Crankin for Crappie

**perchjerker108** · 03-13-2017, 04:57 PM

When the water warms up in Late May through August, just want to know if any of you start running(trolling) crank baits (like Bandit 200's 300's) for Crappie, and if you have any success. I had some success in SC (Santee Cooper) by accident. We had a small fishing tournament for LM Bass in May about 3 years ago. (Retirement group, most of us had Pontoon's) So, we fished from a pontoon trolling crank baits at the lowest speed the 140HP motor would run. We did catch some LM Bass, but was surprised with the 12 crappie we caught while trolling, all were nice size. Probably we were going too fast, but think our baits were down about 10-15ft in 20ft of water. So, if anyone does some crank bait fishing for crappie, I'd like to know how you set up to do it here in KY.

**M R Dux** · 03-13-2017, 05:04 PM

That's what I specialize in my guide service along with longline trolling. Many folks here who do very well pulling cranks learned it in my boats.

**armyman** · 03-13-2017, 05:58 PM

Crankin' is what we do down here in 'ssippi after the spawn til Fall. Good fish being caught during the Summer! Check out the MS Board sticky "Cranking 101"

**Ky Slab** · 03-13-2017, 06:09 PM

I'm new to this technique as well and have been wondering how this works. What kind of crank baits do you mostly use(color, size, depth range, etc). Do you push them out the front of or pull them from back of the boat or both; what speed do you mostly run when doing this? Any info will sure help me out and others too maybe.

**M R Dux** · 03-13-2017, 06:27 PM

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/missi...-cranks-101-a/

**CrappiePappy** · 03-13-2017, 08:18 PM

Most crank pushers/pullers I know use 2oz trolling weights, run @ 1.8mph and use Bandit 300's ... they use 12ft-16ft rods (most "push" out the front, but may have a second or third person in the boat that "pulls" out the back .. and use shorter rods) and many have line counter reels on their rods, spooled with 30lb test braid (10# test diameter) with a 5ft leader of 6lb test mono.

They fish Green River Lake and start "crankin" when the surface temps get above 70deg ... and the Shad schools are suspended out in open water.

They use the weights to cut down on the length of line out, and to be able to make shorter turns. They'll sacrifice a hung bait, rather than break a rod or attempt to retrieve the bait ... hence the 6lb test leader. You troll with a 2oz weight and there's no "stopping" the boat for a hung-up lure !!

**BobB** · 03-13-2017, 09:18 PM

I've pulled cranks for crappie, but haven't pushed them. The one thing I can't get my mind around is if you are pushing with a long rod and several rods out .....How exactly do you handle that if you are going almost 2 mph? Seems like it would be trying to bend the rod backwards under the boat with the risk of getting in the trolling motor.
I'd like to try it out but might have to get out with someone experienced handling the "stuff" that happens.

**M R Dux** · 03-13-2017, 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by BobB

I've pulled cranks for crappie, but haven't pushed them. The one thing I can't get my mind around is if you are pushing with a long rod and several rods out .....How exactly do you handle that if you are going almost 2 mph? Seems like it would be trying to bend the rod backwards under the boat with the risk of getting in the trolling motor.
I'd like to try it out but might have to get out with someone experienced handling the "stuff" that happens.

You can't use your typical spider rig rods for pushing cranks. They are just not heavy enough. Southern Crappie Rods has a 143T and 122T (14'/3 piece--12'/ 2 piece) that are made for handling up to 2 ounces of weight. The cranks I push with are very shallow runners or more stick-bait types that don't displace a lot of water like 200/300/c55s.

**BobB** · 03-13-2017, 11:10 PM

Originally Posted by mrdux

You can't use your typical spider rig rods for pushing cranks. They are just not heavy enough. Southern Crappie Rods has a 143T and 122T (14'/3 piece--12'/ 2 piece) that are made for handling up to 2 ounces of weight. The cranks I push with are very shallow runners or more stick-bait types that don't displace a lot of water like 200/300/c55s.

The Southern 143T is exactly the rod I was considering ..... Do you push as well as pull cranks? A lot of the info I got to get me started pulling was from reading your and others posts.
I like the idea of having better control and being able to make shorter turns by pushing.

**CrappiePappy** · 03-14-2017, 02:16 AM

Originally Posted by BobB

I've pulled cranks for crappie, but haven't pushed them. The one thing I can't get my mind around is if you are pushing with a long rod and several rods out .....How exactly do you handle that if you are going almost 2 mph? Seems like it would be trying to bend the rod backwards under the boat with the risk of getting in the trolling motor.
I'd like to try it out but might have to get out with someone experienced handling the "stuff" that happens.

There is quite a bend put in the rods, for sure ... but, that's why they use longer rods out the front. I'd have to ask, but I "think" the guys I know are using BnM PST's.
I've only been twice with the guys I know that push cranks, and the first time I was using two 7' rods out the back ... and the second time I was using two 12' collapsible rods out the back. Both times were with 2oz weights & 300 Bandits.

I mostly "push" jigs in my boat ... 1/2oz weight @ 0.6-0.8mph ... but I plan on trying a bit of crank pushing this year. I don't have the variable speed/24V TM or batteries to maintain 1.8mph for very long, so I'm gonna start out with the minnow shaped cranks & deep diving cranks of a smaller size than a Bandit 300; and I'm going to use whatever weight & speed it takes to keep the line at a 45deg angle. That way I can tell how deep the weight is running (by multiplying however much line I have out below the surface of the water times 0.6 ... which is how I determine the depth of my jigs when I'm pushing them). I did try this once before, with small cranks & 1/2oz weights ... and I did catch a few Crappie & a catfish ... but only a couple of hours of that and my battery was barely strong enough to keep the depth finder on when running at any appreciable speed. It was an old 27series though, and has since been replaced with a new 29series ... so I'm hoping to get a bit more pushing time out of it. If that isn't sufficient, I have another 29series battery that I can bring along.

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