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Thread: trolling crankbait question

  1. #1
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    Question trolling crankbait question


    hello all, i have a question. iv'e started here recently learning to troll with bandit's. i'm really liking it. a lot of info i read on trolling talk's about using a leader. what is really the purpose of using a leader. is it correct to say basically all it is is a swivel tied above your lure 18 inche's or so. what is wrong with just tying the crankbait directly to the line. i use to throw crank's a lot using a swivel for bass and that was to help with line twist. i'm not sure what i'm using one for now. i still get line twist after awhile. to weight it down some if i wanna get deeper i will put a bullet worm weight above the swivel obviously to keep it from hugging against the crankbait...is that the correct way to weight a crankbait? i'm a little lost on the whole leader and swivel thing can someone help me understand a little more why there used or can you just tie the crank directly to your line with no swivel. thank's for the help all. appreciate it

    jeff the crappieslayer
    Last edited by KCMO CRAPPIESLAYER; 07-17-2008 at 09:38 PM.
    why do today what you can put off til tomorrow, go fishing instead!!!

  2. #2
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    Wink Just some thoughts ....

    Quote Originally Posted by KCMO CRAPPIESLAYER View Post
    hello all, i have a question. iv'e started here recently learning to troll with bandit's. i'm really liking it. a lot of info i read on trolling talk's about using a leader. what is really the purpose of using a leader. is it correct to say basically all it is is a swivel tied above your lure 18 inche's or so. what is wrong with just tying the crankbait directly to the line. i use to throw crank's a lot using a swivel for bass and that was to help with line twist. i'm not sure what i'm using one for now. i still get line twist after awhile. to weight it down some if i wanna get deeper i will put a bullet worm weight above the swivel obviously to keep it from hugging against the crankbait...is that the correct way to weight a crankbait? i'm a little lost on the whole leader and swivel thing can someone help me understand a little more why there used or can you just tie the crank directly to your line with no swivel. thank's for the help all. appreciate it

    jeff the crappieslayer

    a leader can provide some benefits :

    it allows the bait to have distance from the weight (vertically &/or horizontally) ...
    it allows the weight to be placed below the running depth of the bait, acting as a bottom bumper/obstacle bumper warning, before the bait finds them ...
    if the leader line is used to hold the weight, and is on a smaller pound test than the main line & the line the bait is on - it breaks off easier, if snagged, saving the bait ...

    If you can get your bait down to the depth required, without extra weight & swivels ... that's fine. But, if not, then how you attach and where you attach the weight & swivel is key to getting the correct action, depth, and workability of the rig.

    These thoughts are not personal experience related, just concept related. When I'm trolling with a crankbait, it has a jig on a leader line that's tied to the front hook eye of the crankbait. I'm using the crankbait as the means to achieve the depth I'm seeking, and the jig is presented as the "bait" I'm offering to the fish. Consequential fish, that come on the crankbait, are just a bonus. :p

    ... cp

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    Hey Guys, I am fooling around with crankbaits too for the first time.
    So crappiepappy, are you saying that you are using the crankbait like a downrigger for your jig?

    How much weight are you using?
    born to Fish, forced to work

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    Talking Not really .... well, sorta

    Quote Originally Posted by gajud View Post
    Hey Guys, I am fooling around with crankbaits too for the first time.
    So crappiepappy, are you saying that you are using the crankbait like a downrigger for your jig?

    How much weight are you using?
    When I'm trolling with a crankbait/jig on a leader rig .... the crankbait is what pulls the rig down, no weights added. I generally don't troll deeper than 15ft deep, and a Hot-n-Tot will get pretty close to that deep, depending on how much line I have out. I'm actually using this setup to fish for Hybrid Stripers, but the occasional Crappie has been caught. I just mentioned how I use a crankbait for trolling, to show that for certain depths & applications ... no weight is required.

