramatically Dropped

[t_bone_713]

Evening,

 

As the title states my productivity on crankbaits has dropped dramatically from the beginning of this season to now. I caught my PB on a squarebill earlier this year as well as a handful of other fish on squarebill and lipless cranks. I don't think I've changed anything but I'm curious to see what y'all say.

 

I read the pinned post on cranks above and it talks about rod tip angle, rod tip location, following the bait with the tip, stance, retrieves etc. My normal stance for cranks is rod tip down at the bank to my left hand side at a 45 degree angle. Rod tip and line are almost forming 90 degree angle.Chest is perpendicular to the bank. In the pinned post he talks about how rod tip placement and stance could completely change how a bite feels where as I'm just waiting for my crank to get tackled.

 

What are your thoughts, any thing I could change to maybe start detecting the more subtle crank bites? Or just become a more efficient crank fisherman?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

T

[Shimano_1]

Personally think maybe you're over thinking it. Cold fronts, water temps, barometric pressure etc can change how the fish behave. I caught a bunch a month ago on squarebills but lately it's been a lot more of a slow down with a jig kinda deal around here. Let the fish tell you what they want instead of trying to make em bite a crankbait. Kvd may be able to make em bite one but I'm not on that level so I try to figure out what the fish want. When they're aggressive a crankbait is hard to beat. When they're tight to cover it's a little harder unless you're grinding the crankbait threw the cover. I'd suggest just experimenting and you'll figure it out. Good luck

[scaleface]

Sounds like you are doing the same thing . The bite changes ,the bass move , their activity level changes . 

[papajoe222]

I'll echo what's already been said. One type of lure/presentation will rarely be productive all the time.  Two days ago, lipless cranks yo-yoed of a hard bottom put fish on. Today, a bulky jig/trailer pitched to shallow cover was the only thing that produced. 

You have a lot of options when it comes to fishing cranks. The bill style, running depth, flat side or egg shaped, balsa or plastic, there are so many options that one will likely produce if presented how and where the fish are and want it. 

Glen likes to say: "Don't fish history"  Use it as a starting point, but abandon it if it doesn't produce..

[Black Hawk Basser]

I tend to agree that you may just need to switch up tactics instead of force-feeding. 

 

But since we are talking about cranks, you ever throw any little 'hitches' in your crankbait retrieval? For example, you may trigger a following fish by making one or two very fast cranks of the reel in the middle of your otherwise moderate retrieve speed.  Or, of course you can also throw in short pauses or jerks.  Some days, if you figure out what little hitch is working, it doesn't matter how you're holding your pole. ?

[Born 2 fish]

Could be as simple as a color change. But I would try switching it up jerkbait, jig. Fish might have moved.

[Bankbeater]

Something has caused the bite to change.  Same thing happened to me with lipless crankbaits 2 or 3 years ago.  All spring I was catching like crazy on spots, and traps.  When the weather started to get warmer the bass just up and stopped hitting lipless cranks. 

[WRB]

Your bass may have moved into the spawn cycle and no longer interested in chasing down fast moving prey that offers no threat to them.

Tom

[t_bone_713]

Hello Everyone,

 

Sorry for the delay. I am still getting hit on slow rolling spinnerbaits. Do you think they are hitting that because it's resembles a school of small bait fish versus one larger bait fish (crankbait)?