I hate you Crankbait!

troutspinner

troutspinner

Nuts & Bolts Guy
Have any of you guys actually had consistent success with crankbaits? I don’t mean the random fish here or there but as a proven method in certain conditions where it reins supreme over other presentations?

I have yet to catch a single fish on a crankbait. I’ll admit, I don’t throw them a lot because I’ll quickly switch after not catching anything in places where I know I should be getting bites…..and to add insult to injury, I usually start catching when I take it off.

Right now should be a great time to throw lipless and blade baits but even them, I still have no luck. Is Pa just not a good crankbait area?
 
pabassman

pabassman

Well-known member
I do throw a crankbait at times. The only time its a go to bait for me is later fall. Water temps 56 down to upper 40s. That is when there is a fall drawdown on the Pack too and weeds arent in play. A 200 and 300 series Bandit in crayfish colors. I've had some pretty decent days with that. I will throw a Strike King 1.5 squarebill at night in the summer at times. Thats about it.
 
troutspinner

troutspinner

Nuts & Bolts Guy
pabassman said:
Bandits have a rattle. If you mean a lipless like a rattletrap no. I've caught a few on a lipless bait but probably less fish than I have baits lol
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Ditto! I have caught stripers on a lipless though so there is that.

I’m trying to curb my tackle over the winter. Shelf everything that has not worked and the cranks have me in a conundrum. Many videos I watch say it’s a great search bait and then the people go further and say, I’ll switch it up after I find them and I am like wait, what?
 
pabassman

pabassman

Well-known member
I do like my Bandits in that fall situation. My summer fishing is at night and I find it hard to put the spinnerbait or chatterbait down. My son likes a crank when we are on an open, weed free bank and I'll give it a go sometimes but those other two are 95% of my casts.
 
MB3

MB3

Well-known member
We rarely use them if ever. I always feel like I'm missing out on different techniques that will produce until we try it and catch nothing but weeds.
 
Melvinp

Melvinp

Well-known member
I’ve had good luck in the spring also just after ice with rattle traps and minnow baits during the summer reel pause let float up then reel again.Big lips not so much but now that I have a boat that’s set up for trolling hopefully that will change.
 
troutspinner

troutspinner

Nuts & Bolts Guy
I still hate you crankbait!

I went to my local reservoir this morning with one specific purpose, throw every crank bait style I had in my arsenal. While I have a good understanding of how different types of crankbaits ride, lipless, deep dive, squarebill, flat sided I wanted to see if I could get just one style to make a fish bite today............and failed.

I was excited too! As soon as I got to the water, I could see a bass swimming about 15' off shore. Of course I cast to him, he laughed at me and just kept cruising. I know bass are not in the full bite swing yet but over the next 2 hours, random casting and spotting 4 other bass, not a single one gave me a sniff. I am convinced, crankbaits are not meant for the pressured lakes I fish and unfortunately, most Pa lakes are over-pressured.

So I made up a nice box, packed it full of crankbaits, probably $150 worth and placed that box inside of a storage box on a garage shelf. Maybe one day I'll make a trip to a lake or river that they will work on. A couple will see some salt water use at least but for now, I'll enjoy the new storage space on my boat and catch fish with the methods I know. Wah! LOL
 
B

Bootfoot

Well-known member
Crankbaits is a very general term. I catch 90% of my striped bass on SP Minnows and Hydro minnows. The rest on top water, bucktails and sluggos. I love a good jerk bait in September/October for river SMB. Otherwise, I don’t like using crankbaits, generally speaking. I have never caught a thing on a Rattle Trap and gave up trying. I still have a few in the boat just in case. nit sure what or when that will be but they don’t take up much room.
 
troutspinner

troutspinner

Nuts & Bolts Guy
Bootfoot said:
Crankbaits is a very general term. I catch 90% of my striped bass on SP Minnows and Hydro minnows. The rest on top water, bucktails and sluggos. I love a good jerk bait in September/October for river SMB. Otherwise, I don’t like using crankbaits, generally speaking. I have never caught a thing on a Rattle Trap and gave up trying. I still have a few in the boat just in case. nit sure what or when that will be but they don’t take up much room.
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I have SP Minnows and several jerk and crank baits for striper fishing. I have done well with Jerkbaits catching stripers and have caught a few with rattle traps. I don’t use the bucktails for them too often though, mainly just for fluking but it’s probably because I’ll quickly move to a Hogy Epixy Jig. If you haven’t used a Hogy, definitely give them a try. Not cheap but damn they work.

Back to my rant! Lol. I just don’t understand how bass locally ignore it. No joke, I’ve caught fish with bare hooks! You’d think I’d at least get lucky one time using a crank and hook “something”.

All the while, every TV or YouTube personality pushes them. I get making money but I actually see them catch using them and I am doing the same exact things. I even try the hand twitching, pauses, yo-yo, still nothing. It’s just frustrating to me.
 
Melvinp

Melvinp

Well-known member
Wait another month then start throwing rattle traps for bass then try switching to more of a longer narrow crank bait as things warm up then dig out the deep stuff when it gets hot
 
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truecrimson

truecrimson

Well-known member
I have some, and have messed with them some. Only caught a couple of fish on the. Oddly they were sunfish that were smaller than the crank baits. I don't think I ever gave cranks a sufficient try. I've been meaning to get around to them again and just haven't done it. So maybe this year.

Cocoa Kayaks opened their booking for May 1st (seems kind of late) and they are already booked out through May 7, so I may be spending a lot more time on the local lakes again this year. I can't book a month and a half in advance unless it is a planned trip somewhere. That's too far out for me to know what's going on with life, wife, and job #2.
 
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