Crankin question

We are having a dry, cool, windy summer here that has really knocked the crankin in the head. We don't have the big flats like you guys are targeting and we rarely ever see any thermocline. I typically run close to main lake channel drops in 18-30 feet of water and push dropper rods with 100s, Flicker Shad,549s, Arkie cranks, and pull 200s, 300s and c55s.

That said, here's my scenario: I and others have noticed lately that we are losing several crappie while skiing them back to the boat. We are also getting a lot of hook-ups that stay on for just a couple of seconds and then are gone. Many of the crappie we do get to the net are just barely hooked. We normally see the crappie this time of the year hooked deep with the bait being mostly swallowed and no way to get the hooks out without pliers. I normally troll at 1.7-1.8 but have tried going up to 2.0 or faster and have dropped back to 1.4-1.5 and haven't found any difference in the strikes or hook-ups. It's almost like they are just swatting at the bait, not attacking it. This is being seen on c55s with #4 hooks to c549s with #8 hooks and all the other factory brands from Bandit, Berkley, etc.

Got any ideas or things that have worked for you guys in the past? I'm seeing huge baitballs starting recently but the fish caught aren't stuffed full of bait.

Every fish I hung into on Sunday came off except 1 stripe!

Only lost 1 out of 60 or so hook ups between Saturday and Sunday, I always hear slow down when they are doing that but haven't found it to help much.

I think it's just a matter of how aggressively they're feeding. If they're just nipping at the bait, they are just barely hooked. Sometimes we hook several fish in their gill plates. That tells me they're just being mean and swatting at the bait wanting to cripple it. By the solar tables, which some folks swear by, there's only a couple of hours in a day when the fish are actively feeding. The jury's still out on solar tables in my book but something seems to turn them on or off all over the lake at the same times.

Ii have changed back treble hooks to one sizes bigger and the color red to seems to help

Anyone use the sickle treble hooks on em? They look like they would hold a fish on better, but the way they face inward also looks like you would miss a fish here and there.

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Originally Posted by Duckslayer19

Anyone use the sickle treble hooks on em? They look like they would hold a fish on better, but the way they face inward also looks like you would miss a fish here and there.

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I use #4 Matsuo sickle trebles on all my c55s that I paint. They will tangle if you don't watch. Most of my Bandits have had the #8 hooks replaced with #6 red hooks.

That's just trolling. I always run 2mph when pulling and 1mph when pushing. All I pull with is bandit cranks and I use the hooks that's on them matter of fact some of the treble hooks are missing on a few of them gotta give those fish a chance to get off and grow up. I also don't use a dip net. It's just trolling not fishing they make the call on how much bite down they want to put on that crank. I'd say pull your cranks at 2mph consistently and let em rip you will be fine. I usually have 2 or 3 miss hits each trip that I see. Usually 0 at the boat getting them in. Every once in awhile might lose 1 getting in over the side. That's just part of it.

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Originally Posted by ScottV

I think it's just a matter of how aggressively they're feeding. If they're just nipping at the bait, they are just barely hooked. Sometimes we hook several fish in their gill plates. That tells me they're just being mean and swatting at the bait wanting to cripple it.

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What he said!!!! It's a Reaction strike, not a feeding, swallow it to the hilt bite!!!

I've seen the same thing this year that you have as far as losing more fish than normal. I guess I just ain't fishin when they're eatin!!! :)

I've noticed the same thing for the last 3-4 trips out....fish barely hooked and losing a few before getting em up to the boat...I don't pay much attention to the strikes without hook-ups since the cranks tend catch anything that swims.

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Originally Posted by gasper_goul

I've noticed the same thing for the last 3-4 trips out....fish barely hooked and losing a few before getting em up to the boat...I don't pay much attention to the strikes without hook-ups since the cranks tend catch anything that swims.

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That's me goul, I don't even think about it if I don't take the rod out of the holder.

Just learning this game (crappie cranking)( making painting my own cranks)(learning curve)(tuning) When bass fishing (large crankbaits) espically on kentucky lake!!( use a fiberglass rod) Have just ordered some fiberglass rods from Grizzly jig co!!( Looking for a 14 ft 2 piece fiberglass rod) Lots of 3 piece not many 2 piece rods for pulling crappie cranks!! Think the fiberglass rod would help on hookups and landing fish!!

