Thread: It's Almost Time!

Way to go....good catch

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Update: dad and friend were forced off the lake due to this little guy:



Had 6 goodins in the box on cranks.

U

need the rain to fill up the lakes don't we? at least I wasn't on them when it hit!

Well, after the storm, Saturday was basically a bust for dad and friend other than he installed his new GPS module in the trolling motor and got a new A/C unit put into the cabin.

Sunday, was a different story. Took Gramps out for his birthday and they had a good time crankin. Caught a good mess of crappie and also soaked into this guy:



Better time comin' however, not a bad start to the crankin season.

U

So U, (and Speck) say you're pulling bandit 200's and trying to get, say...9' deep, so you're running 45' back, but then you got a couple you're running on a board, do you let out 45' of line, then your board, then however much line to get it out away from the boat and clear of the other rods?

I typically only run 10 or so feet off the board, but I'm sure I don't have my depth right at that point. Just seems like I'd get into trouble disconnecting the board and then reeling in all that line...like, it would come in and foul the other poles?

Originally Posted by Joedog

So U, (and Speck) say you're pulling bandit 200's and trying to get, say...9' deep, so you're running 45' back, but then you got a couple you're running on a board, do you let out 45' of line, then your board, then however much line to get it out away from the boat and clear of the other rods?

I typically only run 10 or so feet off the board, but I'm sure I don't have my depth right at that point. Just seems like I'd get into trouble disconnecting the board and then reeling in all that line...like, it would come in and foul the other poles?

JD,

Depending on what part of the water column we are targeting, we'll run 100's, 200's, 300's, flicker 5's and flicker 7's and yes, use your speed + length of line from the board to the crank to determine your depth. In my opinion, it's much more accurate than trying to determine the amount of line out of the water if running them without boards. You can really dial it in this way. As an example, the last trip up here, we quickly figured out that the fish wanted a blue tiger flicker #5, running in 9-10 ft. of water and specifically 65 feet from the crank to the board. That setup outperformed all others 15:1. Also, atleast for us, if we are up on a flat we'll continue our targeted speed and try to dig the deeper running cranks into the gravel (you'll see your rods bounce) as that oftentimes entices a bite.

If you're running a 200 only 10 feet behind the board, depending on your speed, I bet your only running 3-4 feet deep, max. Not where you want to be if you are targeting summertime crappie. This is also where line counter reels play an enormous factor. We use line counters EXCLUSIVELY when cranking......I'm anal-retentive and absolutely MUST know where my baits are running at all time.

As for the planers, you'll get into a rhythm and learn what works best for you. I find that when boarding for crappie, we are best suited to run two boards off each side and then 4 - 6 rods straight off the back (you can get away with this in the murkier lakes) and if you pick a fish up, just rotate the position and length of line on the board that remains. Also, when you hook a fish, they will generally elevate and that means you can bring the board in, unclip, and then "ski" the fish across your other lines. This does NOT happen when you smack a catfish or walleye........they are basically in the water to create a mess. Speaking of fish "elevating", always check the angle of your line. If it's super flat, you're likely dragging one.

I'm sure Speck can offer much more insight on the tactic but, once you figure it out, you're addicted. So much more water coverage.

U

I figured as much with the boards...that I was running shallower. I get a lot fewer hookups on those rods, but they're also the ones to cause the most problems with snags or fouled baits or whatever....and it just takes SO much more work to get those straightened out that I've more or less given up on using them except up north, instead just running four out the back. Cover less water, but....

Originally Posted by Route U

JD,

Depending on what part of the water column we are targeting, we'll run 100's, 200's, 300's, flicker 5's and flicker 7's and yes, use your speed + length of line from the board to the crank to determine your depth. In my opinion, it's much more accurate than trying to determine the amount of line out of the water if running them without boards. You can really dial it in this way. As an example, the last trip up here, we quickly figured out that the fish wanted a blue tiger flicker #5, running in 9-10 ft. of water and specifically 65 feet from the crank to the board. That setup outperformed all others 15:1. Also, atleast for us, if we are up on a flat we'll continue our targeted speed and try to dig the deeper running cranks into the gravel (you'll see your rods bounce) as that oftentimes entices a bite.

If you're running a 200 only 10 feet behind the board, depending on your speed, I bet your only running 3-4 feet deep, max. Not where you want to be if you are targeting summertime crappie. This is also where line counter reels play an enormous factor. We use line counters EXCLUSIVELY when cranking......I'm anal-retentive and absolutely MUST know where my baits are running at all time.

As for the planers, you'll get into a rhythm and learn what works best for you. I find that when boarding for crappie, we are best suited to run two boards off each side and then 4 - 6 rods straight off the back (you can get away with this in the murkier lakes) and if you pick a fish up, just rotate the position and length of line on the board that remains. Also, when you hook a fish, they will generally elevate and that means you can bring the board in, unclip, and then "ski" the fish across your other lines. This does NOT happen when you smack a catfish or walleye........they are basically in the water to create a mess. Speaking of fish "elevating", always check the angle of your line. If it's super flat, you're likely dragging one.

I'm sure Speck can offer much more insight on the tactic but, once you figure it out, you're addicted. So much more water coverage.

U

Great info Route U thanks for all the details. I'm pretty new to cranking and now that I have a rack to hold my rods I will certainly do it more. So much easier with proper rod holders.