Can you use crankbaits on a spinning reel?

[bdorman]

I fish from a boat dock (8ft depth) for crappie and perch. I mostly catch bass but have to throw them back; private lake rules, but that's okay, bass fights are fun. I use spinning rigs with 6 and 8lb test line, light and medium-light rods. I cast into about 12-13ft depth.

Can you use crankbaits in this situation? If so, any recommendations are appreciated.

[skeetbum]

Use em all the time with spinners. With the water depth you're talking about I would think that any crank with a short to medium bill would do fine and not go to deep. Short pauses during a slow steady retrieve will sometimes generate a strike from a fish that's just spectating.

[huntinslabs]

Yes you can. If you are planning on chunking big baits I would suggest a slower gear ratio like 4.5:1 or 5:1 so you don't have to work as hard. A higher ratio will move them faster but requires more work. Hope that makes sense to ya.

[Blackhawk19]

I throw some Crappie Cranks with my 7' light action rod all the time. What you have to watch is getting to big of crankbait for your rod. I use 10lb braid, and I know I called them crappie cranks but the catch a lot of bass. Here's what I use and they will get down 6-8'

http://www.basspro.com/Strike-King-S...SELL_THUMBNAIL

[BigRiverMarine]

Yes. I used spinning gear when I first started, but it's hard getting the line out the right distance without a line counter. Tuf Line makes a braid that has different colors every 10'. It only has three colors, but you know when you start with one color, and you see that color again you're out 30' and so on. I don't know how small they make it though. If it comes in a 15/4 or 10/2 I'd like to use some myself on my spinning reels to hand troll for walleye.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Another good one is the Strike King Bitsy Minnow I have a few and they work well on my St Croix Avid Med-Lt 8' rod really feel the crank vibrate and very good distance. They dive to around 5' I would say. They are rated at 1/8oz but the ones I have bought the actual weight is less like 1/12oz still toss out pretty far. I actually just bought another today Baby Bass scheme.
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