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Posts: 3240
Location: Racine, Wi | firstsixfeet - 1/27/2011 4:20 PM
I think it has more to do with the depth. Cranks are situational, as are most baits.
They are definitely a different tool and situational like most baits, however at least in my area, the fish tend to spend a good amount of time in deeper water a good amount of time. From April all the way through the end of the year, it's common for me to throw cranks, however usually in July through early September and then again in late October through the end of the year they tend to shine for me as the fish seem to be holding deeper in the water column. When they are up higher, the big minnow baits (10" Jakes, 10" Slammers) seem to shine when they are eating cranks. So I think there are more situations where they can be used when they aren't even looked at as an option.
To Kevin's point, a person could litterally set up on a weededge during the summer, set up parallel, and cast to the edges and learn really quickly how to fish a weededge effectively with a crank. Knowing how the weeds feel as the bait hits them, how the bait feels if it catches some weeds, how to pop them off..... Developing that feel will definitely help a person become a better weed fisherman with a crank. I know that touch has helped put countless numbers of fish in my boat just off weedlines alone. Then you throw in the pops and such for fishing weedlines, cleaner breaklines, and suspendos and you have a few new ways in which to target these fish as a go to pattern, not just a pattern to try when the fish aren't moving on blades or topwaters. |
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Posts: 70
| i love casting cranks, had alot of success last summer working parrallel to weed edges , in pockets, and banging rocks.
worked it every way possible , had a 42 hit at boat side while i was checking the rate of rise on a bait, most of the fish where caught on cranks and as mentioned early by others , the "roll" was a must.
cranks are not just for breakfast anymore, it's an under utilized tool (my meaningless opinion)
bob |
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Posts: 880
Location: New Berlin,Wisconsin,53151 | Joel, great to hear that your able to climb out from the diaper pile. Shouldn't be about time for another one? LOL. I have some great luck with the DDD, Jake, and Slamer baits twitched slowly, gliders like phantoms, undertakers work also. Rubber sucks and I don't have much confidence with using them so therefore I don't toss them much. |
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | firstsixfeet - 1/27/2011 4:20 PM
I think it has more to do with the depth. Cranks are situational, as are most baits.
I would disagree! I will agree with Joel’s comment’s on the same quote though.
As effective as rubber is the fish have days they won’t touch them. It is usually these days that I will fish a crank, at the same depth as the rubber, and get bit. Give me one lure style to use, and I want it to be a crank. It just flat out works from opener to close. There is no time in the season I don’t use cranks. They are very under rated early in the season especially, and I am talking the full size cranks. Most guys will be chucking bucktails and gliders for opener, but not me. Get out a bit deeper than the shallow water pounders, strap on a crank, and get jiggy with it. I love the opener out on the deep weed edge with a crank as the larger fish are usually out there while the little males are still shallow.
Joel touched on it already, and that is learning weed edges as well as all structures. If there is one thing I like as much as fishing suspended it is banging structure with cranks. I think a lot of people are afraid to do it. I do the same for walleyes and smallmouth bass. Not only does that bait banging around trigger a lot of strikes, it also clues you into the underwater world. I equate it to those that fish creatures like Worrel, except I feel I can cover more water quicker with cranks and still learn what’s going on down there. Chuck the crank up onto the weed edges and beyond, and bring them back to you. If you didn’t hit weeds toss it farther up into the gooch. Do this until you start hitting weeds. This way you learn your boundary of how far to cast. You will also learn if there is a patch of weeds that runs a bit higher than the rest, and it is here that you may get that hit. It is of my opinion that if you are not hitting weeds every once in awhile then you are not effectively fishing that weed edge. Same deal with rocky points and bars/humps. Bounce those babies off the rocks. Learn where there may be rocks within a sand or gravel bottom. Where there may be boulders amongst rocks. It is those areas that make the spot on the spot. Things you don’t learn with a bucktail, glider/jerk, or rubber. Let those baits dig bottom on occasion. It will telegraph back through the rod what is down there. That said having a good quality rod helps.
Sure cranking RIGHT takes a bit of feel and practice. However why do something if you aren’t going to do it right. Don’t look for the immediate gratification. Take time to learn what you can do with a crank, and learn your water with it. The time you think you are wasting in all reality will just make future days on the water that much more productive. There is a reason some of the most successful anglers, whether it be bass, walleye, musky, etc… are very good at fishing cranks. It is more than just Depth control, and the situation. I can fish a bucktail at any depth, and they won’t always get bit.
