HOW TO FISH A CRANKBAIT

[brettboz28]

I fish mostly Senkos and soft baits and I wanted to try something different. I bought a few shallow water (3-5 feet and 10-15 feet) ragetail crankbaits. I was wondering what is the best technique to fish a crankbait. Also when, and where are the best times to fish a crankbait

Thanks

[roadwarrior]

Welcome aboard!

Spend some time in the BassResource.com Library, "Fishing Articles" at the top of the page. This will get you started:

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/crankbait_fishing.html

8-)

[Grey Wolf]

Read "Tips and Tactics" on the home page. That should get you started.

[Raul]

Read Chris ' post about crankbaiting, excellent material.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1189587143/17#17

[.dsaavedra.]

i say you go to Dick's and pick yourself up a rapala DT FAT 03 in pearl grey shiner and just go out and cast that puppy all day long. just cast it everywhere. cast it in the nasty stuff like branches and stumps and grass.

just dont put it down until you start catcihng fish. you will eventually find out what works and what doesnt.

[Marty]

I've loved crankbaits ever since I took up fishing and I'll usually give them a try whenever the cover will allow their use. Use varying retrieves: fast, slow, steady, erratic and try ticking weeds or bouncing them off cover or the bottom if you have the opportunity.

Crankbaits are terrific fish attractors.

[Sam]

Being Type A means that I enjoy fishing crankbaits as I am always on the move.

Just become accustomed to the depths the cranks run; use flourocarbon line; use a fast action rod with a good backbone, like a medium heavy; have a brand name baitcaster spooled with the line of your choice; use 10, 12, 14 or 17 pound test; and go out and have some fun.

Remember to "SWEEP" your rod to the left or right when setting the hook as opposed to ripping the rod over your head as when setting a plastic bait.

Balance reel with crankbait setup to avoid backlashes.  

Use thumb to slow down spool when throwing cranks.

Go to a tackle shop and look at the Mann's Minus One or Bandit's Footloose and then the 100's, 200's, etc. all the way to the Deep Diving cranks.

Notice the types, colors and rattles.  There are fat ones and skinny ones and all types of color combinations and clear ones and ones with rattles and ones without rattles.

Be sure to use the split-ring when tieing your Palamor Knot to allow the bait to manuever in the water.

Throw it into cover and over wood.  It will bounce off the cover and wood (most of the time).

Pop it with your rod tip; fish it by going fast then slow then stop then fast then stop then slow, etc.  Just fish it any way you want.

The most difficult parts of fishing a crank bait is 1) remembering to sweep your rod to the left or right and 2) removing the hooks.  USE A PLIERS AND BE VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY CAREFUL OF THOSE TREBLE HOOKS.

Keep fingers and toes away from treble hooks.

Use pliers to remove bait.

Have fun.  

[Marty]

Keep fingers and toes away from treble hooks.

I can say that I've always kept my toes away from treble hooks. Unfortunately, I haven't done so well in the fingers department, as several ER visits can attest to.  

[Gatorbassman]

Here are a few more classic threads on crankbaits.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1128775970

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1119925592

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1165283062

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1100867443

[NewScreenNameAdvised]

My best tip for you is that you will significantly increase the number of bass you catch with a crankbait if it is BOUNCING OFF STUFF.  When people are new to crankbait fishing, I find they are too afraid of losing baits.  This means they won't run it into rocks, weeks, logs, etc.  then they don't get bit and they give up.  

Go with the mind set that you are going to lose some baits until you get the hang of it (I hardly lose them now) and go fish the good stuff.  If the bass are sitting in 10' of water, I throw something that runs 10+ feet.  I like to hit all the rocks.