I'm convinced, crankbaits are good.
 

I've never been a big believer in crankbaits until yesterday. For
whatever reason I've never had any luck with them. Probably because I
used to fish in florida where it's too weedy. Anyway yesterday I was
fishing a rocky creek in north alabama. I was wade fishing under a
bridge, the water was 3-4 foot deep. Just for the hell of it I decided
I was going to try an experiment. I tried using different baits each
time I waded across the stream, under the bridge. I was casting
upstream on all my casts. I tried using a live creek minnow, a slider,
an inline spinner, a spinnerbait, a shad rap, and a rebel crawdad.
Here are my totals:

Live creek minnow - 0
Slider - 1
Inline spinner - 0
Spinnerbait - 0
Shad rap - around 7
Rebel Crawdad - around 10

As you can see the crankbaits were WAY better. I'm a believer now!

Can anyone suggest some other tiny, shallow running crankbaits?

Chuck.

I'm convinced, crankbaits are good.
 

"CR" wrote in message
om...
I've never been a big believer in crankbaits until yesterday. For
whatever reason I've never had any luck with them. Probably because I
used to fish in florida where it's too weedy. Anyway yesterday I was
fishing a rocky creek in north alabama. I was wade fishing under a
bridge, the water was 3-4 foot deep. Just for the hell of it I decided
I was going to try an experiment. I tried using different baits each
time I waded across the stream, under the bridge. I was casting
upstream on all my casts. I tried using a live creek minnow, a slider,
an inline spinner, a spinnerbait, a shad rap, and a rebel crawdad.
Here are my totals:

Live creek minnow - 0
Slider - 1
Inline spinner - 0
Spinnerbait - 0
Shad rap - around 7
Rebel Crawdad - around 10

As you can see the crankbaits were WAY better. I'm a believer now!

Can anyone suggest some other tiny, shallow running crankbaits?

Chuck.

I have to admit that a crank bait is not on my goto list. The only time I
have done any good with crank baits was on slow days using a very slow
running crank bait. One that can be fished at about the same speed as
dragging a worm across the bottom.

Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com
Fishing Forums and Link Index

I'm convinced, crankbaits are good.
 

T'is the season! For crankbaits that is...

I remember discovering the Zoom Fluke, and I guess I just stumbled on it at
the right time, like you with the crankbaits. When I started fishing the
Flukes, I wondered why this wasn't the only bait in my tacklebox! I was
catching alot of fish with them, and once though that they should be
outlawed!!! Then, just as quick as it started (actually about a month
later), when the weather warmed up and sent the bass into hiding... I was at
a loss. I couldn't buy a bite with a Fluke, so I resorted back to the other
items in the box.

Yes, crankbaits are good, and the crankbait season is upon us, and while you
can catch fish most of the year with them, don't trick yourself into
thinking they are always the best bait in your boat. But, don't think that
after you stop catching them on a crankbait, that the bite is over. Continue
using them as one of the great search tools, and be ready to follow up with
a slower bait when you aren't hooking up.

That was my lesson learned anyway...

"CR" wrote in message
om...
I've never been a big believer in crankbaits until yesterday. For
whatever reason I've never had any luck with them. Probably because I
used to fish in florida where it's too weedy. Anyway yesterday I was
fishing a rocky creek in north alabama. I was wade fishing under a
bridge, the water was 3-4 foot deep. Just for the hell of it I decided
I was going to try an experiment. I tried using different baits each
time I waded across the stream, under the bridge. I was casting
upstream on all my casts. I tried using a live creek minnow, a slider,
an inline spinner, a spinnerbait, a shad rap, and a rebel crawdad.
Here are my totals:

Live creek minnow - 0
Slider - 1
Inline spinner - 0
Spinnerbait - 0
Shad rap - around 7
Rebel Crawdad - around 10

As you can see the crankbaits were WAY better. I'm a believer now!

Can anyone suggest some other tiny, shallow running crankbaits?

Chuck.

I'm convinced, crankbaits are good.
 

CR wrote:

Can anyone suggest some other tiny, shallow running crankbaits?

Chuck.

Mann's tiny 1-minus or baby 1-minus

I'm convinced, crankbaits are good.
 

CR wrote in message
om...
Can anyone suggest some other tiny, shallow running crankbaits?

As Henry mentioned, Tiny 1-. Also #3 or #5 Floating Rapala. Mini Fat Raps,
tiny Rapala Countdowns (as you can see, I'm a Rapala fan), tiny lipless
crankbaits. These last three all sink, but can be fished shallow. Also Rebel
Crickhoppers and some of their other small baits. Check out the latter at
www.lurenet.com.

I'm convinced, crankbaits are good.
 

"Charles Summers" wrote in message ...
T'is the season! For crankbaits that is...

I remember discovering the Zoom Fluke, and I guess I just stumbled on it at
the right time, like you with the crankbaits. When I started fishing the
Flukes, I wondered why this wasn't the only bait in my tacklebox! I was
catching alot of fish with them, and once though that they should be
outlawed!!! Then, just as quick as it started (actually about a month
later), when the weather warmed up and sent the bass into hiding... I was at
a loss. I couldn't buy a bite with a Fluke, so I resorted back to the other
items in the box.

I like super flukes also. I should have included them in my test.
Maybe this weekend.

