Never get to crankbaits...

[A-Jay]

7 minutes ago, Columbia Craw said:

I'm ready to see what A-jay puts up for sale.  

 

You'll see some of this no doubt ~

 

 

A-Jay

[DitchPanda]

18 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Cranks are a very hot and cold bait for me. They're either one of the best options I can fish that day, or they won't touch them. A majority of the year, it's the latter. Right now though and all through the winter is when I do most of my damage with them.

Was gonna say I've seen several posts where you say you don't really like crankbaits...now every video you put on YouTube is you fishing a squarebill.!

[Bluebasser86]

2 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

Was gonna say I've seen several posts where you say you don't really like crankbaits...now every video you put on YouTube is you fishing a squarebill.!

Yep, I don't really like fishing them, but that doesn't mean I don't know how to use them ?

[Koz]

I usually pack 3 or 4 when I head out to bank fish but they are usually last out of my tackle bag. In fact, I went for years without catching anything on a crankbait until this year where I found moderate success.

[DitchPanda]

50 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Yep, I don't really like fishing them, but that doesn't mean I don't know how to use them ?

Oh for sure..I wasn't suggesting that at all. I'm kind of that way with bladed jigs...I don't dislike them but would much rather fish a lipless,crank, spinnerbait or swim jig. But I do use them...successfully even. Everything is a tool. I'd rather use a hammer then a screwdriver...but they both have a time and place.

[Columbia Craw]

5 hours ago, A-Jay said:

 

You'll see some of this no doubt ~

 

 

A-Jay

 

When should I mark my calendar ?

[A-Jay]

8 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

 

When should I mark my calendar ?

Hard to say.

May have to just be surprised.

A-Jay

[Johnbt]

"because the deal was too good to say no."

 

That's how it works. I got an email two weeks ago about a weekend sale. Mostly DT6 and DT10, but not all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ww2farmer]

A good cranking bite has for the most part alluded me the last few years. Not because they are not effective on my lakes, but since 2017 I work a "regular job", 5 days a week, rain or shine. Back when I was farming....storm coming, take the day off we're not going to start anything, and/or I would have odd weekdays off, and what not. I was able to take much better advantage of the "windows" when they shined. Now I go when I can go, and I have just not had one of those epic cranking days in a while. 

[GReb]

I can’t ever seem to catch a fish on a crank over 5 feet deep. Most of my damage is 0-2 feet. That may be because i fish shallow lakes and reservoirs with stained water. Or maybe I just haven’t found the right spots. Regardless squarebills and wake cranks are always a producer for me. I’ve really focused on lipless this year and finally have caught some fish. On days where I can’t buy a fish on anything else a 1.5 or lipless has saved the day

[DitchPanda]

1 hour ago, ww2farmer said:

A good cranking bite has for the most part alluded me the last few years. Not because they are not effective on my lakes, but since 2017 I work a "regular job", 5 days a week, rain or shine. Back when I was farming....storm coming, take the day off we're not going to start anything, and/or I would have odd weekdays off, and what not. I was able to take much better advantage of the "windows" when they shined. Now I go when I can go, and I have just not had one of those epic cranking days in a while. 

I'm fortunate in this respect...my current job is rotating shifts. I work 12s so its only 7 on every 14 days so I always have weekdays off. That means I get alot of prime time during the week when everybody else is working. It would be hard to go back to Monday thru Friday.

[MGF]

Back when I fished Arkansas Lake Norfork a lot I used a lot of cranks that haven't been used since. A lot has to do with where I fish. The lakes I fish here are super weedy but most of my fishing is on a shallow river.

 

I have a small selection of square bills, other cranks and jerk baits but the pike take them from me and I cna usually do as well or better on something else. I don't use spinner baits much anymore either though they were my "go-to" bait in the Norfork days. Why? because almost everybody I see on the river is throwing a small crank or a spinner bait.

 

 

 

 

[Darth-Baiter]

On 11/8/2020 at 3:51 PM, Columbia Craw said:

Are you saying, " be the bait."

Master the bait.    He the master-baiter. 

[Vilas15]

After discovering this site i went heavily into various soft plastics and have only recently discovered that I prefer cranks and can have success with them. I like swimbaits but don't fish a senko, tried a few times and dont have the patience. I fish clearer water and have done damage with medium cranks in the 6 to 10 foot range. Starting to look at some options in 10 plus. I love lipless cranks as well and will always tie up a rippin rap. Great walleye/smallmouth bait.

[Bankbeater]

Most of the crankbaits I use are either shallow running, or mid depth baits.  I have some deep divers, but they haven't been wet in years.

[WRB]

Back in the day we called them plugs and don’t recall when they became crankbaits?

I can tell you they are addictive and nearly every bass anglers has crankbaits they never use.

Deep diving crankbaits are very effective in our deep rocky sparse cover reservoirs year around. Next to top water deep cranks are my favorite lures to fish. It’s fun to cast them and covering lots of water expecting strikes every cast. The problem is when to use them? The answer is whenever bass are active hunting prey, you can’t catch them if not willing to chase the lure down to strike it.

Tom

 

[scaleface]

   I only caught bass past 20 foot once this year on a Dredger 25.5 and that was during the fall time plunge of the thermocline . A few years ago I never would have caught those bass on a crankbait . Sometimes things just start to click for a slow learner like me .

[Nibbles]

This season has been the opposite for me, have been getting more into deep cranking.

 

Used to fish mostly shallow balsa squarebills when using searchbaits.

 

This is the first season I have caught decent numbers and size on deeper divers such as the Spro Little John MD, DD70, and LC Flat CB DD20. 

 

This is also the first season where I had opportunities to hit up lakes around me with points and dropoffs going deeper than ~15'.

 

Probably the first season I've pulled pike and bass off a point with dropoffs deeper than 20' while cranking a 15' diver.

[MAN]

I used to use them all the time, but gradually have transitioned to about 90% plastics when using arties.  But have really gone the live bait route the last couple years. 

[ironbjorn]

I only throw squarebill and lipless crankbaits, but that's because I'm a shore bound, shall water bank beater. The squarebills pretty much only get used in rock bottom rivers. The ponds have entirely too much muck for them. One day I'd like to try fishing a deep diver.

[tander]

I really could get by with 2 lures, a Ned bait and a crank bait.

[TnRiver46]

On 11/14/2020 at 12:03 PM, Vilas15 said:

I love lipless cranks as well and will always tie up a rippin rap. Great walleye/smallmouth bait.

I also get walleye and smallies with that bait 

[Bankc]

Half my lures are crankbaits.  When the fish seem to ignore everything else, I can usually get at least one to bite on a crankbait.