Crankbait Q?

[xxmurrxx]

I read and hear all over that in order to get solid strikes on crankbaits you must first bump them into cover or run them in contact with the bottom.

Is this true in all cases?

Anyone ever have any luck just running them just above bottom or mid level with no contact?

Just curious.

[GSU_Fishing]

I catch fish all the time on cranks before they ever hit anything. Especially if they are schoolin on shad on the surface. You will normally hang the bigger ones under the schools of visible fish.

You dont have to hit cover to catch fish on cranks. Its just another thing that will help. Just keep it close to the bottom or where you know there are fish.

[Jimzee]

Many times I will get strikes running cranks in mid water column adjacent to cover.  I can truthfully say that better than 60% of my strikes come directly after making contact with cover or some type of structure.  I seem to catch more spotted bass when fishing mid water column too.

[tyrius.]

I catch nearly all of my crankbait fish by fishing them above or along weed lines.  These fish come without the crank ever hitting anything.

[Stringjam]

No - you don't always have to hit stuff, and sometimes hitting stuff too hard can really turn fish off. I love fishing flatsided cranks along rock banks in the spring......I'll give the baits some irregularity in the action, especially if I'm over a piece of cover or structure, but they don't have to hit anything to get inhaled.

Sometimes the reverse is true - - just have to experiment on any given day to find out.

I find my most consistent method of triggering strikes involves "ticking" cover and structure, not plowing it. I don't like to overpower the depth so much that the bait loses its action. As in anything - the are exceptions and times when I'll rip and burn a bait as hard as I can to get fish triggered.      

[BassFishingMachine]

Im new to fishing crankbaits, other then lipless cranks. I am still learning how to bounce the lure off of cover with getting snagged. I just started using crankbaits in mid september, and I caught a good amount of fish on them, all of my fish were caught without the bait ever making contact with any peice of cover. I did however do well bringing the lure past cover. I tryed bumping the crankbait into cover, but I got snagged a couple times, and when I didn't get snagged I didn't get a hit after making contact. Although I smacked the peice of cover fairly hard, and after what Stringjam said I'll try to gently hit the cover next time.

I am sure hitting cover with cranks will catch fish, I just need to work on it. Im just trying to give you some confidence in fishing the bait in open water, because like I said, I've caught a good amount of fish without making any contact with a peice of cover.

[bladeslinger]

Banging a crank on cover definitely will catch a lot of fish, but if cover is tough to bounce consider throwing a few "bumps" in the retrieve. Often this change in direction is the trigger for the bite.

[Chris]

When you bounce a crankbait off of cover you are doing two things one is that the bait will change directions the second is that the bait will change vibration pattern. Normal healthy shad swim from point A to point B at the same speed and direction for the most part. Shad being chased by bass or spooked by bass hall butt in any direction bang into things and change their swimming pattern. Baitfish that have issues from being sick or hurt also throw out an odd vibration pattern that fish pick up on. They also swim different than healthy baitfish. Bass have an instinct to chase down the sick an injured and will pick out that shad from a school. You can catch bass with a crankbait just chucking it out and reeling it in. You begin to open a new realm when you start fishing the bait and making it act like a baitfish should act around a hungry bass.

[TrippyJai]

When I started crankbait fishing, all I did was cast the lure out and reel it in. I've caught plenty of fishes that way. Nowadays, I catch more fish on crankbaits bumping into structure, but at the same time, I also lose a lot more cranks. I'm still learning how to feel out the bottom, but at times I am still pretty clueless of what's underneath.

[BARON49_Northern NY]

What gets a bass's attention is the crankbait doing something different then just a cast and retrive.  This could be bouncing off a rock or stump, ticking along the bottom, or a stop and go retrieive.  My favorite is to reel the bait down and then sweep it with a sideways motion of the rod, stop and reel down and sweep again.

Make the crankbait do something different during the retrieve and I think you will see more strikes.

[RLinNH]

One of my favorite ways to fish a Crank is in 6-8ft. of water when there is submerged grass that is no longer then 3-4 ft. Crank the bait over the grass and hold on for Tons of Fun!!!

[bowtech_182]

If you are getting snagged a lot bumping cover, pause for a second after hitting the cover and let the crankbait float up up slightly and start retrieving again.  You should also have a good lure retriever.

[GSU_Fishing]

To go along with what bowtech said.... If youre getting hung alot, when you feel the bait hit the cover pause a second and continue the retrieve. If yoiu you are in fact hung...the worst thing to do is really pull on the plug. Spool out some line and grab it in your pointer finger and kind of pluck it or snap it like a guitar string. Alot of times that will snap slack into the line and free the lure. Give it a try next time your on the water. Its always wise to invest in a plug knocker or lure retriever...It is def worth the invesment!!