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19 females, 2 males all 10” to 14”, crankbaits, used. Fish were scattered in 10 to 14” of water, speed average was 1.8 mph running the baits just a foot or two off the bottom. Culled the 21 out of maybe 75 brought to the boat. Wife had a blast for her second time out this year. All the smaller females had spawned out while the 12 to,14s still were full of eggs, Water temp started out at 76 and ended up at 1:30 pm around 77.8 degrees.
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Nice job sure wish I could put em in the boat like you do.
Spend a lot of time watching your electronics. We tried 6 to 9ft of water, and dink’s mostly with very few found. We were seeing lots of fish from 10’ and deeper, some near stumps near creek channel, some near rock and other structure items. As you shallow up, you have to play with the line counter reels, reeling line in to keep cranks off the bottom or out of weeds or getting hung up. As you get into deeper water, we would let line out to get the crankbaits deeper as seeing the fish on electronics and trying to run the crankbait above them. Cranking can be alittle work as nothing remains constant. Then, also, in maintaining speed,,in the wind, constantly speeding up or slowing down also, trying to stay at least 1.6 mph and sometimes as fast as 2.1 mph with the average ending up around 1.8 as the goal. Boat waves and waves created by wind would slow us down for example when going into them..Drifting with the wind, I would have to concentrate slowing the boat down. It’s all a balancing act to keep in the so called strike zone. With the wife with me,,I had to spend time also, taking all her fish off the crankbaits and keeping her untangled also. Telling her to run the cranks with more or less line using line counter reels. So there was a few times today, almost was out of control. rotfl She got me tangled once as I had 2 dink’s on while taking her fish off and had to cut the my crankbaits out of the tangle and re tie the snap and crankbait back on. One other thing, you can have no trash hanging on a crankbait while trolling it. Fish will not hit it. To me, there is never a dull moment cranking when the you find fish. :ThumbsUp I run 2 depthfinders on the front. A 7 DI g3n mega for 2d and lake map and a 10 DI g2n mega for the 360 and constantly adjusting them also.Quote:
Originally Posted by coach mark
Good fish
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It's good to be on the water, and catching! :)
Thanks cevans for your advise just bought a alumacraft with Humminbirds helix 10 and a 7 on the front of the boat. Just getting into the cranks, can’t wait to put to test the many trial and errors I’m about the go thru. I’ll keep everyone posted here on this cranking journey .... this is a fantastic site for serious and amateur crappie enthusiasts!! Really enjoy everyone’s post !!
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Cevans one other question do you run a variable speed trolling motor for pulling cranks ? This boat I purchased has the latest ipilot gps. Hoping this should do the job.
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I run a Minn Kota Powerdrive V2 with Ipilot and use the remote, not the foot control. Can’t do without the remote as it’s a must when moving back & forth in the boat. The one thing I don’t use on the remote is Constant speed when I am going into the waves or wind. I prefer to control the boat speed myself which works for me. And as fickle as the location of fish, I also haven’t been recording my tracks and reusing them as been finding myself doing more circles and figure 8s hitting the fish scattered vs schooled up this year. Recording your tracks on the remote is super nice tho when long lining jigs and trolling crankbaits. Same for speed control. Learn the remote and it’s features as it works like a charm. Spot lock will wander on you a bit but is usable on a Powerdrive V2. I have the trolling motor installed on a Minn Kota Qick Release 6 inch extendable bracket. MK-51 for easier launching and loading of boat on the trailer. Bracket is a little dicey in price but works great. Boat is a 1648 G3 jon. I have owned 25 plus boats with big motors in my lifetime and prefer the jon with a 25 Yamaha rigged by me for my style of fishing and love a skinny water boat I can tear up if need be. I can launch a jon from about anywhere also.
Does the V2 have the trolling speed control? My terrova with keep me at whatever speed I want to troll in wind.Quote:
Originally Posted by cevans
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Yes! I sometimes use the speed control setting! :ThumbsUp
Very nicely done and informative too. Thanks for sharing you day and tactical information with the rest of us.