Are Crankbaits Effective At Night?

[ynnhoj86]

I was fishing at night with a drop shot and got bored and threw a kvd silent bait and got one bass. It was the only one at night, was wondering if there any tactics or colors of crankbaits that is effective for night fishing.

[Catt]

Ya ever heard of “Alphabet” cranks

Bass cannot see details at night, so don’t waste time with meticulously painted or patterned lures. Contrast is more important by far than color at night.

[leon1311]

Also, contrast isnt the only thing to focus on. Try a rattle trap. Although the bass can't see they can still hear and feel the vibrations that a rattletrap would make do Ty somethin that'll make some noise.

[Vinny Chase]

Don't use the silent cranks, you will much more productive with rattles. I like black or white crankbaits at night, my favorite being black/red belly DD22.

[Avalonjohn44]

A wake crank can be great fun at night. I use the bagley Bulgin' B or the Bandit Footloose, prefer them over a buzzbait or a jitterbug at night.

[Catt]

Don't use the silent cranks, you will much more productive with rattles. I like black or white crankbaits at night, my favorite being black/red belly DD22.

Just because alphabet cranks do not have rattles does not mean they are silent!

[Primus]

I agree Catt, all cranks have some noise with the hooks swinging around. At night or that first light/ last light transition I've done well with high vibration cranks like the RC 3.5 with chartreuse sides and a Purple back I believe the color is called Purple Perch if I remember right. I fish the " silent" version without the extra rattles and in the clear water lakes I fish the bass have no trouble finding them..

[Vinny Chase]

Obviously that is true, but I want that bait to be LOUD so the bass can hone in on the bait. At night is the only time I strictly throw rattle Baits.

[J Francho]

Wow some pretty big definites here in a sport full of unknowns. One thing I've learned over the years is that whatever I think the bass think is total bologna. All you're doing is getting a few things right. The more things you do right, the more bites you get.

Now, night baits? I won't discount a rattling bait, but some of my biggest night fish have come on silent baits, like big t-rigged worms, flukes, cranks (both silent and rattles) and tubes.

[Catt]

Big, fat, wide bodied alphabet cranks like Bomber model Fat As, Bagley Balsa Bs, Norman Fat Boy Ns, & Cotton Cordell Original Big "O" can be slow reeled and will pound side to side, tossing off loads of vibration.

Try both rattle cranks & non-rattle cranks, the bass will decide which the like

[J Francho]

Bagley Balsa Bs

Used to love throwing these off the dock at night when I was a kid.

I wish I still had some of those old baits.

[Vinny Chase]

J Franco,

I was refering to cranks, and it is a matter of opinion. I throw what I have confidence in and that happens to be loud obnoxious cranks that will get the fishes attention in low light conditions.

Outside of cranks, ribbontails are probably my top producing nightime bait. I use a 10" worm with a heavier unpegged weight and a bead...this gets their attention pretty quickly.

[J Francho]

You're assuming my post was directed at only you. That would be wrong.

[Vinny Chase]

Misunderstood your post then, but I do agree with you that there a times where conventional wisdom is thrown out the window and techniques you never think would work do. For some reason though I have yet to get that at night, its either topwater, t-rigged plastics, cranks for me.

[ynnhoj86]

I did tried a red eye shad as well but no hits. On drop shot I got 3 hits that I miss setting the hook. So it was an area with bass. It was about 11 pm, a water about 3-6 feet, and had lots of shunken tree sticking out of the water. Just wanted to know if bass are less likey to skrike after certain hours and are more prone to bite on fitness worms.

[Wayne P.]

All of you are not considering the fish. They eat at anytime during a 24 hour period. They don't starve if their food doesn't have rattles in them (baitfish). A crankbait simulates a baitfish or crawfish, they can find it and eat it whether or not is is noisy or silent-any color-clear water or muddy water-night or day.

[Vinny Chase]

Wayne,

I'm not saying that you CAN'T catch fish with silent baits. What I am saying is that you will have a higher catch ratio with a bait that fish her see and hear better in low light conditions...that is just my two cents from experience.

[Bluebasser86]

Some of the lakes I fish that have dirty water they'll eat a loud bait like a baby 1- or a R.C. 1.5 with rattles. One of the lakes I fish a lot they love a Xcalibur CS100, until the sun starts to come up, then I can't buy a strike. They won't touch one with rattles though, I'm guessing because of the heavy fishing pressure and clear water. Bandit and some other companies make solid black colored cranks if you buy into the "it has to be black to work at night" thing

[Koop]

At night I prefer a very wide wobble fat bodied crank like the norman fat boy Catt suggested.