Crankbaits and Snags

[BassFishingMachine]

Hey, as of recently I have started throwing alot of crankbaits with some good results, previously I would never dare tie on a crank as all I'd catch would be the bottom, or nada. Anyway, as I've started using them I have found out they are not typically a bait I can keep in my plano for a good period of time, what I mean by this is, I have snagged up with them a real good amount of times. I am learning not to throw them around thick lillypad piles, but even when I bring them through stickpiles I have been getting snagged on occasion.

So my question is this, is there a way around getting snagged with these baits? Other then not fishing them around stickpiles or cover entirely? I know thats where the fish are most likely going to be holding, but I can't afford to be buying 5-7dollar cranks every week due to losing them. Is there a way to just get snagged less often? I have also been having a hard time determing whether a fish grabbed the bait, or if I am caught on a branch, this has usually turned out in me setting the hook on the branch, and thus losing another crank.

So any opinions from you guys? Or is the crank pretty similiar to a jig when it comes down to "life expectancy"? I have no problem replacing 1.50-2.00$ jigs, but this 5-7$ a crank is too much, I have a few lucky craft cranks but I think I'll be fishing them strictly in waters I know have alot less cover, and the fish relate to open water due to the lack of cover.

[Speed Worm]

I fish heavy cover and thick weeds with cranks all the time.

Lipped cranks: When choosing a lipped crankbait, I try to choose a crank that will run pretty shallow (depending on the depth at which the vegetation is situated). Almost always I will throw lipped cranks that will run over the vegetation. If it comes into contact with vegetation, make sure it just barely touches it ... if it's digging into it, then pick a shallower crank. Bandits footloose and 100's work well for my applications. If you are fishing heavy weeds, don't throw LC's or Jackalls. Stick to bandits and bombers, since they are cheaper to replace.

Lipless cranks: This is my favorite type of crank for fishing structure because it snags up a lot less. If you have the right rod for it, you can run through weeds like nothing else. The most affordable, most weedless lipless out there is IMHO the SPRO Arukushad Jr. (3/8 oz). They will get snagged up occasionally, but not as often as other cranks. They are $6 at Gander Mtn or $7 at TW.

[basspimple]

a good rule of thumb is, if you hit somthing, STOP. nine times out of ten, if your lure is a floater, it will just raise up out of the wayof the snag. and if your not already, try a more forgiving rod, it will absorb some of the impact when the lure hits somthing. if your not getting snagged, your not fishin the right places. but if your gettin snagged every cast, slow down! i know its impossible to not ever get snagged, but get out and take some time to rasie your patience level. slower is usually better! rip some jaws!

-j

[deadeye32.]

these guys are giving you some good advice, but I might add that in areas with wood, I tend to use a square lipped crankbait as opposed to the rounded lipped cranks for weeds and grass.

[hercdoc]

I like using a Bomber Model A crank that dives 6'-8'. The long bill keep the lure in a nose down attitude and hides the hooks behind the body.  I'm not afraid to throw past logs or tree tops and crank it back, watching it work its magic bumping and banging it way through the "zone".  Of course I fish from a boat and I keep my lure retriever pole handy . It's saved me a few dollars over the years.

[Grey Wolf]

Get yourself a lure retriever. It will save you a lot of money .

[bedman]

I also like a square billed crank bait while fishing wood.  It makes a huge difference.

Also, learn the bow and arrow technique.  I would say it works for me over 60% of the time.  When you do get hung, sometimes the bill is just buried in the cover.  I keep slight pressure on it until it floats up and continue working it.  Although, I have to say, sometimes a bass grabs it when it starts floating back up!

[basser89]

Bass-Brat is right on with the lure retriever! Won't get the job done every time but will the majority of the time.

Another thing that I do when fishing around wood is as soon as I come in contact with the cover, I'll stop it (just like kybasser91 said) but after that initial stop, I go into a pull-pause retrieve. For me, it's easier for me to use the rod at that point to feel what the bait is doing and if you do get hung up, you're not digging the hooks into the wood. Also keeps the bait in the strike zone a little longer too. Hope this helps!

[Raul]

My man, mark this words in your mind:

Crankbaiting is a contact sport

If you are not fishing them where they can get hung up in an eyeblink you are not fishing them where the fish are. Now the catch is to learn how to manuever the bait through that cover and not hanging up all the time, I didn 't say not hanging up at all, ok ? I said, not hanging up all the time, so that means that you will ocassionally get hung up, it takes time to learn how to manuever the crank and you will get hung up oftenly but with practice you learn.

