Crankin @ Rend

Is anyone pulling crank baits at Rend? It is a 2hr drive for me and its starting to get discouraging. I have tried a few times and im getting better at finding a few fish but still haven't pulled in a limit. Just looking for some advice from the guys that are winning at this game. I'm using line counters and have a XI5 upfront to keep things consistent. I think im just in the wrong part of the lake or just don't quite understand how to locate and actually get on these pods of fish. Thanks for our help.

I would volunteer to help you but am tied up presently changing trolling motors and graphs....not to mention plenty to do around the house.Not making excuses,just presently busy.Can certainly give some suggestions.
While pulling cranks a guy can learn a lot about the lake by keeping an eye on the graph...you want to get an idea of where and how deep the bait balls (shad)are....Past experience tells me there is a lot of unproductive water in any lake...while watching the graph in some areas you will see few shad or crappie on the graph...Usually where there are bottom transitions (creek channels,river channels,ledges,ect) is where you will see more bait balls /crappie on the graph...try to cross or parallel those areas....
Get a feel for the depth range of the bait balls---Lets say they are 10 to 15 feet as an example....You need to consult your depth chart and try to pull your crank baits in the 9 to 11 foot range as you want to have them a foot or two above the crappie.....use different colors to determine what they like that particular day----their preference can also change through the day...the speed you pull should be somewhere around 1.4 to 1.8 (slower or faster can also work just trying to give you a starting point)....As you pull crank baits you will learn what works from experience.....each day you pull you will build on that experience and become better at it...Good Luck

Thanks for the reply Snagged again. I have been doing what you are suggesting..... Well for the most part anyway, maybe im just fishin too deep. I was running depths I thought the crappie were at. seems like balls of bait fish are several feet above what appear to me to be pods of crappie. If you get some free time we can take my boat:)

You'll do better fishin the main lake stake beds/fish attractors with a black jig.

Thanks gone fishin. I will give them I shot if I can find them.

Attractor map with gps coordinates available at visitors center west end of dam, maybe online too.

Pulling cranks for me on Rend Lake has been the best south of 154 between the two bridges. Further west mostly works the better. Close to small bridge.

Pepper

Thanks for the advice Hotpepper. I'm going to give it one more shot this summer.

I put in some serious time crankin Rend in 2010-2012. Used bandits and Okumas the real deal. Caught a limit a few times. Seems so much easier on the Ville to catch crappie eyes and whites. Just a theory, but Rend is so much shallower and loaded with structure 6-12' it allows the white crappie to hug timber/structure above the thermocline. They sit and ambush bait rather than go to open water by the thousands chasing bait balls of shad in the main basin like your typical trolling lakes in Mississippi and Lake Shelbyville.

I'm going to give it another try this weekend. Can always hit the fish attractors if all else fails. Heck might just start there.

Well no luck Friday. The waves were as big as my 18 Bass Tracker. Time to start thinking about the fall bit anyway.