Prior to musky fishing take time and practice on other fish. The walleye opener in WI isn’t always thought of as a crankbait time for them. Common practice is jig/minnow, leech, or slip bobber rig. Sure some guys do the crank thing at night way shallow. I have had great luck cranking during the day for walleyes during the opener. Lots of guys give me funny looks as I am cruising around casting like crazy. However, they quickly start rummaging through their boxes looking for cranks when I am out producing their livebait rigging!
To be continued…
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | sharpen the lips of a shallow raider and with a rod held high ... rip and twitch it through the slop. depth means nothing when it comes to working a crank bait.
crankbaits rule the roost in my casting deck ... |
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Posts: 2361
| Just because things CAN be done, doesn't mean they SHOULD be done. You can throw any bait 24/7, in all situations, but there can be a horrible drop off in efficiency doing it. I can type several paragraphs about it, but it won't say it any better. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | I use to throw d raiders a lot, caught lots of fish on them, haven't really thrown em as much last few years...still a time and place for them, about the only cranks I throw these days are triple d's and some customs...
one could probably take a mag dawg, a double 10 and a crank and cover just about any situation..... |
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | I speak for fishing in WI and the U.P. of MI as far as crankin goes. Sure there are times another lure is a better choice, and I fish it. However, it is rare in waters I fish that cranks are not one of your best options. As far as efficiency goes unless you are running and gunning it is tough to beat a crank. The drawing power they have to attract fish from a distance is huge. That is if you fish them the “right” way.
It is tough to argue with results that guys like Paul Klein have in WI. I am not just talking about a year or two with a new lure either. The guy fishes the same baits year in and year out, for the last 20+ years, and catches a pile of big fish. He doesn’t buy very many new ones, and when he does it is usually because I told him about some great new crank. Majority of the time he is throwing a crank as well as his clients.
Learn to use a crank, and a lot of different ones, and you will realize that you don’t have much of a need for a lot of other lure styles.
I agree with Brad. While I am not a big tail guy, between cranks and rubber you don’t need too much other lures most of the time.
One other tip especially if you fish tourneys. Day one is usually a huge rubber bite for most guys. However by the end of day one and into day two that starts to fizzle. Strap on a crank and you may be pleasantly surprised when you think the fish have been over pressured.
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | Are crankbaits underrated? Yes or maybe people just don't like to fish them. I think TK and Joel have covered the how and why pretty well. I'll simply add some stats by lure category that cover many years and thousands of fish.
Cranks 43%
Rubber 31%
Jerkbaits, Bucktails, Jigs 26%
IMO you need to be good with a crankbait in all seasons covering deep to shallow. |
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Posts: 743
| "are crankbaits under rated?". wow...neat question. this is a guess, i didnt do all my research, but i'd hazzard to say in the last 20 years, 15 of the 20 biggest muskies caught in the world, came on crankbaits. (covering any and all musky waters). no..i dont think they are underrated. |
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Posts: 3240
Location: Racine, Wi | Thanks for the productive comment dude. As you can see by some of the comments just in this thread, they don't always get used as much. To say that a couple handfuls of big fish are caught on them doesn't show whether or not they are under-utilized. I'm not talking mearly about trolling, but casting as well. I think the blades and what not get so much more paper time so to speak, that cranks aren't really part of a person's go to bait pile. My experience (for what that is worth) is that people troll them for sure, but not much in the way of casting in multiple arenas.
