heh JEFF good post---- never thought much about the speeds in relation to depth thanks for the info
Wow. Thanks for all the replys, and so quick! I updated my profile
with my location and contact information, if anybody wants to send
me a private message, have at it. Will try to post some pictures soon.
For those of you who asked about trolling cranks, first let me give a
brief rundown of some of my early misconceptions and things I have
learned so far. These are just my opinion, and may not apply to other
lakes, but here goes:
1- don't worry about how deep your baits are running in relation to the
bottom. I usually fish in 25-40 feet of water, but run baits from 8 to
21 or so feet. I was hung up on this at first, and it is a none-issue.
Just watch for fish and baitfish on the sonar, and stay a little above.
2- just pick some good looking areas and troll - cover water! Note where
you catch fish and try the same place next time - I also try to devote
at least 15 minutes to trying a new place every trip. After awhile you
will develop a "mail route" and start learning which are good in what
seasons - and the hot spots on each run. You really need a GPS!
When you locate a good spot and know from experience that you
can only let out say 60 feet of line without getting hung up, resist
the temptation to let out more if you don't connect on that day -
try another spot. Do get a good plug knocker though!
3- My speeds range from 1.3 to 2.0 MPH, again GPS. I started with
my electric motor, but in all but the shallowest I fish in Spring and Fall,
10-14 feet, now I troll with my Honda 50 with a trolling plate
I made. Want a bigger boat with a gas kicker, but thats another
story! Try S curves and shifting into neutral occasionally to trigger
strikes.
4- sturdy tackle - I use Daiwa Sealine line counter reels, 7' medium
action Ugly Sticks and 12 lb Transition Fluorocarbon line. My take
is that you are balancing between not hooking strikes and tearing
the hooks out. Tried pulling a couple times with a 6' med light
spinning rod, lots of strikes with no hook up - switched
to my regular rods and started sticking every strike. You need to
get on a rod quick and set the hook pretty firm, especially
at slower speeds. I switch to Gamakatsu EWG's. This level of
tackle is what it took for me to not lose so many baits to the
bass - pressure them till they jump, then slack line and they will
usually throw the hook.
5- On the subject of bass, my motto for most of the year is:
If you're catchin LM bass, you are to shallow and too fast.
White bass or Spots, too fast but right depth.
6- Start out with just 2 rods - sometimes now I use up to 6 with
four planer boards, by myself. But it is not for everyone!
I like to keep the rod holder set to keep 45 to 90 degree angle
between rod and line - keeps em on till you can reach the rod and
stick em good. The little clip on line counters are OK to start with,
but leave alot to be desired, tried them all, Shakespear is best,
but love my linecounter reels!
7- Baits. Forget the little stuff advertised for Crappie. If it don't tote
at least #6 trebles, its too little. And I use a lot of colors, but if
I had to have only one, it would be "Homer" chartreuse with green
back. Hot pink and pearl/blue back are some other favorites.
8- Embrace the wind! Some of my best days are in 3' rollers.
The hotter and brighter the better - concentrates em on the
thermocline. Cool cloudy days fish will rise and scatter.
I could go on in even more excruciating detail, but this should be
enough to get you on fish! Jeff
Shoals Area Crappie Association
heh JEFF good post---- never thought much about the speeds in relation to depth thanks for the info
PROUD MEMBER OF TEAM GEEZER
Jeff, good info and welcome to the board!!Everyone here appreciates input!! Good Fishin To Ya!!! Dennis
Good Fishin To Ya!! Dennis Dale Hollow Crappie www.dalehollowcrappie.4t.com
Read your post above and was excited to read your experiences at it, Crankbait trolling is also how I catch most of my crappie ,I am trying to learn how to spider rig so as to be more versatile however crank trolling is what I do best. I have found many things you related to be the same for me ( I fish in east Tennessee), , especially size of lures, and speer.
Have some other things I would like to toss around about this method, don`t know if anyone on this board would be interested in this subject that much if not we can talk by private message.
Ever use Cordell Spot lures? One of my very best producers. Possum1
possum1
Jack Mullins
Psalms 46:1
Excellent article and welcome to the board. With your permission I will ask or you can pm Ed to move your post to the thread on crankbait fishing. More people could read it there when they search " crank baits".
...I think most on here are always open to learn new ways to catch crappie.....if not at least I am....start tossing ....I'm ready!!!!Originally Posted by possum1
Tighten er down till ya strip it--then back off 1/4 turn..
HEY,,Y'all watch THIS..........
Very infomative post. :D
No secrets on my end really, just lots of experimentation, most any crankbait of the right size and color will do the job. What is important, at least for me, is depth, speed and then color, I have found that fairly fast speed triggers more strikes, also larger lures seem to catch bigger crappie. I am fond of Bill Norman baits but also use Bandits, Bomber model A ,Rebel,etc. Sometimes varies from day to day, speed up, slow down, make turns, bump bottom all can trigger a strike. In my opinion Cordell Super Spot LURES IN 3/16 ounce are one of the best lures I have ever used for crappie. I buy them by the dozen, big catfish really like them too, don`t do much good on a rat l trap, can`t understand why. I troll with a 8 hp Yamaha 4 stroke and generally run about 1.1-1.4 mph, but that varies from day to day.
Crankbait trolling is a great way to locate fish or catch them when they are scattered. Hope this helps, I will be glad to share what little I know. Possum1
possum1
Jack Mullins
Psalms 46:1