I suck at cranking.

[BassHunter69]

So basically just throw something and eventually......you'll get lucky!

i'm always getting lucky  

[islandbass]

Man, I am the opposite of you.  I started out bass fishing with cranks and didn't throw a soft plastic until nearly my second season in fishing. I am very comfortable with cranks but this year I forced myself to expand into soft plastics. Learning the drop shot has been a great plus and I'm off to more soft plastics like t-rigs.  As a matter if fact, I've only thrown a cb twice this season and I guess I still have my touch.  Caught a nice 4 lber in a 30 minute outing about 3 weeks ago. ;D

The cb recs that have been given are pretty much what I use.  

[jb_adams]

Well thanks to this thread, I picked up a few more crankbaits to add to my collection.  Thanks baitmonkey....you never let me down! :

So I bought more Norman "Thin Little N" cranks in "root bear" and a "smoke ghost".  Also picked up a Worden's Timber Tiger DC-16 in "olive black lake craw".  That thing is just mean looking!  It has deflectors on the bill so it's supposed to be a great crankait for timber and rocks.  It supposedly even backs up when it hits something.  I read a few online reviews on it and they say it's an awesome crankbait and very versatile.

I'll give it a try this Sat. on a new lake.  Going scouting for a new place to fish.

Thanks again guys for all the posts here.  This has given me a newfound confidance in my crankbait collection and inspired me to start crankin'.

[BassHunter69]

Well thanks to this thread, I picked up a few more crankbaits to add to my collection. Thanks baitmonkey....you never let me down! :

So I bought more Norman "Thin Little N" cranks in "root bear" and a "smoke ghost". Also picked up a Worden's Timber Tiger DC-16 in "olive black lake craw". That thing is just mean looking! It has deflectors on the bill so it's supposed to be a great crankait for timber and rocks. It supposedly even backs up when it hits something. I read a few online reviews on it and they say it's an awesome crankbait and very versatile.

I'll give it a try this Sat. on a new lake. Going scouting for a new place to fish.

Thanks again guys for all the posts here. This has given me a newfound confidance in my crankbait collection and inspired me to start crankin'.

the timber tiger dc-16 is a great bait thats one of them ive been looking for myself since its great in timber,brushpiles,rocks etc.

[Stringjam]

I've known it for awhile, but after getting schooled with a crank this weekend, I need to get better with them.

I would like to know everyones favorites for the following conditions.

6-12 feet, clear to muddy, rocky

12-18 clear, rocky

also what are the deepest diving 2.5 -4" baits out there? currently fishing DD22's.

12-18:  Poe's Comp Cedars 4400 - - still my alltime favorite deep crank, and I've fished just about every one I can get my hands on.

As far as the deepest - - Poe's Comp Cedars 4500LR......there are a few others that will get as deep (3/4 Hot Lips, Mann's 30+), but NONE of them have caught as many fish for me as this one.  It is also the easiest to get down there, with the least amount of strain - - VERY important if you're going to throw one all day.   It is a true 20'+ diver.      

[dink]

Good post Fourbizz.

I too am crank-challenged but I am learning slowly.

I like 'em lipless for shallow grass clear to stained.  My personal faves are the old Spot "one-knockers".   I have six of these in various colors that have been like gold for me.  Since I don't throw cranks much, I can't offer too much in the way of advice.  The Bomber Fat A and Flat A have both been productive in the shallow to mid depths and Poes 400s and Bagley DB3s for deeper stuff.

[The_Natural]

The erratic, rip and slow down...rip then slow down- works for me quite a bit.  If you have ever been crappie fishing and let a minnow go...that is how they behave.   A fish will chase them for a second as the minnow darts forward, and then it will slow down for a second after it thinks it has eluded the predator.  However, in the Summertime, a big wobbler such as a B2 reeled in at a slow and steady pace can work equally well, because big bass tend to be lazy, and they think it is easy to pace and eat a big, slow shad rather than one darting around.  You just have to experiment...

[Stringjam]

The erratic, rip and slow down...rip then slow down- works for me quite a bit.  If you have ever been crappie fishing and let a minnow go...that is how they behave.   A fish will chase them for a second as the minnow darts forward, and then it will slow down for a second after it thinks it has eluded the predator.  However, in the Summertime, a big wobbler such as a B2 reeled in at a slow and steady pace can work equally well, because big bass tend to be lazy, and they think it is easy to pace and eat a big, slow shad rather than one darting around.  You just have to experiment...

I agree, Natural.....sometimes erratic is not the way to go.   If you ever watch David Fritts deep cranking in the summer, you NEVER see him impart any jerky rod action to the lure, only variations of retrieve speed using the reel.   He's a pretty good crankbait fisherman from what I hear...

