Little crank bait

Went to my home lake today. It was beautiful, sun was shining and just a slight breeze, so different from the conditions of the last few days.
I went after gills mainly and caught quite a few. The water temp. was 57 degrees, about 8 degrees lower than last week so I wasn’t sure if I could catch them in the grass like last week.
I started with the 1/32 oz roadrunner with a trout magnet body with a purple color to it and on the third cast connected.
Attachment 359848
I used the purple instead of bison because the water was so clear and the sun was bright. I caught a few more like that and then decided to try a new bait that I had picked up at Walmart in a package of Creme micro hard baits. It is tiny crank bait with one treble hook on the back, like the Yozuri snap bean. Since I was catching them in the grass still, I thought it might work, and it did.
Attachment 359849
I don’t know if it was the wiggle or the rattles, but they loved it. I caught about ten off one spot, then moved to another spot and caught 5 more.
Attachment 359850
After that I went crappie fishing on some deep brush piles, but the only bites I got where bream, so I picked up my other TFO ultra light rod with the roadrunner on it, added a pinch of gulp earthworm and proceeded to catch them that way.
Attachment 359851
Eight off one pile in 20 feet of water suspended at about 13 foot and 6 off another pile, same depth.
So I caught them in 6 to 8 foot of water on a crank bait and in 20 foot of water on a jig.
So I said what the heck, let’s try a boat dock in 15 foot of water. Yes sir, I caught them there too, jigging and cranking. This next picture is neat because the little guy swallowed the whole crank bait.
Attachment 359852

Well, that about wraps it up, I had a great day and found a new bait to catch them with. I am really enjoying my TFO ultralights, it is just flat out fun fishing ultralight.
Hope y’all had as good a day as I did.


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You did well

I bought the same Creme crankbait and a Yozuri crankbait some months back and have never used them. Looks like I need to give them a try....thanks for sharing.

That was a good trip. Been busy and the boat hasn’t moved in a couple of weeks and could stand some of that. Which tfo’s are you using? I looked at some the other night and like what I saw. I fish some tight stuff so too long wouldn’t work. I have a 5’6” that I dearly love but the others are a bit stiffer and I’m always looking for the next one.

I love the little cranks. Add a split shot for more depth.

Very nice. Looks like you had a great day.


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How far up from the crank would you add the splitshot?

To Shoalwater Cat -6 to 8" above plug, I use #5 shot, about 1/16th oz. Sometimes 2.

Nice report! I have never thought about added a split shot to the line to get the smaller cranks down.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by skeetbum

That was a good trip. Been busy and the boat hasn’t moved in a couple of weeks and could stand some of that. Which tfo’s are you using? I looked at some the other night and like what I saw. I fish some tight stuff so too long wouldn’t work. I have a 5’6� that I dearly love but the others are a bit stiffer and I’m always looking for the next one.

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I use the TFO ultralight panfish series. I have a one piece 7 foot and a two piece 6 foot. If you Google TFO panfish or just go to their website. I really like them.


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That is a good idea about adding the split shot for depth, I will try that around some of the deeper docks I fish, and that would help get down to some of the brush pile tops.
Thanks for the replies and the ideas.


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Nice catch, never tried the small cranks for Gills only, usually throw them for Bass in the medium to larger rivers around here and hook up a Panfish every now and then but not on a regular basis.