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Thread: Pulling Crank Baits

  1. #1
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    Default Pulling Crank Baits


    What color, size and type of crank baits do you folks use when pullling. Live in Illinois and this type of crappie fishing is not well known. Any help will be appreciated.

  2. #2
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    Default Pulling Crankbaits

    Bill..I'm fairly new at this concept also, but have a good friend that trolls this way during the summer. I use the Bandit series 200 & 300 models. The 200 runs 6-8 ft deep and the 300 approx 10-12 ft deep. I use the solid white but our lake water stays pretty clear in the summer so I haven't tried any other colors. This isn't much info, but hope it helps you at least get started. Good luck.

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    We do this all the time on my home lake here in Ky. We use a wide variety of crankbaits and you will be surprised how large a bait a crappie will actually hit. We mostly use 200 series Bandits in a several colors....shades of chartruese/shad patterns/and a few other bright colors. We also use smaller cranks, like those you would use in a small creek or stream, with GREAT success. The same colors as the Bandits applies here as well. Smaller size wally divers are also a good choice. Just experiment with the bass baits that you have and I am sure you will find something that will fit the bill...I hope this helps.....Good Fishin' GrouseFly

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    Default Line Length and diameter effects depth of the crank baits

    I purchased a Shakespear line measuring device that helps me determine just how much line I have out behind the boat. Also the line diameter makes a difference. Smaller diameter line will make the crank baits dive deeper.

    Trolling speed of the boat will effect the depth.

    You can drift fish at times with high wind speeds. tie a drift sock or a 5 gallon bucket on to a rope and attach to the back end of the boat. This will not only slow your drift down but it will make the front end of the boat go downwind first as the back of the boat is being slowed and held up by dragging the bucket behind the boat. Going too fast still? Just add another drift sock or another bucket. Some drift socks are adjustable from inside the boat by pulling on a line to open or close the mouth of the sock. See the Bass Pro Shops Marine 2004 Catalog on page 128 to see what I am talking about if you are not familar with drift socks. Some people call them sea anchors too.


    You want to target the crappie's depth and still get the right crank bait speed to intice a strike. Some of the bigger crappie are found this way from what I am heaing. A lot of crappie are caught by bass fishermen who are surprised to find a 1.5 to 2lb crappie attacking their crank baits. When I went bass fishing at Kentucky Lake back in the 1960's and 1970's we would fish for a week at a time and often catch a few big White Crappies while fishing for bass.

    Quote Originally Posted by Billr
    What color, size and type of crank baits do you folks use when pullling. Live in Illinois and this type of crappie fishing is not well known. Any help will be appreciated.
    Regards,

    Moose1am

  5. #5
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    Default Pulling

    I like fishing this way. I like b2 bombers and rattletraps. I use the Cabelas digital line display reels (to let me know line length out) and 7 ft med-lite poles. I look like I am deep sea fishing because I use the line release clip. I am looking at buying a Helmpilot to steer my boat. My neck gets tired of constant looking back if you know what I mean. I have caught about every species in KY lake dragging. I use my big engine. Those fishies can swim pretty fast if the want to. I have even experimented with a side planner rig. Works fair in open water areas, but not for narrow channels. I even have a down rigger. I can really get the cranks deep if I want. Trouble here is occasionally the downrigger ball gets tangled in underwater structure. It's a ***** to untangle, but it does work and I do get fish. I lived in Fla 10 years and did some offshore fishing. I just took what I picked up on there and applied it to Ky Lake. I ain't no expert by no means. I'm just a weekend fisherman. This is just to share with all.

    My input for what it is worth.

    Cane Pole
    Last edited by CrappiePappy; 08-04-2004 at 09:45 PM.
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    Default What Make and Model reels do you have?

    I am just curious what type of reels you purchased from Cabelas. They sell lots of different types or reels. Do you have a page number in the catalog for them by any chance. If not a make and model number off your real reels would help us find them in the catalog.

    I don't know why people don't troll more often. Maybe it's just out of habit. My uncle had a 30ft boat and used it off the New Jersey Coast in the Atlantic Ocean every year for many years before he sold it. I got to go deep sea fishing with them only one time but it was cool. We trolled using those big deep sea rods and reels and caught bluefish and a shark.

    I trolled one time at Kentucky lake using the Buck Perry Spoon plugs and within a few minutes I had a 4 or 5 pound bass hit the lure and jump out of the water and throw the bait. It happened so fast. I should really try that again. I am getting ready to start trolling some crank baits in the striper pit that I fish. I have my trolling rods all ready to go and I put a big tackle box in my boat. This tackle box is full of crank baits. I should throw in a couple of those spoonplugs also. They are made out of metal and sink like a rock. So they get stuck on the bottom structure if your stopped. So you must keep them moving to keep them off the bottom. They go really really deep too. I am going to troll with wire line on a deep sea type rod and reel. The guides are steel rollers not the regular type guides on your normal bass rod. These are heavy duty rods that I intend to use.

