Why are crank baits so difficult?

[Bluebasser86]

I'm not a fan of cranks either. I know they work and I catch some of my biggest fish of the year every year on them, I just don't like using them. 

[CM-fisher]

5 hours ago, J Francho said:

9/10 crankbait issues are from reeling too fast.  Slow down and you have more time to react when the bait comes in contact with something.  If it's a weed, a little slack and a snap of the tip.  If it's wood, give the bait some slack and time to rise before reeling up.

This is good advice. I've found with letting the bait float up a little after contact with wood, sometimes this is the key to making some sluggish bass attack. If you're a bank fisherman, stick with lipless and shallow squarebills

[WRB]

A shore angler is casting out into deeper and retrieving up hill to the shallow water bank. A surface lure isn’t going to change depth a diving lure is constantly trying to go deeper.

Controlling a diving lure from a boat is easy, from the bank nearly impossible do to the depth getting shallower with each inch the lure moves forward. Add treble hooks to snag everything and the bill to get fouled digging into the bottom.

This leaves only shallow running square bills and lipless being  valid choices with single hooks.

Simply put why use a lure that is marginal to use when several faster moving lures are available that don’t get snagged. 

My 1st lure to use from the bank was a weedless spoon #3 Hawaiian Wiggler. It’s good choice that swims over weed mats, through underwater  weeds at any depth, plus when retrieved swims back up as you reel it faster. Today a Johnson Silver Minnow is available that has a similar weedless swimming action.

The Scrounger jig with a Sluggo trailer is surprisingly weedless.  

Lots of choices.

Tom

[thediscochef]

On 4/9/2022 at 11:55 AM, WRB said:

Shore angler using a deep diving crank bait around cover isn’t a good choice. You can try changing the hooks on the lures you currently have to Owner single hooks. 

Lipless crank baits you can regulate the depth easier and rip the lure through grass. 

Better choice for the shore angler is a single hook chatter type or a swim jig.

 

here to agree with this 1000%

[J Francho]

Up here there are shorelines where you'd be in 30+ FOW just 20' from shore.  It was around 12' deep off the end of our dock with a steady drop further out to 25', and I'd throw deep divers all day long.  It might not be like that everywhere, but it isn't impossible either.  Something to think about, and maybe check the depth maps where you're fishing.

[JigLyfe]

Bro, all you gotta do is cast and reel?  It's the easiest lure out there...

[WRB]

16 minutes ago, JigLyfe said:

Bro, all you gotta do is cast and reel?  It's the easiest lure out there...

In open water no issues, in weedy water big problem with treble hooks and diving lures.

Our lakes are deep rocky structure with sparse cover, simple use crank baits. Lake with a weed mat out to 30 yards from shore you can’t cast from shore and get the treble hook lure back without covered with grass, this is the OP's problem.

Tom

 

[Deleted account]

On 4/9/2022 at 4:33 PM, QED said:

Exams are difficult?  That's news to me.  Perhaps it's just you...

LOL. I want to see your reading comprehension scores...  

I was actually very good with academics. Learning always came easy to me, and had a bunch of educators in the family, and it was rare where I didn't ace tests, also had the parents that wanted to know what happened to the 2 points when I came home with a 98. I always thought multiple choice was a way to kill brain cells and stifle thinking. 

[LrgmouthShad]

53 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

LOL. I want to see your reading comprehension scores...  

I was actually very good with academics. Learning always came easy to me, and had a bunch of educators in the family, and it was rare where I didn't ace tests, also had the parents that wanted to know what happened to the 2 points when I came home with a 98. I always thought multiple choice was a way to kill brain cells and stifle thinking. 

[Bankc]

You just need more experience.  The basic retrieve part of crankbait fishing is easy.  Getting a feel for things like bites vs. obstructions takes a lot more time.  Same with handling crankbaits in your boat or in a fish's mouth.  

[Choporoz]

On 4/11/2022 at 11:47 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

I'm not a fan of cranks either. I know they work and I catch some of my biggest fish of the year every year on them, I just don't like using them. 

+1...I carry a 3700 full of treble lures on my yak...and usually 1 or 2 (of 8 ) rods for them, but they aren't my favorite or first choice.  I am nearly always keyed on wood, grass or pads, and cranks just don't jump to forefront of my mind in those areas.

    However, I did meet a guy years ago who was an absolute master with traps in laydowns....I was amazed....and stunned...like watching Pinball Wizard or something.   I'm never going to get there, I'm afraid. 

