Cranking Through Wood

[chilliblanket]

What do you guys find is the best way to effectively fish wood cover with a lot of branches? Im talking about offshore specifically, but i guess the same rules would apply to beating the banks. I've heard a lot of people use the rod to move the bait after contact has been made with the cover.. what do you guys do?

[Red]

I crank some pretty thick wood. Generally when the bait makes contact I will just stop it for a second so it can float up a bit then continue to crank. Alot of the time it is the first couple cranks after contact when I get the bite.

[JIGFISHERMAN.]

A good square billed crank will pull right through some knarly stuff.

Haven't in some time, but I used to fish river lay downs with a hand full of old Poe's square bills. Just crank and crank. Those things will pull through anything.

[chilliblanket]

i been cranking some really heavy wood recently.. and im getting the lip wedged more than anything.. i guess it just requires a slower presentation?

[Sam]

I crank some pretty thick wood. Generally when the bait makes contact I will just stop it for a second so it can float up a bit then continue to crank. Alot of the time it is the first couple cranks after contact when I get the bite.

X2

Now, knowing what you know you will get hung up.

It comes with the territority.

So are the hangups worth the rewards? YES!!!!!

[Nitrofreak]

I crank some pretty thick wood. Generally when the bait makes contact I will just stop it for a second so it can float up a bit then continue to crank. Alot of the time it is the first couple cranks after contact when I get the bite.

X3 !!

I will do this same thing when using cranks, but normally if I am in heavy wood or grass I use spinners and hit every little branch I can.

Spinners allow me to get less hang-ups and create some great action when fishing heavy cover.

[chilliblanket]

X3 !!

I will do this same thing when using cranks, but normally if I am in heavy wood or grass I use spinners and hit every little branch I can.

Spinners allow me to get less hang-ups and create some great action when fishing heavy cover.

So are you using heavy spinnerbaits and slow rolling?

[Fishes in trees]

Timber Tiger crankbaits come through wood and brush cover better than any other crank.

[chilliblanket]

technique wish is there something to do though?

[Bluebasser86]

When I'm cranking wood I really try to concentrate on what my bait is doing. When I feel it about to contact a branch I stop reeling and use the rod to pull the bait forward. This slows the bait down to a crawl so it can float up a little bit but keeps it moving forward over the limb.

[JIGFISHERMAN.]

I do the opposite I guess of others. I just keep crankin'. Even when I hit something. For me, I've found that if I stop, I get hung, if I keep going the lip will deflect it up over.

[chilliblanket]

I do the opposite I guess of others. I just keep crankin'. Even when I hit something. For me, I've found that if I stop, I get hung, if I keep going the lip will deflect it up over.

Are you using fluoro?

[JIGFISHERMAN.]

Are you using fluoro?

No...Mono

[chilliblanket]

thats crazy.. when i try that i get stuck lol..

[JIGFISHERMAN.]

thats crazy.. when i try that i get stuck lol..

Maybe it's just the crankbait? Like I mentioned I only do it with some old Poe's flat/square billed cranks.

[chilliblanket]

ohhh i seee.. i can pull squarebills through some pretty thick cover.. im only really having trouble with deeper diving cranks like maybe in the 12 ft range

[Bass_Fanatic]

Buy some Timber Tigers...they can dive 12ft and come through cover like a dream.

[Bluebasser86]

ohhh i seee.. i can pull squarebills through some pretty thick cover.. im only really having trouble with deeper diving cranks like maybe in the 12 ft range

I was referring to fishing deeper cranks when I said I stop reeling and pull the bait over the cover with my rod. It lets the bait float up a little but keeps it moving forward. You have to pull it slowly so it doesn't roll over the limb, that's when the snags happen.

[chilliblanket]

I was referring to fishing deeper cranks when I said I stop reeling and pull the bait over the cover with my rod. It lets the bait float up a little but keeps it moving forward. You have to pull it slowly so it doesn't roll over the limb, that's when the snags happen.

yeah i get a better feel when im pulling with the rod... you pull fast enough that youre keeping in contact with the cover though right?

[Bluebasser86]

Yes I just pull really slowly, just fast enough to make it wobble and keep the bill down. The bill helps to keep the hooks away from the cover and a lot of times the fish will catch the bait right as it gets to the limb. It's almost more like dragging a C-rig when I'm fishing a deep crank through trees, really trying to feel my way through the trees. You're still going to get snagged, just not nearly as much.

[Simp]

Honestly I surprised nobody has mentioned crashing. I became a fan of crashing after I saw a crank work down a very think tree in ultra clear water. The lure as erratic as i've ever seen anything and it was something you could never hope to duplicate by a stop and go. The lure would smack into a limb then slowly grind over and suddenly dart in a crazy direction. It was simply amazing all the triggering aspects it was producing. Fast isn't always best but man dont be afraid of crashing from time to time because your worried about loosing a lure. By cheaper lures if your worried. Seriously!

[chilliblanket]

Yes I just pull really slowly, just fast enough to make it wobble and keep the bill down. The bill helps to keep the hooks away from the cover and a lot of times the fish will catch the bait right as it gets to the limb. It's almost more like dragging a C-rig when I'm fishing a deep crank through trees, really trying to feel my way through the trees. You're still going to get snagged, just not nearly as much.

yeah, i dont ever really get the hooks stuck lol.. i always seem to wedge the bill in between the branches..

Honestly I surprised nobody has mentioned crashing. I became a fan of crashing after I saw a crank work down a very think tree in ultra clear water. The lure as erratic as i've ever seen anything and it was something you could never hope to duplicate by a stop and go. The lure would smack into a limb then slowly grind over and suddenly dart in a crazy direction. It was simply amazing all the triggering aspects it was producing. Fast isn't always best but man dont be afraid of crashing from time to time because your worried about loosing a lure. By cheaper lures if your worried. Seriously!

this is how i fish almost all of my squarebills... have you tried this with the rounder bills?

[Simp]

yeah, i dont ever really get the hooks stuck lol.. i always seem to wedge the bill in between the branches..

this is how i fish almost all of my squarebills... have you tried this with the rounder bills?

Sure it's not as arratic as a square will be but they still are erratic as can be, and once you develop a feel you can get baits to come threw most of the time. Once you learn to play the piano correctly with your cranks you unhook 95% of your baits that get hung anyway. It's all about trying different things to find what those bass want. I try to use cranks to trigger strikes so I try to speed up most of the time. I'll pick up a jig to work slow and precise.

[Seanyboy]

I like to crank right through the wood, trying to keep contact as much as possible. Depending on what I'm feeling the bait hit, I'll either keep cranking or pause it for a split second. If it's a squarebill, I'll keep cranking, if not, I'll usually pause it so it won't get hung up.

Normally, I let the reel dictate most of the bait action, only twitching the rod occasionally.

[tnbassfisher]

Like stated, you can get through some decent stuff with square bills. But it always seems that the shallow-er cranks are the ones with square bills. Am I wrong?