Sinking crankbaits can be fished on a straight retrieve, but often when I’m targeting perch, I like to keep the rod tip up and slowly raise the lure six inches or so, before letting it fall again for a couple of seconds, catching up with the slack, and repeating the process until the lure is at my feet.
Are crankbaits supposed to sink?
During a retrieve, this lip pushes sharply against the water causing the lure to dive downward and wiggle. Lipped crankbaits vary greatly in their buoyancy, meaning that they either naturally float or sink when they are at rest in the water.
How fast should I reel in a crankbait?
The correct speed of any crankbait reel is 21 inches of line pick-up per turn of the reel handle. Most of that information is on the internet or on the packaging. If it isn’t, measure what your reel is doing with a ruler. It’s that important.
Do you use a float with a crankbait?
Floating: Crankbaits labeled as “Floating” will do just that — float on the surface of the water. When the angler begins the retrieve, the crankbait will begin to dive due to the angle of the lip. If the retrieve is stopped, the crankbait will slowly begin to rise to the surface again.
When should I use diving crankbaits?
Deep cranking works best throughout the summer when bass are out on the deeper ridges off the flats and start feeding on the shad. While some lures work well early and late in the day during summer, deep-diving crankbaits provide round-the-clock action. You can start with it in the morning and use it all day long.
What’s the difference between a crankbait and a jerkbait?
Crankbaits are generally shorter and fatter, while jerkbaits are slender and longer. Jerkbaits mostly have three treble hooks, while crankbaits have two. The most common types of bills for both jerkbaits and crankbaits include square bills, diamond-shaped bills, and rounded bills.
What’s the best line for crankbaits?
Fish your crankbaits with light line. Smaller and thinner lines give you a better wiggle, and you’ll get more casting distance with them.
Do crankbaits work in shallow water?
Medium-diving crankbaits work well in water that is shallower than 10 feet, even when they dive deeper than the water’s depth. A crankbait that dives 10 feet, for example, will be excellent in shallower water, as it will dig into the bottom and cause a disturbance.
How deep do square billed crankbaits?
about 10 feet
Square bill crankbaits are best for running in the shallows from 1 to 4 feet, while a plug with a 1-inch bill will dive to about 10 feet deep. Some crankbaits with even longer bills have the ability to reach depths down to 25 or 30 feet. Another factor for choosing the right style of crankbait is the time of year.
How do crankbaits work?
A crankbait is a lure with a plastic lip that dives underwater when it is reeled in. Crankbaits are used to target fish at specific depths. The length and angle of the plastic lip is what determines the depth that the bait can reach. Longer, less-angled, lips dive deeper than short, sharp-angled, lips.
What action is best for crankbaits?
A good crankbait rod should have a relatively slow action. In other words, the rod should start to bend down about half way down when moderate pressure is applied to the top section. Fast action means that just the top third will bend with the same pressure.
Do you put a weight on a crankbait?
As the water temps bottom out, try weighting your wintertime crankbaits to maximize their effectiveness. A little extra weight will kelp you throw them farther, get them deeper and keep them there longer.
How deep do crank baits go?
Crankbaits with square bills are best for running in the shallows from 1 to 4 feet, while a plug with a 1-inch bill will dive to about 10 feet deep. Crankbaits featuring longer bills have the potential to reach depths down to 30 feet. Time of year is a key in determining which style of crankbait to select.
Is a jerkbait topwater?
Designed to be used primarily as a topwater bait, the Spintail can also be twitched 2-3 feet under the surface and will rise head first during the pause just like a real minnow.
What is a suspending jerkbait?
A suspending jerkbait is a prime lure to throw after the fall turnover on Northern lakes when smallmouth bass scatter and suspend. You can catch these roaming smallmouths on a suspending jerkbait worked along sandy bottoms that quickly drop from a 5-foot flat to 20 feet deep.
Can you fish crankbaits with braid?
Braided line is a great choice when bass fishing with crankbaits.
Is Mono good for crankbaits?
Monofilament line will give you that very important split-second delay that’s needed for suitable hook penetration. In addition, bass will often swipe at crankbaits out of pure reaction; many times their mouth won’t even be open. Again, monofilament will give you more forgiveness in this situation.
Is braided line better than fluorocarbon?
Today’s anglers use braid for numerous applications — not only for its tensile strength, but because of the way it behaves on the spool, particularly with spinning reels. Braid combats line twist better than mono or fluoro, and if used in lighter pound tests, it will outcast them as well.