    Tonight I went out to the pits and caught about 6 dozen minnows. They ranged in size from 1/8" up to about 1" long. I caught them using a small dip net. I am going to feed them to the 2" long baby bluegills that I caught and put in the aquarium. The regular store bought shiners are too big for the bluegills to eat. Except for the one warmouth that eats minnows as long as he is. When he eats the tails of the minnows stick out of his mouth for about five minutes after he eats them head first. I have a total of 4 small 2" or less bluegills that I captured using my glass funnel minnow trap the last week.




    Quote Originally Posted by Cane Pole
    I like fishing this way. I like b2 bombers and rattletraps. I use the Cabelas digital line display reels (to let me know line length out) and 7 ft med-lite poles. I look like I am deep sea fishing because I use the line release clip. I am looking at buying a Helmpilot to steer my boat. My neck gets tired of constant looking back if you know what I mean. I have caught about every species in KY lake dragging. I use my big engine. Those fishies can swim pretty fast if the want to. I have even experimented with a side planner rig. Works fair in open water areas, but not for narrow channels. I even have a down rigger. I can really get the cranks deep if I want. Trouble here is occasionally the downrigger ball gets tangled in underwater structure. It's a bitch to untangle, but it does work and I do get fish. I lived in Fla 10 years and did some offshore fishing. I just took what I picked up on there and applied it to Ky Lake. I ain't no expert by no means. I'm just a weekend fisherman. This is just to share with all.

    My input for what it is worth.

    Cane Pole
    Regards,

    Moose1am

  7. #7
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    Default Reel Type

    I have the Cabelas Depthmaster DT-300...I have had them for some time. Dont know if Cabelas carry them anymore. Go to Cabelas and search for Deapthmaster reels. They carry several (trolling line counting) reels. Line counters make a big difference when letting out line. I used to let all the line out on my reels, then spray paint every 2 feet so I could cout the line length . The paint wears off the line after a few outings, and I can't count good (remember) anymore.

    Cane Pole
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    You are not the only one that can't count. Today while marking a 25ft long line I was wrapping white tape around the line every five feet. I was then using a red fine point permenant marking pen to write 5ft, 10ft, 15ft, 20ft and 25ft on the white tape but I wrote 5, 10, 20 and then realized that I had left out 15ft LOL. I had to do it over again. Now that that is finished and correct I added one ft yellow tape markings inbetween the 5ft white tape marks. Now it's calibrated and marked in 1ft increments. I am ready to do some temperature profiles on the lakes that I fish at different times of the year and day. I will use my computer to layout some spread sheets forms and then print them out for field use. Then with the help of my GPS unit I can go to the lakes and using my 25ft long cord on my temperature sensor I can perform the work. It will be interesting to see the thermoclines if there are any and then to see what depth the crappie are suspsending. There should be a correlation and I should be able to determine the temperature at the same depth that the crappie are inhabiting.


    I did find out that crappie really do love small minnows. Now I am seeing why the smaller jigs work so well when crappie are finickey. Even after a large meal there often is room for a small seedless grape or a bit of desert. A Maraschino Cherry still taste so good that even they go down easily even after eating a big steak and potatoe meal. So too will a large crappie have room for a 1/4" long minnow even after eating two or three big 2" long shinners. This may be why the smaller jigs work better when the crappie are finicky or have full stomachs. Just one small minnow more won't hurt they must be thinking.



    Quote Originally Posted by Cane Pole
    I have the Cabelas Depthmaster DT-300...I have had them for some time. Dont know if Cabelas carry them anymore. Go to Cabelas and search for Deapthmaster reels. They carry several (trolling line counting) reels. Line counters make a big difference when letting out line. I used to let all the line out on my reels, then spray paint every 2 feet so I could cout the line length . The paint wears off the line after a few outings, and I can't count good (remember) anymore.

    Cane Pole
    Regards,

    Moose1am

  9. #9
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    You are right Moose...That is why my loving partner leaves little tid bits out for me (after a good meal) or...maybe she don't want me snacking on her...lol

    CP

    by the way, did u find the line indicator reel I wuz yacking about?????

    Cane Pole
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    were switching from tightlining at night to trolling for a bit. Ill be draggin small rattletraps and bombers and some rapalas using 7 ft medium action ugly sticks with eight or ten lb line. this is heavier line than i use tightlining minnows at night, but figgered id stand a better chance getting the plugs back with a little heavier line if they happend to hang. well be running lines with a dropper above the bait with a bell sinker on it. this should keep the weight running below the bait, with the bait above the weight. were gonna be running two lines with a 1/4 oz weight, two with 1/2 oz weight, and two with 3/4 oz bait. this will all be pulled with a 5 hp honda modified to get the speed down to a acceptable slow pace, this should get us spread up and down in the water column pretty good to see if we can locate any fish. if we catch any fish on a certain weight, well change em all over to that weight and see what happens. our water temp is hot,, 90 degree on the surface, well be troling in about 30 ft of water. i dont troll near the bank with these expensive plugs. last time i done that, we went through a tree top and left eight plugs hangin on the limbs. at three and four dollars a plug, thats some expensive hanging. anyway, thats how we gonna be doing it. if theres anyone esle draggin crankbaits , id like to hear about it or have any suggestions that may help.
    listen with your eyes---its the only way to beleive what you hear...

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