How much time do you give cranks a year Tomcat? Just looking for some good discussion through the winter verses the traditional banter. |
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Posts: 56
Location: Southern MN | Interesting thread, I haven't used cranks nearly as much as other baits but was thinking I should give them a little more time next year. |
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | tuffy1 - 1/28/2011 12:50 PM I think the blades and what not get so much more paper time so to speak, that cranks aren't really part of a person's go to bait pile. My experience (for what that is worth) is that people troll them for sure, but not much in the way of casting in multiple arenas. I hope this gets people thinking about their lure selection – good job for bringing this up Joel. Being one of those people that always want to know WHY. I would be interested to see the use broken down by a years fishing. Is there a trend toward rubber and tails with people that started in the last ten years? Is there a trend toward crankbaits for people that have been in this longer than 10 years? BN - I don't think it is coincidence that the guy down in PA sells plenty of cranks to the guys posting in this thread. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | just a guess but i would bet guys that just started musky fishing in the last 5 or 6 yrs don't use cranks as much...the plastic and double 10 craze is the reason...I have been fishing 18 yrs for ski's and use to throw cranks A LOT but got away from them for a bit but now I throw them quite a bit but the arsenal of what I throw is way smaller....d raiders, triple ds and customs is about all I throw...confidence in those and I don't waste my time with others...sure they work but I know what has worked for big ones and stick to that....cranks are underutilized across the board tho imo |
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Posts: 100
Location: W-PA | I started fishing skis at a young age back in the early 90's. At the time, I had a couple hand me down bombers, a grandma and a cisco kid. Basically, throw out and straight retrieve with a few twitches. I did well on them, but moved on to newer baits like rubber, topwaters, and bucktails. Having had success with the new baits, I didn't give the old standby's much time. Several years ago, while in a rut, I went back to some cranks that I had previously had success with and really put the time into fishing them differently and correctly in ways some of you suggest. In the right situations, I have since had great success while using cranks. |
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Posts: 743
| hey Tuffy1, i use cranksbaits about 10% of the time i'm casting. unless you count kickin minnow and shadallics as crankbaits, then i use cranks about 25% to 30% of the time i'm casting. I go trolling once a year. usually for a week. at all times i have at least two cranksbaits in the water when i'm trolling. i try to trolling other baits when i'm trolling crankbaits (pounders, bucktails) but i seem to catch the most and biggest on crankbaits, when i'm trolling (which is only 8 days a year). i don't think crankbaits are underrated. |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | I tend to use cranks when a PAUSE is needed to get bit. Usually in deep water or when fish are tight to cover and in AMBUSH mode rather than CHASE mode. Cranks for me are basically a Glide Bait with depth control (see all the comments from others on the importance of a "kickout"). Twitch Baits for shallow applications and deep divers for very erratic shallow presentations or drive them down fast and "walk the dog" at depths most gliders can't reach efficiently. |
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| Crankbaits are overrated.
Much of the attention given to crankbaits is from the lure manufacturers and those given a free lure or two to plug them.
Muskies move into shallower water and up higher to feed.
Bucktails and the old wooden jerk baits are still the best in mho.
Rubber is nice for bumping the bottoms of the deep holes for the rare giant hog just laying deep.
Crankbaits are easily mass produced and the profit margins are high.
You see many crank bait guys popping up to make and sell every style and color imaginable to the group of "muskie pros" that were spawned by the tv fishing shows that became popular in the last thirty years.
When I want to catch fish I go to the water where the fish are biting.
Pay less attention to the guys at "shows", less attention to the "tinsel guys", and less attention to the guys that write to listen to themselves. Becoming a "pro" today simply means paying an entry fee in a tournament. The best fishermen i know come from generations of fishermen, are low key, catch alot of fish, and look for musky water to catch fish, not crankbait hype. |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | Wow, Oldtimer has some passion. Yah.... if you are free to roam and chase the hot bite.... or can time your trips for when fish are shallow and accessible.... you can efficiently and effectively catch lots of muskies... and big muskies without crankbaits. When forced to fish as time permits (work and family commitments) or the lake is already chosen (own a cabin on lake, tournament, vacation destination, etc), crankbaits are a tool that can help. Do you NEED to use them? Nope. But for those ignoring them, they may be missing opportunities. I think that was the whole point of this discussion, wasn't it? Nobody is saying you MUST use cranks to become a better fisherman. But I'd tend to agree that if you are not considering how they can help you.... well.... your opportunities are limited. |
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | Oldtimer - 1/31/2011 1:03 AM
Crankbaits are overrated.
Much of the attention given to crankbaits is from the lure manufacturers and those given a free lure or two to plug them.
Muskies move into shallower water and up higher to feed.
Bucktails and the old wooden jerk baits are still the best in mho.
Rubber is nice for bumping the bottoms of the deep holes for the rare giant hog just laying deep.
Crankbaits are easily mass produced and the profit margins are high.
You see many crank bait guys popping up to make and sell every style and color imaginable to the group of "muskie pros" that were spawned by the tv fishing shows that became popular in the last thirty years.
When I want to catch fish I go to the water where the fish are biting.
Pay less attention to the guys at "shows", less attention to the "tinsel guys", and less attention to the guys that write to listen to themselves. Becoming a "pro" today simply means paying an entry fee in a tournament. The best fishermen i know come from generations of fishermen, are low key, catch alot of fish, and look for musky water to catch fish, not crankbait hype.