[BassNJake]

22 hours ago, WRB said:

 My 1st lure to use from the bank was a weedless spoon #3 Hawaiian Wiggler. It’s good choice that swims over weed mats, through underwater  weeds at any depth, plus when retrieved swims back up as you reel it faster. Today a Johnson Silver Minnow is available that has a similar weedless swimming action.

 

I grew up hearing stories about the famous "Barney Spoon"

I fished one for many years and still break it out now and then

The back story is it was created by a couple of buddies from Kent Oh in the late 60's

 

Very similar to the Hawaiian wiggler, made 30 years earlier 20  minutes up the road in Akron.

https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2018/07/16/the-barney-has-hooked-em/11514992007/

 

 

 

[TnRiver46]

13 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

+1...I carry a 3700 full of treble lures on my yak...and usually 1 or 2 (of 8 ) rods for them, but they aren't my favorite or first choice.  I am nearly always keyed on wood, grass or pads, and cranks just don't jump to forefront of my mind in those areas.

    However, I did meet a guy years ago who was an absolute master with traps in laydowns....I was amazed....and stunned...like watching Pinball Wizard or something.   I'm never going to get there, I'm afraid. 

Take the back hook off your trap 

[WRB]

27 minutes ago, BassNJake said:

I grew up hearing stories about the famous "Barney Spoon"

I fished one for many years and still break it out now and then

The back story is it was created by a couple of buddies from Kent Oh in the late 60's

 

Very similar to the Hawaiian wiggler, made 30 years earlier 20  minutes up the road in Akron.

https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2018/07/16/the-barney-has-hooked-em/11514992007/

 

 

 

Thank you for sharing ?? love the story?

Very similar to the #3 Hawaiian Wiggler spoon.

Tom

 

[scaleface]

[QED]

16 hours ago, Deleted account said:

LOL. I want to see your reading comprehension scores...  

I was actually very good with academics. Learning always came easy to me, and had a bunch of educators in the family, and it was rare where I didn't ace tests, also had the parents that wanted to know what happened to the 2 points when I came home with a 98. I always thought multiple choice was a way to kill brain cells and stifle thinking. 

Scored at the 99th percentile on the SAT/LSAT/GMAT.  And have all the corresponding degrees to prove it. ?

[TBAG]

On 4/9/2022 at 5:59 AM, Lead Head said:

When I first started using cranks I had similar problems. For me, switching to a lighter moderate-fast rod really helped solve most of my problems. A stiff fast rod seems to cause me to hang up almost instantly, a softer rod really helps me feel the cover without smashing into it and getting stuck. I grind cranks in rocks and through brush almost every trip out now, something I would have thought was completely insane 15 years ago.

 

I still get snagged, but not nearly as often. 

 

As mentioned before, a good lure retriever will pay for itself in no time. After I bought one, it was making me money by my second trip out with it.

 

Same here, I love fishing crankbaits and wow, so much fun on my Legend Glass rods.

 

What is your favorite lure retriever?

[Lead Head]

I like the telescoping pole with a screw on the end. "Frabil telescoping lure retriever" I think. Mine reaches to 15' which covers the majority of my fishing. If you are regularly deeper than that you're probably better off with a plug knocker. 

[LrgmouthShad]

On 4/13/2022 at 3:24 AM, QED said:

Scored at the 99th percentile on the SAT/LSAT/GMAT.  And have all the corresponding degrees to prove it. ?

[Deleted account]

On 4/13/2022 at 3:24 AM, QED said:

Scored at the 99th percentile on the SAT/LSAT/GMAT.  And have all the corresponding degrees to prove it. ?

Oh, QED, I thought it said GED...  

[QED]

3 hours ago, Deleted account said:

Oh, QED, I thought it said GED...  

 

Quod erat demonstrandum.

[dodgeguy]

On 4/11/2022 at 10:05 AM, J Francho said:

9/10 crankbait issues are from reeling too fast.  Slow down and you have more time to react when the bait comes in contact with something.  If it's a weed, a little slack and a snap of the tip.  If it's wood, give the bait some slack and time to rise before reeling up.

What he said. I like braid for cranks so when you slowly walk it up boulders you can feel what's going on. Let it float up when it contacts a boulder then restart it. That's usually when a fish inhales it.if you get stuck move over to behind where you casted and try pulling it free that way.