Fire Cast makes a 2 piece glass rod 14 foot, Grizzly has em. I use them pushing a couple of baits when running 10 rods.

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Originally Posted by Rees Guide

Fire Cast makes a 2 piece glass rod 14 foot, Grizzly has em. I use them pushing a couple of baits when running 10 rods.

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Thanks Mr Rees!!! Will get my order in!!!

Are you using braid or mono? I have went back to 10 lb mono just to help with ripping big fish off. Also don't be afraid to slow down even more. Have caught plenty of fish on cranks going barely more than 1 mp.

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Originally Posted by SUPERTECHMRI

Are you using braid or mono? I have went back to 10 lb mono just to help with ripping big fish off. Also don't be afraid to slow down even more. Have caught plenty of fish on cranks going barely more than 1 mp.

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Mono.

Glass, graphite, slow, fast, mono, braid... none of it really seems to make any difference right now. I've got it all going at any one time and they're all coming off equally. I even caught one last weekend with only the rear treble buried directly in the top of his head. LOL

Heck, it may be time to break out the spider rig stuff again.

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Originally Posted by jackie53

Just learning this game (crappie cranking)( making painting my own cranks)(learning curve)(tuning) When bass fishing (large crankbaits) espically on kentucky lake!!( use a fiberglass rod) Have just ordered some fiberglass rods from Grizzly jig co!!( Looking for a 14 ft 2 piece fiberglass rod) Lots of 3 piece not many 2 piece rods for pulling crappie cranks!! Think the fiberglass rod would help on hookups and landing fish!!

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I use BnM West Point Crappie poles for my short poles. Have 2 8 foot and two 11 foot. Need to find a couple of 14 foot glass poles. I used glass for crankbaits in my bass days, and just think they are a lot more forgiving when hossing a big slab to the boat. Been using a pair of my 14 foot Ozarks (graphites) for my long poles, and I am scared I am going to break a tip everytime I have a slab at the back of the boat.....

I have been using some BNM Crappie Wizzards 10' lately. They have more backbone to them then the PST's

Going to try some new patterns on a c187 crankbait. Heading to the lake with the wife.
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m...psaeb0ad22.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps242a5387.jpg

Those are nice!:ThumbsUp

Do you put base coat of paint on,and do you use water base paints.crank look great,we need a thread on airbrushing.

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Originally Posted by mrdux

Going to try some new patterns on a c187 crankbait. Heading to the lake with the wife.
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m...psaeb0ad22.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps242a5387.jpg

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Do these run similar to the flicker Shad?

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Originally Posted by BigRiverMarine

Do these run similar to the flicker Shad?

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I would think they should but they won't. They have a major quality issue with this articular bait design ( ball bearings in rattle chamber are all rusted) and those of us who have gone to the trouble of painting them have found that pretty much all of them WILL NOT run true, even with tuning. ScottV and I have both bought some with less than desirable results. I contacted the vendor and they are going to replace the 20 I recently bought with the c549 model which is smaller but run true when used on a push or drop rig. I'm hoping I can tune them enough to be able to use them on push rigs when we start longlining in cold water. Pretty disappointing to find all the baits in a particular desirable design won't perform, especially when you have gone to all the trouble to paint them. Maybe ScottV will comment on his experience with these. All the other models I have bought from this company have been fine.

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Originally Posted by savannah area

Do you put base coat of paint on,and do you use water base paints.crank look great,we need a thread on airbrushing.

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Createx acrylic airbrush paints with Devcon 30 minute epoxy over-coat. I dry all mine overnight on a rotisserie.

The C187, on top, does have a design flaw. The C549, on bottom, does great when pushing. When pulling it, it does good at under 2 mph but when reeling it in, it will spin. I just use them pushing. It's very similar to the flicker shad.

Those 549 run great for me, pulling or pushing. Dux got to see how the crappie like to eat them on our last trip out, too. :fish