I don’t know this sounds like a ploy to sell more bucktails and jerkbaits!   |
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Posts: 3240
Location: Racine, Wi | jlong - 1/31/2011 9:19 AM
Wow, Oldtimer has some passion. Yah.... if you are free to roam and chase the hot bite.... or can time your trips for when fish are shallow and accessible.... you can efficiently and effectively catch lots of muskies... and big muskies without crankbaits. When forced to fish as time permits (work and family commitments) or the lake is already chosen (own a cabin on lake, tournament, vacation destination, etc), crankbaits are a tool that can help. Do you NEED to use them? Nope. But for those ignoring them, they may be missing opportunities. I think that was the whole point of this discussion, wasn't it? Nobody is saying you MUST use cranks to become a better fisherman. But I'd tend to agree that if you are not considering how they can help you.... well.... your opportunities are limited.
Well said Jlo! |
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| LOL I wish “profit margins are high” In my opinion there’s not a lot of money to be made selling musky lures. Most do it for the love of the sport and run things near their break-even point.
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Posts: 909
Location: South-Central VA | Oldtimer - 1/31/2011 2:03 AM
Crankbaits are overrated.
Much of the attention given to crankbaits is from the lure manufacturers and those given a free lure or two to plug them.
Muskies move into shallower water and up higher to feed.
Bucktails and the old wooden jerk baits are still the best in mho.
Rubber is nice for bumping the bottoms of the deep holes for the rare giant hog just laying deep.
Crankbaits are easily mass produced and the profit margins are high.
You see many crank bait guys popping up to make and sell every style and color imaginable to the group of "muskie pros" that were spawned by the tv fishing shows that became popular in the last thirty years.
When I want to catch fish I go to the water where the fish are biting.
Pay less attention to the guys at "shows", less attention to the "tinsel guys", and less attention to the guys that write to listen to themselves. Becoming a "pro" today simply means paying an entry fee in a tournament. The best fishermen i know come from generations of fishermen, are low key, catch alot of fish, and look for musky water to catch fish, not crankbait hype.
LOL, you've obviously never 'mass-produced' hand-made wooden crankbaits in your basement. Did you know I have about 1 hour of time in each bait that I make? Profit margin?!? What's that? Throw in overhead and you've got just about minimum wage. I don't do it for the money, I do it because I enjoy it.
Rubber and bucktails are 'mass-produced' just as much as plastic crankbaits. And I'm sure the profit margin is just as high if not higher on them.
Sounds like you need to things. First, step outside and take a breath of fresh air. Second, find someone to give you a big 'ol hug.
jeremy |
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Posts: 994
Location: Minnesota: where it's tough to be a sportsfan! | A great question! I think cranks suck too, so much that I have collected more than my share and catch a number of fish on them too. I think that allot of the distaste comes from a more subtle action and hits that they can draw. Then you have the fish that takes it as gently as a freight train! I do not troll much, 99% casting. The freight train hits almost always result form a "contact". One of my favorites is to get downwind on a point with cabbage cast over the last remaining strands dive the bait and ram the bottom of the weed stalk. I like a very bouyant crank for this. The bait rises and I ram it in again & let it backup and rise. If there's a fish around about 4-5 times is all you get. The twitch baits are a great bait too. I think most guys work them tooooo easy. If you get the bait, leader, line combo right a good twitch bait will do things a bait really can't do. But like I said cranks suck! |
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| Interesting thread...i have very little confidence in cranks for musky, I just can't crack the code with them. Odd thing is I walleye fish almost 100% with cranks and rarely ever buy bait any more.
I have a couple lakes that have good deep cabbage edges and midlake bars that should set up well for cranks but I just can't get them to move on cranks...rubber, spinners and jerks all move fish. Can't imagine what i am doing wrong.
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| bowhunter29 - 1/31/2011 12:49 PM
Did you know I have about 1 hour of time in each bait that I make? Profit margin?!? What's that? Throw in overhead and you've got just about minimum wage. I don't do it for the money, I do it because I enjoy it.
jeremy
Are you THE "crazy crankbait maker in PA"??? If so, how can I go about buying some? Crankbait fanatic here |
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Posts: 909
Location: South-Central VA | Crankhead - 1/31/2011 3:49 PM
Are you THE "crazy crankbait maker in PA"??? If so, how can I go about buying some? Crankbait fanatic here
I know that there are a few guys in PA that make some quality crankbaits and I'd like to think I'm one of them. But I don't think I'm the guy that they are referring to.
I tried sending you a PM but was unsuccessful. Send me a PM or an email if you're interested: [email protected]
I do the crazy snake skin baits and I also paint a few. I can do custom work if you'd like (different lengths, diving depths, etc.) I'm not into big production, I prefer to do fewer baits and focus on quality rather than quantity. You can view some of my work here: http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/board/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=58...
jeremy |
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Posts: 56
Location: Southern MN | Bowhunter, those snake skin baits look amazing, I don't know if I'd actually be able to fish with them and get them marked up! |
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