    Watched the latest Tenn. Wildside program ... showed them trolling Ky Lake with cranks & weights. They were using FIVE OUNCE bell sinkers --- of course they were using heavier equipment, too. Using the big motor to push the boat ... stated speed was 2mph. They called it "pulling", because they were using poles out the side and back. As I understand it, "pushing" is when you use cranks/weights out the front ... but, don't quote me on that :p

    I don't do much trolling for Crappie, unless I'm longline trolling on Weiss in the Spring. Too much timber still standing to troll on my local lakes ... so I resort to fishing the shallow timber during the early morning hours, wherever I can find some shaded downed timber. Once the Sun has gotten high enough in the sky, to not offer any such shaded spots, then I troll for Hybrids or head to the house (depending on air temp, water traffic, and whether or not my boat owning fishing partner wants to stay or not :D )

    ... cp

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    Quote Originally Posted by KCMO CRAPPIESLAYER View Post
    hello all, i have a question. iv'e started here recently learning to troll with bandit's. i'm really liking it. a lot of info i read on trolling talk's about using a leader. what is really the purpose of using a leader. is it correct to say basically all it is is a swivel tied above your lure 18 inche's or so. what is wrong with just tying the crankbait directly to the line. i use to throw crank's a lot using a swivel for bass and that was to help with line twist. i'm not sure what i'm using one for now. i still get line twist after awhile. to weight it down some if i wanna get deeper i will put a bullet worm weight above the swivel obviously to keep it from hugging against the crankbait...is that the correct way to weight a crankbait? i'm a little lost on the whole leader and swivel thing can someone help me understand a little more why there used or can you just tie the crank directly to your line with no swivel. thank's for the help all. appreciate it

    jeff the crappieslayer
    Here in the Southern California/Arizona area long line trolling is the preferred method of crappie fishing. We don't have a lot of structure except for the bottom and the crappie feed on shad. The key to success is depth control. See this link for information on how to use crank baits to control trolling depth:
    http://www.crappie.com/crappie/archi...pth-chart.html

    I use a small in-line swivel 3 feet up the main line to prevent line twist. If I forget to add it to the rig, I still catch fish.

    Good Luck!
    Jim (Ike) Isaac - San Diego CA

    Purveyor of sea stories, fish tales
    and other prevarications.

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    Without using a swivel I had major problems with line twist. I use a snap swivel with no added weight. The nice thing about this set up is that you can quickly change crank baits without wasting time retying them.

    2010 NWR Bash Crappie Division Champion

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    Would be nice to see some pics of ya'll rigs?
    It's not the numbers or the size, it's the time spent on the water!

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    like alway's you guy's gave me some good insight. i'm gonna try some different thing's this week but plan on trolling at least part of the day all next week, i can't wait. i also meant to asked that question about the swivel snap's for making it easier to change your crankbait. by using one of those are there any disadvantage's. does it take action out of your lure cuz that's what i'd like to go with so i can change out several different color's without having to re-tie...thanx all.
    why do today what you can put off til tomorrow, go fishing instead!!!

  9. #9
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    I use the snap swivels and really like them.

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    Quote Originally Posted by KCMO CRAPPIESLAYER View Post
    hello all, i have a question. iv'e started here recently learning to troll with bandit's. i'm really liking it. a lot of info i read on trolling talk's about using a leader. what is really the purpose of using a leader. is it correct to say basically all it is is a swivel tied above your lure 18 inche's or so. what is wrong with just tying the crankbait directly to the line. i use to throw crank's a lot using a swivel for bass and that was to help with line twist. i'm not sure what i'm using one for now. i still get line twist after awhile. to weight it down some if i wanna get deeper i will put a bullet worm weight above the swivel obviously to keep it from hugging against the crankbait...is that the correct way to weight a crankbait? i'm a little lost on the whole leader and swivel thing can someone help me understand a little more why there used or can you just tie the crank directly to your line with no swivel. thank's for the help all. appreciate it

    jeff the crappieslayer
    Unless your fishing an extremly deep impoundment where fish suspend deeper than 15 feet......weight is not necessary. You have to use a swivel to eliminate line twist. Depth control by long lining is best and concentrate on fewer rods (2-6) with the rods positioned from the sides and back of boat. Go as light as possible...I use 4 and 6lb. Pline rigged on 9ft and 7ft Gloomis slow action rods. Unless, your trolling thru a minefield of stumps and timber, your not going to hang up anyway....so do yourself a favor and try fishing translucent colors and more realistic patterns like Rapala Glass Shads and the Yozuri Hardcore Shad series. The results will surprise you and I haven"t lost a crank all summer long. Contrary to what others might tell you...the bullet weight (tungsten is best) in sizes up to 1/2 once or so work well for getting a bait a few feet deeper if necessary using light line. If you have to really get deep thats a whole new discipline and here in Mississippi its rarely necessary. If they go deeper than 15ft. its too hot and I'll wait for the cool down in the fall for trophy crappie.
    Meet a resonable man halfway everytime....don't meet an unresonable man at all.

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