Thread: Cranking 'em up @ Larto

Is there a theory or method that you use in choosing what color crank bait you use on a perticular day, sunny cloudy or water color? Or do you just throw a dart at the chart of the 64 different colors Arkie offers? LOL. I remember from reading some of your posts from last year that if the crank bait didn't have pink in it you didn't catch many fish. Thanks, Chip

Originally Posted by Skippa Chippa

Is there a theory or method that you use in choosing what color crank bait you use on a perticular day, sunny cloudy or water color? Or do you just throw a dart at the chart of the 64 different colors Arkie offers? LOL. I remember from reading some of your posts from last year that if the crank bait didn't have pink in it you didn't catch many fish. Thanks, Chip

Pretty much have to let the fish tell you. This will be my 2nd year trolling cranks. Probably the biggest factor is water clarity. If the water is stained (9-12") I will start with chart or shad colors. The more the water clears up (1-2') I will start with pinks or other wild combinations. I only caught a hand full on the pinks the other day. Having 8 poles out at once also lets me try a lot of different colors. It's just like spider-rigging jigs. It doesn't take long to figure out what color they want.

Originally Posted by dwr353

Can I use regular bait casting reels or do I have to get the line counting ones? I buy from Grizzly regularly, what size & colors should I start with? How fast should I troll? I assume I can use my big motor.

Reels. I tried marking the line on my reels, heard all the troubles with the clip on line counters and eventually went straight to the line counter reels. I'm a bad judge of distance so casting blind was not an option. I like the line counters. Gives me confidence that my baits are where they're supposed to be. Lures. The Bandit 300 is tried and true. Arkie 350's are a very close second. Bandit 200's and Strike King Slab Hammers round it out. Colors. Chart combinations in shad or crawfish patterns, natural shad colors, and bream colors. Gotta have some pinks. Speed. On any given day 1.5mph will catch fish. However, sometimes a little fine tuning is in order; little faster or little slower. Once again need to let the fish tell you how they want it. Motor. I troll with my big motor mostly. I have a troll plate attached to the cavitation plate. If I need to go slower, I'll switch to the trolling motor.

I remember reading an article of someone having Arkie Crank Baits at a very reasonable price so I went back and found it under Member Sponsors 4 sale add, 50 cent saving per lure. Just getting started every penny saved I can spend on better rod holders or line counter reels.

Originally Posted by Skippa Chippa

I remember reading an article of someone having Arkie Crank Baits at a very reasonable price so I went back and found it under Member Sponsors 4 sale add, 50 cent saving per lure. Just getting started every penny saved I can spend on better rod holders or line counter reels.

Check flea bay for some 4-packs. IIRC bought some for $15 w/free shipping.

Congrats on your catch look's like some fun there.
LittleJohn

Regular reels. Arkie 350's. as long as ur big motor will go b/w 1-2 mph yes. I use my TM. I just cast em out so a couple of different depths are fished and go for it. I find out how deep my baits r running by trolling deep to shallow and when u feel the bait hit the bottom that's about how deep it runs or do the opposite when the bait stops dragging the bottom u know the depth it's running. 1-2 mph. They will tell u what they want


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Nice catch....

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There is a sticky on the Mississippi side called pulling cranks 101. It goes into depth about everything you can think of for pulling cranks.

Thanks. Will do.