Question about Cranks

[dboyd101]

Hey guys,

Anyone been having luck with crank baits? Looking to pick some up tonight for use tomorrow at a local secluded lake and am curious what ones would be best to purchase.

Thanks in advance.

-Dave

[catfishonthelake]

No need to go crazy spending top dollar on cranks, but if you do have it like that, Koppers makes some crazy life-like lures, although I have had problems with the paint chipping. That's just about the last thing you want when you're spending 10-bucks on a lure. I think for the money, Bomber and Norman have the best cranks. Try to get an idea of how deep the lake you're fishing is going to be and match it up with the diving-depth of the crank. If you're fishing a lake that is 5-feet deep and you buy cranks that dive to 10, you're going to have problems with getting hung-up. Buy a few baits that match the forage species in the lake (herring, bluegill, shiner or even craws) and then buy some in some bright colors. There's a lot that goes into crankbait fishing, but that's the basics.

[dboyd101]

Generally shallow b/c I'm going from the shore. I've definitely fished cranks before, but I was just curious if there were any favorites you guys use. Thanks for the info though. I'll check out some of the brands you mentioned today!

-Dave

[Fin Reaper]

Fat Raps and Balsa B's

[Fish_Harder]

Follow the advice that Catfishonthelake gave you and for this time of year make sure you are targeting main lake points as they are staging areas for post spawn fish. besides that look into drop off areas with a jerk bait for your pre spawn fish

[Lard Almighty]

My three favorite shallow cranks are Rapala Shallow Shad Rap, Mann's 1-Minus, and Rebel Humpback.

[dboyd101]

Hey guys,

Thanks so much for the helpful replies! Here is what I picked up tonight:


Mister Twister 'Senko' style watermelon worms (1/3 the price of the other brand and 2 hooks included)
strike king grass frog
Rapala RNR4 (Sinking, shiner/minnow pattern)
Rebel Pop-R (Teeny Size)
BLAZE Lures - two minnow type cranks, one that is round, and one that is flat - only about $2.50 each... so i got two


Here is a photo for visuals:
http://oi55.tinypic.com/6r7swm.jpg

Let me know what you guys think and I'll do the same after I try some stuff tomorrow!

[dboyd101]

Hit a lake just down the highway this morning @ 5:45. Fished until 10:08 (I know b/c I had alarm set for then to leave to pick up my wife... i'm not rainman... lol)

Here's what I managed to put together:

3 bass:
2 bass - wacky rig mister twister watermelon senko style worm
1 bass - rapala rnr4 crank

1 Sunny:
1 sunfish - cd3 rainbow trout crank

A successful day for me. :)

[Flemington_Fisher]

Cabela's makes decent crankbaits under their own label. Rapala is too expensive, and there are others that are just off-the-charts expensive. It's absurd, as bass are probably the least fussy of any gamefish.

[JOHN D]

try the rapala jointed shad rap. keep it small. that is my go-to bait (ill use it before a senko). i know that every lake is different but ive caught more fish in more lakes that anywhere else.

i am not trying to sell you this and quite frankly i dont care if you use it or not. im just saying, this is undoubtably one of if not the best baits that i have used for bass

-the color shown below is the best

[Jerseydix]

The Shallow Shad Rap is a great lure. Definitely my go to bait when the bite is tuff goin. Also not a crank, but that Strike King grass frog you got pictured will give you tons of fun when the bass are under the lilly pads.

[dboyd101]

Hey Jon -

Thanks for the input. And if you were trying to sell me on it, I don't care! That's why I posted up.

Thanks again for sharing. Always appreciate the input!

Cheers,
dave

[dboyd101]

The Shallow Shad Rap is a great lure. Definitely my go to bait when the bite is tuff goin. Also not a crank, but that Strike King grass frog you got pictured will give you tons of fun when the bass are under the lilly pads.


Yeah, that was fun to fish with even though I didn't get any hits with it. The place I went there are a few corners that are just COVERED with pads, so I'm super excited for the sun to start shining and the water to warm up so they start seeking shade.

Thanks for the help!

[maddhatterr]

Manns Wakers and Mann 5+ diggem hard in the dirt...

[maddhatterr]

The Shallow Shad Rap is a great lure. Definitely my go to bait when the bite is tuff goin. Also not a crank, but that Strike King grass frog you got pictured will give you tons of fun when the bass are under the lilly pads.
have to agree 100% on the grass frog..its a must in your box......

[dboyd101]

Ran into someone @ ramapo lake parking lot with a bunch of his friends last week or so and he had one... was yellow and the legs looked like frilly pom poms... lol - let me see if i can find it... one sec... ok - found it - was this one http://elunker.com/images/kf_soft_yellow.jpg

he claimed it works great. anyone have any success w/this style? i love the hook placement...

[maddhatterr]

But I feel your leaveing out the best big bass taker...the old pig and jig or in todays language the old jig with a trailer of sorts...the kreature from you know who is a deadly bucket mouth taker...you won't catch 40 in a day but the one you will catch will be worth the time...that brings us to the type of tackle you will need to fish jigs...HEAVY and fish it in the HEAVY brush and fallen trees...it will pay off with many killer photos of you holding 5 plus pound bass...:D

[Moz]

Ran into someone @ ramapo lake parking lot with a bunch of his friends last week or so and he had one... was yellow and the legs looked like frilly pom poms... lol - let me see if i can find it... one sec... ok - found it - was this one http://elunker.com/images/kf_soft_yellow.jpg

he claimed it works great. anyone have any success w/this style? i love the hook placement...

That's the new Koppers frog, the green one looks scary-real.

My 5 year old son is convinced one cannot have enough "froggie lures" so no doubt this will find it's way into his tackle box on one of our Cabelas trips. That hook set-up is great for little kids learning how to cast; It floats and is snag free. :D

[dboyd101]

Thanks for the input there, Moz! Sounds like a fun one for my wife to learn on, haha!

You mention Cabelas. Birthday is coming up and the wife mentioned taking a trip out to Cabelas for a little birthday shopping spree. Is it worth it?

[JOHN D]

on cool, buggy summer evenings, at around 6-7 i will run a frog like that, find the worst imaginable muck that you wouldn't cast any other lure into, then cast past it into open water and run it through the muck, that will look like a frog running into cover. its a great reaction bait and it is so much fun to watch a bass explode on it

work it much like a zara spook in a walk the dog type fashion, give it a couple twitches and then pause then a couple more....you get the point

good luck

[dboyd101]

that sounds pretty fun - will def give that a shot