[jiangtao]

I started cranking this year and I'll have to say that from my own experience the Bomber Fat A in the brown craw pattern has put more fish in the boat than any other. Having said that.... they don't make 'em like they used to. I started out using the original color from about 20+ years ago, but I guess the turds that be decided to change the color to a lighter one and I have yet to land anything on them. The older ones were darker and that was my go to in murky conditions. I also should add that for the money you can't beat Norman lures. I am an avid Rapala fan, but I have yet to land anything on a shad rap, but the original floaters are the way to go! The original floaters have landed me Skipjack Herring, Hybrid Stripe, LM Bass, Rainbow Trout, Crappie, White Bass, Yellow Bass, Spotted Bass, big Bream, and Chain Pikeral. If anyone from Bomber is reading this PLEASE make the brown craw like you used to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dodgeguy]

i crank rocks a lot and you will get hung sometimes.do not pull harder and jam the lure in more.bring your boat around behind the bait and pull it out.sometimes if you are using cranks that float up just let the line go slack and they will float up.a good sensitive graphite rod is a must so you can feel the bait and let it climb up and over the rocks.i generally crank slow and just play touchy feely with the rocks.it usually gets interupted by a fish.

[The_Natural]

The erratic, rip and slow down...rip then slow down- works for me quite a bit.  If you have ever been crappie fishing and let a minnow go...that is how they behave.   A fish will chase them for a second as the minnow darts forward, and then it will slow down for a second after it thinks it has eluded the predator.  However, in the Summertime, a big wobbler such as a B2 reeled in at a slow and steady pace can work equally well, because big bass tend to be lazy, and they think it is easy to pace and eat a big, slow shad rather than one darting around.  You just have to experiment...

I agree, Natural.....sometimes erratic is not the way to go.   If you ever watch David Fritts deep cranking in the summer, you NEVER see him impart any jerky rod action to the lure, only variations of retrieve speed using the reel.   He's a pretty good crankbait fisherman from what I hear...

I say big bass can be lazy, but I guess it relates to people as well.  I was sitting on the couch last night, and would have loved some Sonic or something, but I didn't want to go pick it up.  I just ended up drinking more beer...that worked  

[BassHunter69]

The erratic, rip and slow down...rip then slow down- works for me quite a bit. If you have ever been crappie fishing and let a minnow go...that is how they behave. A fish will chase them for a second as the minnow darts forward, and then it will slow down for a second after it thinks it has eluded the predator. However, in the Summertime, a big wobbler such as a B2 reeled in at a slow and steady pace can work equally well, because big bass tend to be lazy, and they think it is easy to pace and eat a big, slow shad rather than one darting around. You just have to experiment...

I agree, Natural.....sometimes erratic is not the way to go. If you ever watch David Fritts deep cranking in the summer, you NEVER see him impart any jerky rod action to the lure, only variations of retrieve speed using the reel. He's a pretty good crankbait fisherman from what I hear...

I say big bass can be lazy, but I guess it relates to people as well. I was sitting on the couch last night, and would have loved some Sonic or something, but I didn't want to go pick it up. I just ended up drinking more beer...that worked

now thats a decent fishermen on his day off   ;D ;D

[jb_adams]

I took my 6yr. old son out for perch jerking this afternoon and we were on our way out of this cove.  It's got deep water on the main cove and tree stumps etc.  I've seen fish on the graph before in this area so I thought it would be a good spot to try out the new cranks.

I tied one on today to give it a try.  It's a Norman DD14 in my new favorite color...."rootbeer".  I threw it a few times trying to adjust the tension knob on my baitcaster and I noticed the bait was running hard right.  So I was adjusting the crank to correct this before I got to the mouth of the cove I was coming out of.  Before I even got to the mouth, a bass just nailed a straight cast to the bank...nothing special retrieve.  Talk about getting someone interested in crankbaits! ;D  My third cast with this new bait and I almost landed a nice sized tournament bass.  I was so geeked out over the ordeal after catching hand sized perch all day that I tried to "Bill Dance" the bass in the boat and lost him.  He would have gone 18 inches or better easy.  He was a really niced sized bass for this lake.

SO.....needless to say, I started combing that area pretty hard.  My only problem now is getting hooked up.  I could feel nips and nibbles and I'd prematurely set the hook.  I have to say, I love the new "rootbeer" color for clear water.  It's pretty natural looking and within 10 mins. I almost landed 2 tournament keepers.  The second one got off too.  Gotta learn to drop the rod tip and let it run a little to keep from jumping.

So.....I'll be using cranks pretty heavy now this fall.  All it took was one lucky cast and now the baitmonkey is whispering to me.