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Just wondering if anybody is catching any on crank baits yet. This is my first year trying them. Tried them a little when it was just starting to warm up, but understand that they work better in warmer weather. Wondering if it is about time to try them again?
There use to be a guy on the SC board that trolled them and he did well with them. I guess anytime is good as the other. Why not?:biggrin
I catch a lot of crappie trolling Rapala Shad Raps.Usually some bigger fish as well. Can be a really good tactic under the right conditions. Doesn't necessarily have to be warm weather to be effective.
On Wed. of this week, we caught several fish "pushing" crank baits off the front with 2 oz of lead and a Bittsy Pond Minnow on a 16ft pole.
Monk
Thanks guys. I really like the technique. I think I will give it another try this weekend.
Yeah did it yesterday, had 32 before the storm came through, fish were 12' over a variety of depths, it works better where there are white crappie
how much leader do you run pushing crank baits ? how do you rig the weight? i need to fish a little faster for the days i have trouble locating the fish.(most days)
I was pulling, wich is the simplest i feel, trolling them can get pricey, i stick to open water, channels and deep flats, look for suspended bait and fish and hit that depth, sometimes there crappie, sometimes there not
tangled,I tried pushing one time. I used 3 oz weights with about 3 foot of leader. I used my striper rods and pushed out the front while pulling 4 from the back. Too much to keep up with so every other time I just pull from the back. I used bank sinkers and just rigged it like a carolina rig with big swivel.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A LOT OF WHITE CRAPPIES IN YOUR LAKE AS THEY HIT CRANKS MUCH BETTER THAN BLACKS
well it probably will not be good for Jordan then. i may try it some where else.
Small crank baits that have good action at slow speeds will catch Black Crappie on Jordan. I use a 2 oz trolling weight with lead molded on a 12 inch wire and a 24 to 30 inch leader and push off the front at .5 to .6MPH.
Monk
Did ok on Saturday. Ended up with maybe 5 big crappie and about 4 big perch. Also caught 3 big cats. Kept one about 8 lbs and lost one flathead about 15 lbs right at the boat. Never had that many cats hit crankbaits. Pulled over one point and began catching the cats when it went form 40 foot to about 10 foot. Caught the crappie and perch in shallow water about 10 to 12 foot or so. Rough on my crank baits. lost about 4.
cwright, what is the best trolling speed from your experiments? will Rapala countdown crankbait work too?
Quote:
Originally Posted by cwright
I have been trying to go about 1.5 mph. Much slower and the rod tips don't show a lot of vibration from the baits. Have not tried anything except little bandits. They are fairly cheap and supposed to have great action at the slow speed. After looking at the other state boards, the guys that troll crank baits a lot use the bandits. Still expensive when you loose 4 or 5 a weekend, but we all know crappie love structure. If I pull across a sunken tree, I may get hung on one bait, but good chance I will catch a crappie as well. Grizzly jig is the cheapest place I have found the little bandits. If you buy I think 5 or 6, you can get them for $4.99 I think. Must have colors are pink and black. I would have never thought it, but both great colors for crappie. I have also done well on the cats and perch with the natural silver colors.
I pulled them at Jordan yesterday 5/16 did pretty good lil pond minnows I got from monk think I'm goin next week and get 8 more stiffer rods so I can pull them a lil faster
I may have to try those. Only tried the little bandits so far. I ordered 12 more of them yesterday. This gets expensive when you loose 4 or 5 a weekend. lol.
Be careful pulling those too fast if you're talking about Strike King Bitsy Pond Minnows. They'll roll on you and twist your line to the point of replacing.Quote:
Originally Posted by mac crappie
With the Bandits, most of the time you can give some slack line or slightly back up when they hang and they'll float free.Quote:
Originally Posted by cwright
Ncnat I'm pulling them on a 12" leader that is made for them it has a barrel swivel on the end i got them from monk they already have the weights molded in them 1 oz. or 2 ozQuote:
Originally Posted by ncnat
So which NC lakes have good population of White Crappie?
Yea, I broke one off last weekend and the lure floated to the top of the water.
That's what I like bout them they float
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Should help a lot.Quote:
Originally Posted by mac crappie
anybody doing any good on norman. Thought about trying it this weekend if not too muddy.
Crankbaits out fished jigs Saturday. Started out pulling jigs in two different coves and nothing. Changed over to crankbaits and didn't kill them, but ended up with 4 crappie, 8 huge white perch, and two nice spots after about 2 hours. Really liking the crankbaits so far.
I'm going tomorrow and Wednesday and may go Friday to. I'm going to Sharon Harris Wednesday
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high rock and tuckertown are full of them, thats where i troll cranksQuote:
Originally Posted by REDBOAT
how did it go yesterday mac?Quote:
Originally Posted by mac crappie
Caught a bunch of perch probably 25 and got bout 15 crappie ( keepers) 1 bout 3 lb blue cat all in all a good day had a bunch of little ones perch and crappie
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Were you pulling the little pond minnows again Mac or jigs?
Both jigs out side rods cranks in side front and back tight lining front and back 2oz weights
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Got to get me a few of those to try.
How about Badin/Tillery?Quote:
Originally Posted by gobbler
Tillery is almost 100% black crappie which are much harder to get to hit crankbaits. Probably taken out 150 crappie over the past month on Tillery and have had 2 white crappie in the groups so far. I am not sure about badin. You can sure catch plenty of white perch and spots on tillery though with them.
On Sunday I caught 4 large Crappie (1.1 to 1.4) trolling with cranbaits in 8-10 ft of water. No smaller Crappie, only larger ones
[QUOTE=Diggy;3402020]On Sunday I caught 4 large Crappie (1.1 to 1.4) trolling with cranbaits in 8
What lake were you fishing Diggy?
[QUOTE=nccater;3404832]Lake Tillery. I had been using jigs at 20 ft and did well. This time I thought maybe they had moved shallow. Just a few but they were bigQuote:
Originally Posted by Diggy
Monk what do those 2oz trolling weights look like
They work gotta fish i use them on my 12' crappie max rods. You can put the baits where you need them.
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