Is 10-13 ft considered deep cranking...

[smallfry]

...and what bait do you like to use to bang bottom at this depth?...

[roadwarrior]

I consider 10'-13' intermediate, but to answer your question: Fat Free Shad & DD22 will both "bang the bottom."

[smallfry]

Have you tried the suspending DD22?  On the one hand I like the idea of banging it then letting it suspend there.  On the other hand  I assume it wouldn't be able to back out of snags like the standard....

[jb_adams]

10-13ft....hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaa  Sorry, my lake is really deep and clear. I'm used to cranking in 30-40ft with all kinds of cranks.

I'd say 10-13 is intermediate like RW said. A Norman Thin N or DD14 will work if you reel slow and suspend it with short jerks. If you feel it banging the bottom, that can be good at certain times of year in certain areas. Other times, it's begging to loose a lure and cut your line. Not to mention beat up your crank.

You should really try a Rapala Shad Rap. These are great for that depth and the size is just right for suspending, cranking, bouncing, etc.

[WRB]

The depth range on most crank baits will not run the depth advertised when cast and retrieved.

Trolled with 10 pound line they will get down deeper because you can let out whatever line needed to get them down to the max running depth. You fish on flat smooth bottoms very often, the bottom is usually uneven or tapered banks that change depth. Use the deepest running crank bait you have and if it starts to bump the bottom, slow down the retreive and rise the rod tip until it stops and then lower the rod and continue. If the deepest ctank bait is digging into the bottom all the time, change to the next depth diving lure. Remember the bigger the lure and longer the bill, the more pressure the lure requires to get down deep.

You basically two choices with crank baits; lower the rod tip down towards or even below the water surface to get the crank to dive deeper or add weight.

The alternative is use a different type of lure. For example a Scrounger head jig with a soft plastic trailer can be "cranked" down to 40 feet, depending on the jig head weight. Check http://www.aaronmartenslures.com/

WRB

[BIG M]

deep little N's, bomber deep thin A's, Bandit 300 and 400, rapala dt 10, are few of your choices.

[Matt Fly]

10-13ft....hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaa Sorry, my lake is really deep and clear. I'm used to cranking in 30-40ft with all kinds of cranks.

I'd say 10-13 is intermediate like RW said. A Norman Thin N or DD14 will work if you reel slow and suspend it with short jerks. If you feel it banging the bottom, that can be good at certain times of year in certain areas. Other times, it's begging to loose a lure and cut your line. Not to mention beat up your crank.

You should really try a Rapala Shad Rap. These are great for that depth and the size is just right for suspending, cranking, bouncing, etc.

jb,   what are you using to get cranks down to 30-40 ft.?     Saltwater cranks are the only billed cranks I don't  have to modify to get down deep.  Other cranks I have to bullet weight caroling rig them with some long leaders to get them down there.

[jb_adams]

I'm not cranking 30-40ft. I'm just using shallow water cranks and sometimes DD14's over 30-40ft of water with tree structure. The fish suspend about 20ft down and sometimes will come up to 15ft or more to get the crankbait.

Sorry, should have made that clear.  Or come back with a comment like, "well I use a clear bill about 12 inches long on a DD22....made it myself!" ;D

[Shadcranker]

Yes I'd consider it deep cranking.

I fish a lot on Ky and Barkley, fishing crankbaits on main lake and secondary creek channel ledges. Most of the catchable fish on the drops are positioned in 6-14 ft of water. I may be sitting in 25 ft and throwing at a slight angle up on the ledge. Ususally the bait is going to hit water in 4-6 ft of water, and the lip of the ledge is in 8-12 ft, where it then drops off to 20-30 ft. If they're drawing current or the shad are active in that 8-12 ft range, the sharpest edge of the drop is the key zone.

A DD22 will really run about 14 ft deep on a long cast on 10 lb line. A DD14 will get to about 10-12 ft.

The real key for me seems to be banging the bait off of the key structure and triggering a strike. For that reason, I like the 22 for fishing that key 8-12 ft zone (I can fish it slower, and stay in contact with the bootom).Once the bait gets out off the lip of the drop, I usually don't get bit, unless the fish hits it right at the boat in a last ditch effort to eat it.

[Stringjam]

I consider it intermediate-deep.   The 10'-15' zone is where I do 90% of what I consider "deep" cranking.   From 15'-20' I consider it super-deep......simply because those are around the limits for normal casting of normal deep diving crankbaits.    

For the 10'-15' range, here's a few I really dig:

Poe's Competition Cedars 4400 (my #1)

Jackall Muscle Deep 15+

Poe's 400

Megabass Deep-X 200 (mainly for clear situations)

Storm 1/2 oz. Lightnin' Shad

The aforementioned Bomber Fat Free Shad and DD22's are also good bets, and relatively inexpensive as well.  I've caught some really nice fish on the FF Shad in cold water for some reason.      

[Matt Fly]

Those depths are reachable, but you gotta do some rigging.    Lead core line, carolina rig a bullet weight, or use Mann's salt water cranks that work super when you can cast them with the wind for distance, you can really go deep, but don't take long to wear your butt out...