Thread: Indiana crankbait pullers?

I got onto this technique many years ago at Ky lake. Wondered how many of you out there do it for crappies in Indiana and what baits , set ups you use? You can do it rather cheaply if you want (other than losing crankbaits). I started with just a bass outfit, medium heavy rod with baitcaster and some various crankbaits and trolled using big motor at idle... and a lot of experimentation on how much line to let out. Also helps to troll out in an area where there is not a lot of brush. It hurts when you lose 3-4 $5 crankbaits. Ouch. I hadn't done much of it in Indiana until last yr at Cataract. I found it to be a good summertime mid day process out along areas following the edge of the river channel. I usually use baits that dive 8-12 feet to catch the suspended crappie. Bandit 300s are ideal for this. My favorite for crappie is the brown crawdad color but confess to not trying some of the more outragous colors...eg hot pink.

Now with the great minnkota motors and cruise control and I-pilot.... I am considering switching out my motorguide to use with both cranks and jigs. This yr, I am trying to get more sophisticated. I just bought 4 okuma line counter reels, and have some B&M pro troller rods ordered to go with them. There are some good threads on the miss board around crank pulling. I'd like to hear your Indiana stories and experience.

HHD

Its a great way to catch crappie in the summertime.

catarack is toooooooooo small to pull on to meny people no planer boards

My fishing partner and I both have our boats set up with duel Tite-Lock black widow pole holders on the bow. While I prefer tightlining with a tandom jig rig or long lining with curly tail grub bodies, I haven't gotten into pulling cranks, but he does it on his boat quite often, using a 14ft, 10ft, & a 6ft rod on each side (2ppl) for the spacing while pulling bandits. Cataract is a lake we fish often, the 300's run a little deep for most places there but agree the craw color is very productive. The Bandits seem to be a logical choice as they have a depth rating for each 100, 200, & 300 series. As long as too much line is not let out (he runs prolly 75ft of line), the running depth seems pretty accurate. He has a Bass Tracker and I have an older Champion bass boat, I often fish North of the narrows in the Dam end, maybe catch ya out there sometime this year!

i seldom, ever pull crankbaits for crappie, however you might see me slowtrolling, and its not minnow rigs im pushing...

HB

Hillbilly, you pushing crankbaits? Never tried pushing them.... usually pushing curly tails , homemade jigs , or jig/minnow combos myself. Would have to run behind a large sinker?

The bandit 300s run about 8-12 ft, while the 200s run shallower and may be a better fit for some of the water we fish...for example east of causeway monroe running a lot of 8 ft water there . I have seen this before, but on the Miss state post, somebody put up a chart for the bandits that show how deep they run per amount of line let out. It is a great chart to print off and keep in the boat.

I also like the possibilities of catching other species , like sauger / walleye, bass, cats. Although making you vunerable to stumps, if you get tired of the crappie...just start letting more line out and getting that bait down there digging up some bottom and hang on.

HHD

Here is the Bandit depth chart. We use okuma dx 15 line counter reels and B'n'M pro trolling rods. Bandit 300, 200, and 100 depth chart.

Thanks G3.... for the chart. Got my okuma 15dx reels yesterday. They were an awesome buy for $25 each. Thanks to the MS guys.

billbob, I tried the planer board thing one time at KY lake, however needed a much stiffer rod than I had...and would rather just long line out the back. You are right... boards take up a lot of room. A lot easier just to pull behind boat and take up less real estate on the more crowded areas. Now if I were fishing for walleye on Erie....nuther story.

Originally Posted by Hillbilly910

i seldom, ever pull crankbaits for crappie, however you might see me slowtrolling, and its not minnow rigs im pushing...

HB

I just started trolling crankbaits last year and I prefer pushing also. I caught alot of fish doing this last summer but I have a question. Does anybody catch any black crappie doing this? All the crappie I caught were white, went to another lake with mostly black crappie and didn't do any good at all.

In the summer when we go trollin' down at the coon, we just slow idle the big motor (none of us use TM's) with flavor of the day crank baits. Mostly 10' and deeper. Or a deep diving hookless Bomber and a 3' leader with a roaster tail on the end. Just tryin' to catch anything. We catch mostly White Bass a few Crappie and a few LM. I wish them WB weren't so red meaty. You clean all the red out there ain't too much meat left.

But I am ready to try the slow drift/troll with jigs and minners. I need to get alot better at reading the lake, channels, drop offs, points, rocks, brush, etc. and put them jigs and minners in the right spot.. And hook up my TM so it works right.

They turn the power on at the camp April Fools Day. Can't wait.