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So I am getting ready to purchase a few bandit crankbaits for upcoming tournament. Problem is I have never used crankbaits for crappie, but want to make sure I at least have them available. I hear they do great for fall fishing. What series are best for crappie? And what speed do you pull a crankbait when trolling? Figure prob .5 mph but again that's a guess. Any knowledge would be appreciated, with many thanks!
Series depends on depth range you are trying to hit. Here is a depth chart for 200's and 300's.....chart is based on 10 lb. Mono line pulling at 1.6 to 1.8 mph. I pull mostly Bandit 300's and Arkie 350's Attachment 214675
I am not a crank bait authority by any means, but I have seen a lot of good reviews on here about the Arkies, who are a site sponsor. So, some of you guys that pull Arkies, chime in here and help this fellow out.
Thanks G, guess I would have been crawling them. Chart awesome will put to good use. Thanks SeaRay definitely open to any brand, sponsor included!
Here is the depth chart for the Arkie 350's. You can get these crankbaits at GrizzlyJig. Grizzly Jig Company. They have some great colors designed by ScottV on the MS board and all the prototypes were field tested by me for Arkie before they went into production. They are great baits. Attachment 214677
and SeaRay.....Bandit is a site sponsor here at C.C also
Thanks again G! I seen sponsors on bottom that's why I was going with Bandits. But prob just get some of both to make sure I have it covered. Going to whole new lake for tournament and have to be prepared!
Yes I knew that and they are the gold standard for crappie cranks. Just thought he might want a cheaper option to start with, both are good products. Did not mean to put one over the other.Quote:
Originally Posted by "G"
Its all good Ray......I use every brand made.....I am partial to the Arkies though.
Went ahead and ordered 4 each bandit and arkies. Plus ordered couple cabelas driftmaster 3 reels to get perfect presentation. So my kayak and I are now ready for Patoka Lake! G and SeaRay may the crappie gods pay it forward to you for your help! I'll update you on how I did with this knowledge after the classic. Tight lines!
I think a huge mistake many folks make when starting to pull crankbaits is focusing on getting the bait deep/deeper/deepest. I run pretty much every brand out there plus custom paint most of the baits we use. You are going to miss some great action if you choose to overlook the medium runners like Bandit 200s, Bomber model As, Rebel Wee Rs, Norman Ns and Little Ns, and lots of small to medium bass cranks. Deeper is not always better and this year has really brought that to light for us.
If you are running the deep runners, nothing says you have to have 100 feet of line out with those to catch good crappie. Read your electronics and let the fish show you what depth they are actively feeding at. You need to put that crank right in their faces. I run an old-school color 2D sonar unit next to my 998 for just that reason. I catch a lot of good crappie on what most folks would consider to be a very short amount of line out running deep divers.
I do the same.....what ever depth I see most of the fish at.....I try to run about two feet above them.....they will come up that far to hit a bait but normally will not go down so if your too deep you will miss them. Also line out is measured from where your line hits the water.
If I use the dept/line out chart can't I still run as shallow with a 300 as I could with 200 series? Will definitely make sure to keep in mind that above 2 feet is better than below! Found that with minnows also crappie will feed up but hardly go down for bait.
Yes you can.....keep in mind that line out counts from where your line hits the water....for instance...if chart says 40 ft. line out....let out 40 ft. of line then look at the distance from your rod tip untill where the line is entering the water....if it looks like say 15 ft. than let out 15 more ft.
You can also do what they call pushing a crankbait in shallow waters....put a 3 oz. Weight three feet ahead of your crank bait and control your depth with the weight.....you can even use lip less crankbaits like rattle traps this way. You can also make tighter turns this method. Here is a depth chart for pushing crankbaits with a weight. The smaller crankbaits like the Arkie 220's work good this way. Attachment 214734
Thanks saved that chart also, definitely give that shot one day. For now going to stay simple with straight run crankbaits, lol. Once I master that I'll try learning other. G can't thank you enough for help.
Good luck....hope you catch a bunch
Keep in mind the action of the same bait will vary some from the shallow runner to deep runner. The nose attitude of a 100 Bandit is different than a 300 and it will run slightly different in the water. Some days the exact same color pattern that is running the same exact same depth but 2 different brands can mean a limit or a zero. A slight difference in the sound of a bait or its wobble can be huge. There's no rhyme or reason that I can find but I've seen it too many times for it to be just a coincidence.Quote:
Originally Posted by Christopher
Thanks Mrdux, guess I'm learning real quick there is a lot more to dragging cranks than this rookie figured. But definitely listening to all you mens advice!
And you're learning from some of the best. It's a lot of fun and I do good all summer long with them. There's a bit of a learning curve and textbook mistakes along the way but you'll be catching fish at the same time. Solid red, black, pink and shad patterns are always somewhere in my spread. The real fun begins when you learn to adapt it to the way you fish and take someone with you on a day that's really busy. You've gonna have a good time in the near future.
Thanks skeetbum, I got the impression they knew there stuff. Hence the reason I ordered the next day! Just hope it all pays off in October lol. But guarantee it won't be from lack of effort