Yes, crankbaits are good, and the crankbait season is upon us, and while you
can catch fish most of the year with them, don't trick yourself into
thinking they are always the best bait in your boat. But, don't think that
after you stop catching them on a crankbait, that the bite is over. Continue
using them as one of the great search tools, and be ready to follow up with
a slower bait when you aren't hooking up.

I read somewhere that crankbaits work better in shallow creeks than in
lakes. I know in my case crankbaits were absolutely 100% unusable in
florida, because of the weeds. Maybe since in a creek the fish are
hiding behind rocks, it takes some commotion to draw them out. I saw 3
or 4 fish dart out from rocks the other day and take the crankbait.

One piece of advice. I've been crushing the barbs off the treble hooks
with needle nose pliers. It makes it WAY easier to remove the hook.

I'm convinced, crankbaits are good.
 

Interesting post as I was going to post just the opposite :)

I've fished in Florida for the past 10 years or so and have always used
worms and spinnerbaits. Never even thought of touching a crankbait. Just
this past year I really wanted to try fishing deeper water. I recently found
the joys of fishing reclaimed phosphate mines. Granted, these lakes are
15-30' deep which is much deeper then the 5' depth usually found in Florida
lakes but many crankbaits run at 4' and can be used in most lakes.

I fish crankbaits the same way I fish most of my baits, I throw then toward
cover (usually on shore) and pull them back to the boat. I guess I'm trying
to pull the bass out of the heavy cover. I find the hits either to be right
when the lure is pulled forward or a good 10-20' away from where the bait
hit.

I've _never_ caught as big of fish or as many fish as I have in the past
couple of months. As I mentioned, I've been using the crankbaits for about 6
months now and I feel that I'm getting better at fishing them. When I cast I
am limited to throwing the bait into an area that does not have weeds but
again, I feel that I'm trying to pull the bass out from the cover.

Just as an enticement not to give up on crankbaits, I've included a couple
of links to a few of the catches my friend and I made in the last two trips
to the lake. keep in mind, these are the biggest bass we've ever caught. We
usually catch 1-2lbs'ers.

http://www.bassingfools.com/MVC-723S.JPG
http://www.bassingfools.com/MVC-728S.JPG - my friends pride and joy :)
http://www.bassingfools.com/MVC-696S.JPG
http://www.bassingfools.com/MVC-703S.JPG
http://www.bassingfools.com/MVC-623S.JPG
Hey, that all can't be big :) ^

I think the trick with fishing crankbaits is to find a nice drop off on the
lake or a deep area. Deep areas might be found at points. Then pick a
crankbait that will stay above this area. As others have posted, there are
crankbaits that only dive 12" or so.


"CR" wrote in message
om...
I read somewhere that crankbaits work better in shallow creeks than in
lakes. I know in my case crankbaits were absolutely 100% unusable in
florida, because of the weeds. Maybe since in a creek the fish are
hiding behind rocks, it takes some commotion to draw them out. I saw 3
or 4 fish dart out from rocks the other day and take the crankbait.

One piece of advice. I've been crushing the barbs off the treble hooks
with needle nose pliers. It makes it WAY easier to remove the hook.

I'm convinced, crankbaits are good.
 

Fish the Mann's Baby 1- where you would fish a buzzbait.

Great small crankbaits include several in the Bagley's line. But these are
wood baits so you need to know how to care for them. Carry clear fingernail
polish to seal any light cracks in the finish. Makes a good sealant around
the bill and hook eyes. For more severe damage, use superglue. You will
bounce one off of rock or wood and damage it. Take it off and lay it in the
sun. When good and dry seal it with superglue and give it a couple coats of
clear fingernail polish when dry. You can fish a bait in just a few minutes
after putting fingernail polish on in the summer as it dries fast. I have
quite the selection of little Bagley's. I really like the craw and Bitty
B's. But I have a bunch and few dealers carry them all.

When you get a crankbait that the front hook has worn a groove in the sides.
A couple coats of clear fingernail polish will fill them and prevent the
hooks from wearing all the way thru. Of course, you need to really fish a
crankbait a lot to usually see this kind of wear.

Carlos

I'm convinced, crankbaits are good.
 

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
"CR" wrote in message
om...
I've never been a big believer in crankbaits until yesterday. For
whatever reason I've never had any luck with them. Probably because I
used to fish in florida where it's too weedy. Anyway yesterday I was
fishing a rocky creek in north alabama. I was wade fishing under a
bridge, the water was 3-4 foot deep. Just for the hell of it I decided
I was going to try an experiment. I tried using different baits each
time I waded across the stream, under the bridge. I was casting
upstream on all my casts. I tried using a live creek minnow, a slider,
an inline spinner, a spinnerbait, a shad rap, and a rebel crawdad.
Here are my totals:

Live creek minnow - 0
Slider - 1
Inline spinner - 0
Spinnerbait - 0
Shad rap - around 7
Rebel Crawdad - around 10

As you can see the crankbaits were WAY better. I'm a believer now!

Can anyone suggest some other tiny, shallow running crankbaits?

Chuck.

I have to admit that a crank bait is not on my goto list. The only time I
have done any good with crank baits was on slow days using a very slow
running crank bait. One that can be fished at about the same speed as
dragging a worm across the bottom.

Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com
Fishing Forums and Link Index



I would try a red speed rap and rip it just above the weed beds. Is one of
the goto baits in the Sacramento Delta, and we also get very warm weather.
Bill