Crank baits in muddy, weedy lakes

[Pogues2300]

So I’ve had decent success using crank baits in described lakes. When I look up crank bait fishing it seems more hard bottomed bodies of water where the lure is grinding/deflecting. I’m just curious if you guys such as wrb for example think it’s a less efficient technique for my water conditions. I won’t bother being preemptive answering all the incoming questions I’ll do so as they come! Thanks

[Bluebasser86]

As long as the weeds are subsurface, sounds like good cranking conditions to me. A Strike King Hybrid Hunter is one I like to fish.

[Pat Brown]

1/4 oz - 1/2 oz lipless crankbaits can work very well if it's not choked out grass.  Many people have success fishing over the tops and around the edges of weedlines with a rattle trap or red eye shad, myself included.

 

If it gets hung a little in the canopy, you can usually rip it free if you learn the rhythm and cadence and you'll get some violent strikes pulling it free of the top of the grass.

[Captain Phil]

1 hour ago, Pat Brown said:

1/4 oz - 1/2 oz lipless crankbaits can work very well if it's not choked out grass.  Many people have success fishing over the tops and around the edges of weedlines with a rattle trap or red eye shad, myself included.

 

If it gets hung a little in the canopy, you can usually rip it free if you learn the rhythm and cadence and you'll get some violent strikes pulling it free of the top of the grass.

 

THIS ^^^^^

[Pogues2300]

Thanks guys just wanted to hear a few opinions. Appreciate it

[Captain Phil]

When fishing a shallow weedy lake, try using 20 pound mono.  It's makes the bait run shallower and you can jerk the bait free from the grass.  Rattles will help you in dirty water,

[Bankc]

I use crankbaits all of the time in dirty water.  It's my go-to presentation.  I'll often try to fish them above the weeds or around the edges.  I've never had much luck with lipless crankbaits.  

 

And while I'll agree that crankbaits work best when bouncing against stuff, you can certainly fish them when they're not bouncing against anything.  I mean, people troll with them doing this all of the time and catch fish.  And I'll set up over a point or something and do this.  Sometimes it helps to have an erratic retrieve.  Just like a fraction of a second pause here or there, or a quick rod pop while retrieving.  Honestly, I like uncomfortably small reel handles for this, as it kind of naturally keeps you from making a steady retrieve.  Sometimes a steady retrieve works fine too.  I'll often cast a deep diver out, reel it fast to get it to depth, and then reel it as slow as I can while still feeling the rod tip vibrate.  Those aren't the best techniques, but they're techniques that work for me.  

[casts_by_fly]

It all depends on the type and amount of grass you have.  Up here we have a lot of pondweed and milfoil, plus pads.  Very clear lakes.  The grass gets thick and deep when it grows.  It makes it tough to throw any treble hooked baits around it a lot of the time.  You can fish the outside edges if its a clean edge, but casting through it is tough.  If your grass is more sparse then just carry on and run a crankbait through it.  Lipless are great for <4' for me.  A squarebill is a good choice too.  

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Even after using them for so long, Im always surprised at how well certain cranks can come through lots of different cover.  My local water is mostly grassy, shallow millponds that are generally cedar water.  We do have some systems, especially closer to the del river that are much dirtier and in turn there is far less grass and the bottom tens to be a little harder.  The viz rarely over 30" and commonly about 2'.  I actually find that these dirtier lakes have more consistent crank bite.  The absence of abundant soft cover reduces the total area where the fish like to stack up, it kind of concentrates the fish a little more.  If you have cover that you can bounce or rip a crank through, you don't always need to drag the bottom, especially in shallow water.  I do really well in the prespawn fishing windblown lilly roots.  I just change the crank and the retieve to fit the mood of the fish.  You can do the same thing in grass, in the spring and fall, you just have to find the healthy grass in the fall. 

[txchaser]

Sitting on top of the weeds, casting deep and retrieving to shallow has been a winner for me. My best guess is they are holed up in the weeds and are not used to seeing something coming straight at them from deep water. Or maybe they are out in the lighter grass after the line.

Casting over a weed point can do the same thing. 

 

It's a real pain in the butt to fish - 100% of the time you are going to catch a fish or snag a giant pile of grass, but it's been a winning big fish presentation across multiple lakes and depths. I'm not sure on this one (ok pretty sure) that matching the crank depth to within 1' of the depth where the heavy weed line matters... I'm not making contact till the very end of the cast.