First of all, dude, pleez ......... take a look at the label !:

1.- there it says if the bait is a sinker, a floater or a suspending bait, now knowing what you 've got it 's easier to know what can you expect and what the bait is good for.

2.- The diving depth of the bait is there

Sinkers sink, all right ? you may say that 's stupid to say that sinkers sink so what 's the big deal about sinkers sinking ? the rate of fall at which the sinker sinks, and why it 's so important ? cuz knowing at what speed ( ft/sec) the bait sinks you can use the rate of fall as tool and what probably didn 't look at as such a bright idea, like throwing a lipless crank ( which most of them sink and are snag magnets ) at a

brushpile you knowing at which speed it sinks now you can cast the bait and the bait doesn 't snag, knowing the sink rate brings another use for the tool.

Floaters float all right ? but some float ( rise ) faster than others, fat bodied baits float faster than flat bodied baits, so what works well on fat bodied baits works well for flat bodied but .... at a slower pace. So what 's the difference ? well, in the snaggy aspect of the sport it means that if you stop reeling in when you feel the bait is hanging up if you are fishing a fat bait the bait rises fast clearing the obstacle, do the same with a flat/thin bait and you 'll have to wait a longer period of time before the bait has cleared the obstacle; on the other hand, just like knowing the rate of fall helps you to work a sinker bait more efficiently so does knowing that a fatty bait rises faster than a slimy bait. You can twitch more times a slimmy bait while it 's rising than a fatty while almost maintaining the diving depth, which means that the fish will have more time to be attracted by the bait.

Suspending baits suspend, well, in theory they suspend, suspending baits supend at a certain depth if the water temperature is the correct one for that bait, it means that normally they don 't suspend but rise at a very slow rate, hat 's important from the snaggy side of the sport, it means that if you feel that bait is going to snag you better stop reeling in right away and that you can take a nap before the bait rises to a level where it can clear the obstacle.

Also, get a plug knocker, crankbaiting without a plug knocker at hand is just plain dumb finantially.

[Avalonjohn44]

Fishing from shore, a plugknocker is almost useless, I have not saved enough on lures to pay for the knocker....  I swim for lures a lot... A good pair of waders helps in the cold.

[ptomacbass]

Trust what Raul said about cranking being a contact sport. lately most of my fish have come from bouncing  and pausing a shallow crank off of the nastiest fallen trees i can find.

[basser89]

Fishing from shore, a plugknocker is almost useless, I have not saved enough on lures to pay for the knocker.... I swim for lures a lot... A good pair of waders helps in the cold.

Interesting. I've used the rope version many times fishing from shore. I haven't saved them all but I have saved the majority of the ones that I've had hung up. Which model are/were you using Avalonjohn?

[jjbassjj]

you said youre having trouble telling between fish and snags?

I used to and now that ive realllllly mastered the crankbait i can just tell.  You never really need to SET the hook with a crank. , when you feel resistance just kind of keep crankin and believe me you'll tell. also a fiberglass rod will help I just recently got one and to me its a world of difference

[ptomacbass]

yep, never set the hook just reel.

[TournyFish001]

keep tension on the fish but make sure your drag is not too tight-

[kikstand454]

tell you what....

go get good fat  bodied crank in a  color you like, with  a square bill.

then when you get home, take some side cutting pliers and cut off the lead hook of the front treble.

if you push it back and the other two hooks hug the bottom of the bait, youre money.

tada! as snagless as you can get a crank to be. feeling froggy? cut off the lead back one too.

i do it all the time.

using a glass rrod and not really setting the hook, more like sweeping it... thatll help too.

[Avalonjohn44]

Interesting. I've used the rope version many times fishing from shore. I haven't saved them all but I have saved the majority of the ones that I've had hung up. Which model are/were you using Avalonjohn?

I have a bill dance knocker with chains on it.  It's a lead bass with a tennessee cap, and comes with it's own reel.  I also tried one my grandfather had, just a lead plug with chains coming out of it like a squid.   I can't seem get either down the line to where the lure is hung up.  I have tried better angles, and even climbing a tree to get my rod higher so the knocker will go all the way down, but with no luck.  The bill dance thing cost $15 bucks or close to that.  I've saved a grand total of one bandit lure with it.  

[BassBandit35]

Get yourself some ultimate lure saver. A split ring that releases the hook to get your crankbait back almost every time. I use them and it works great, saved lot of crankbaits than without it. Paul Elias uses them too.

To learn more about the product, check out the review at Tackle Tour.

Worth the investment, IMO.