Crankbait fishing

[tennesseekeith]

I'm losing my confidence with my crank-baits. Lately I have been losing more fish than I catch. I lean back on hook set. Not a hard hook set. Today I was trolling in my boat and lost fish even at trolling speeds. I don't understand losing over half of the fish I hook up with. I know we all lose fish sometimes. But why or what am I doing wrong. Any help would be appreciated.

[jad2t]

Well loosing fish on crankbaits isn't uncommon. What kind of crankbaits are you using? They're great lures but can be frustrating. One time I lost 5 on crankbaits in a 3 hour tournament haha.

I've found that I lose a lot fewer on my KVD 1.5 crankbaits than I do on the other crankbait I commonly use, the Bomber 4A and 6A series. The hooks on the KVD are significantly larger and I'm considering changing out the hooks on the Bombers to something larger.

[tennesseekeith]

I use an assortment of different one's. I will have to get a few more kvd 1.5 and 2.5 crankbaits. And try to change out the hooks on some of the other I have.
Next question. What hooks to use?
I have some red hooks I don't remember what brand.

[tennesseekeith]

I lost one Tuesday night that would have put me in the money. Maybe 4th or 5th place.

[bfish]

What action rod are you using? Also what type of line? Assuming you are not giving any slack during the fight, I have to assume you need a rod with slower action than what you are using and/or a line with more stretch.

[Buccaneer]

What type rods and fishing line are you using? If the rods are too tip stiff you could be pulling the bait right out of their mouth, particularly if you use flouro or braid line. I use 7'6" to 7'10" medium action, "S" glass or combination fiberglass and composite (Skeet Reese cranking or KVD Tour cranking rods) with a parabolic bend to allow the fish to hook himself and the rod can give. Also mono line only on my deep cranking rods and flouro on the square bill/lipless cranking rods.

[Dakota]

I use a lot of strike King Crankbaits the hooks are really sharp. I would take one crank bait change out the hooks see what happens compared to your old hooks? I actually do that with Rattle traps.


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[tennesseekeith]

My main rod 7' mh casting Berkley lighting shock with 8# flouro
2rd rod 7' medium Berkley lighting shock spinning with 8# flouro
3rd rod 7' medium ugly stick 2 piece spinning with mono
I think the tip are to stiff. On rods 1 and 2. But lost fish on the 3th rod today.
It a softer rod with mono. I do need to change hooks.

[Halli]

I say it's line stretch using 8# and not getting thru the gristle of the jaw
try using better hooks and it should increase the hook set ratio.

Me my lite line (for cranks) is 10 - 12 with 10 losing more than anything and few losses to 12.

[XxthejuicexX]

I fish 12 pound on my cranking rods. I don't lose to many fish.

[Pinwheeled]

12lb Flourocarbon
Medium Fast rod tip
Owner hooks

You won't lose too many with that combo


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[agelesssone]

SAMBOLIE doesn't hook any to lose, so if he posts an opinion, please disregard the ramblings of a delusional person.

[Headhunter]

I had the same problem. One thing basically solved it, if the hooks are not already gamakatsu, then I change them to gamakatsu, all of them. About the only time I lose any fish now is when I have 2 at a time on one crankbait, one of them gets off quite often. I have had 2 on at a time at least 15 times this year and have only gotten both fish in the boat a few times. Other than that it is rare I lose a fish with a crankbait.

[blink]

Yeah i like a crankin rod. S Glass. That slower action will help keep you from pulling the hooks out.

My favorite treble hook is the Owner ST-36. I use them on all the lures i make, and when i am replacing hooks on lures.

[nailman_83]

I'm losing my confidence with my crank-baits. Lately I have been losing more fish than I catch. I lean back on hook set. Not a hard hook set. Today I was trolling in my boat and lost fish even at trolling speeds. I don't understand losing over half of the fish I hook up with. I know we all lose fish sometimes. But why or what am I doing wrong. Any help would be appreciated.

Try smaller hooks. Less wiggle room for the fish.

[jad2t]

I'm gonna have to look into those Owner or Gamakatsu hooks to change out the ones that come on the Bomber cranks I have. The 6A and 4A in firetiger has always been a top producing crankbait for me but I do have a lot of them jump and spit it out. It can be frustrating!

[blink]

I'm gonna have to look into those Owner or Gamakatsu hooks to change out the ones that come on the Bomber cranks I have. The 6A and 4A in firetiger has always been a top producing crankbait for me but I do have a lot of them jump and spit it out. It can be frustrating!

On topwater baits like pop-r's and spooks that have crappy stock hooks i put the Owner's on them and have so much better hookups.

[TNBronzeback]

I'm gonna have to look into those Owner or Gamakatsu hooks to change out the ones that come on the Bomber cranks I have. The 6A and 4A in firetiger has always been a top producing crankbait for me but I do have a lot of them jump and spit it out. It can be frustrating!

Im a huge fan of Gamakatsu hooks. I dont take my hooks to the extreme of replacing stock hooks on hard baits, but when i make my walleye/sauger spinners, crappie hooks, soft bait hooks....i dont use anything but Gamakatsu.
Ive tried other brands with good success, but i keep going back to the big G!

[jad2t]

On topwater baits like pop-r's and spooks that have crappy stock hooks i put the Owner's on them and have so much better hookups.

Yea I just bought a zara puppy and my first thought was wow those hooks are a bit small

[jad2t]

Im a huge fan of Gamakatsu hooks. I dont take my hooks to the extreme of replacing stock hooks on hard baits, but when i make my walleye/sauger spinners, crappie hooks, soft bait hooks....i dont use anything but Gamakatsu.
Ive tried other brands with good success, but i keep going back to the big G!

I use Gamakatsu for all my texas rigged worms and I do like them a lot!

[Reel Tune]

Great discussion about cranking.

Here's a great article written by Craig Dye, about crankin'. Photos courtesy of Mike Ernst aka Bostic Photography.

http://kayakbassfishingtn.com/2014/05/20/kayak-cranking-by-craig-dye/

He is one of the best crankbait fishermen I know.

I just bought about 3000 hooks in a variation of Owner (ST-36 & ST-41), Mustad KVD Elite Round Bend TR58NP-BN, and Gamakatsu Magic Eye. I bought #4's and #6's of each. I want to experiment with different hooks.

My primary hook for the past several years has been the Owner ST-36.

For cranks us use 8-12lb fluorocarbon. 8lb when in open water, and up to 12 or 14 in heavier cover.

The rods I use are APR CR711MC Blaster (deep heavier cranks), and the APR APX Elite 710MCA Medium crankin (shallower cranks)

For deep cranking 16'+ I'll use a Curado 201E5, and or Curado 201G6.

[Dakota]

I've used 12 pound mono xt trilene and bass pro fluorocarbon. I do like both but the difference is mono I can cast a lot further but it is less abrasive. So what I find myself doing is re- tying more with mono. I think I like the mono a little better for cranking.


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[Headhunter]

I have been catching fish on crankbaits for a long time. Never used owner but I think they are great hooks. For me nothing but gamakatsu on a crankbait, they make a difference. My dad, who loves to fish, but is not really serious about it now, he is 80 years old, he knows the difference. When in Canada and I have to tie a lure on for him, he knows almost instantly if it does not have gamakatsu.

Funny thing is I do still use an eagle claw hook for worm fishing, a 45 auto, 2/0 lazer sharp. Best hook for texas rigging ever IMO. Most every fish I catch on a texas rig is hooked in the top of the mouth. I have stuck them out of an eye socket to many times to count on the hookset, even fish over 6 lbs.

For throwing crankbaits, I use an 8 foot MH Airrus rod with 16 lb magnathin. I can throw them a long way and get them down deep quickly. All my reels for worm fishing and crankbait fishing are ambassadeur 5000 series reels with a 6.3:1 retrieve.

[Doc Marshall]

I caught my personal best largemouth today on a KVD sexy shad crankbait. My kayak started gliding towards the shore and I was wondering if I hadn't hooked a carp or something. When I finally saw him, he was the fattest chunk of a largemouth I've ever seen outside of the tank at Bass Pro.

I didn't get a picture as I was being extra careful unhooking him -- I had a treble hook accident recently -- but I did have some witnesses!

I'm a big believer in cranks, and I don't think I've ever used anything other than the hooks they came with.

[SAMBOLIE]

VMC SURE SET treble hooks. Haven't had a fish throw one of these yet.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/VMC-reg-Treble-Hooks/742856.uts?productVariantId=1600182&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=34-206392324-2&WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=30034437&rid=40

[tennesseekeith]

Ok looking into changing hooks.
Next question.
With out breaking the bank. What a good crankbait rod? I like a 7' rods. Not looking to spend $200 or more on a rod. Mite go around $100 for one.
Reels I have to put on a cranking rod. A Abu Garcia Revo sx-hs, Siver max A reel that 27 years old and a cheap reel off a combo.

[agelesssone]

I just love SAMBOLIE's statement "I haven't had a fish throw one yet".

Well, I guess not! If he hasn't ever hooked a fish with one of those hooks, then I doubt if he's ever has a fish throw one....

Just trying to picture SAMBOLIE hooking into a fish strains my imagination.

[XxthejuicexX]

I have the wright and mcgill skeet reese cranking rods and really like them. For the money they are tough to beat.

[SAMBOLIE]

I just love SAMBOLIE's statement "I haven't had a fish throw one yet".

Well, I guess not! If he hasn't ever hooked a fish with one of those hooks, then I doubt if he's ever has a fish throw one....

Just trying to picture SAMBOLIE hooking into a fish strains my imagination.

I knew that s#!t was would come from you. Those little dinks you catch can't shake a hook.:):)