Depending on how much you want to invest in your setup, it will determine how successful you’ll be in the end. I’ll give you choices and recommendations based on my years of trial and error.
Boat
I’m not going to recommend a brand or a type of boat necessary to pull crankbaits. I’ve seen it done from 12’ to 25’ boats. I’m going to leave it up to you. I will tell you that you need something that’s going to get you safely to and from your fishing locations. For smaller boats, please be aware of the weather conditions while fishing. I’ve been on the lake and not noticed approaching bad weather and got caught in a bad storm by being too careless.
Trolling Motor
To me this is one of the most important tools needed to be a successful crankbait fisherman. You need an electric steer trolling motor. You have several choices in models but only one recommended vendor, MinnKota. No matter which motor you choose be sure to at least get AutoPilot. You’ll need a motor you can set on continuous and includes the AutoPilot Navigation System that keeps the boat straight. Your choices are: Powerdrive V2, Terrova, and Ulterra. Their prices range from $750 for the low-end Powerdrive V2 to $2,550 for the high-end Ulterra.
Adding the i-Pilot remote control is an added convenience feature that frees you from being locked to the foot control. It’s a useful feature but not a necessary requirement.
Rod Holders
Ask any crappie fishermen using any technique other than single pole jig fishing and they will tell you a good set of rod holders are required equipment. My rod holder of choice is the Spyderlok Trolling Rig. It’s all aluminum anodized construction easily accommodates 4 rod heads with its 24” crossbar. The mounting plate is flush with the carpet; no tools necessary for use. What I like most is the height adjustment; 12’ – 20’, with a 360º rotational for the cross bar and rod holder. The SureLock adjustment teeth stay in place when you’re pushing or pulling crank baits.
I pull crankbaits while sitting in the middle of my boat. I can set 4 rods on each side and run the trolling motor and watch the depthfinder at the same time all by myself. If I have a partner, he/she can sit at the back and control up to 8 rods. Being able to adjust the rod holder height up or down makes it easy when I have kids fishing with me.
Rods
The rods I use are B’n’M Pro Staff Trolling Rods (PST Series). The lengths are as important as the rods are for line separation. I have rod pairs ranging from 8’, 10’, 12’, 14’ and at times 16’. I choose the PST’s because of the sensitivity and backbone. You don’t want a super stiff rod nor do you want a slow, soft rod. The PST is the perfect rod for its hook-setting and fish controlling abilities. The sensitive tip adds action to your crankbait.
Reels
You have many choices in reels but only one choice in reel type, Line Counters. Line Counters allow you to be more precise when pulling cranks. If you catch a fish at 85’, you can return the crankbait to the exact distance. Okuma Magna Pro is my reel of choice in the MA-15DX model. This reel starts at around $40. I know fishermen that use bait casters and spinning reels with measured success. They mark their line in 10’ - 25’ increments. I like to use a bit more precision in my fishing so I with line counter reels.
Line
Many of my crankbait friends use mono, I on the other hand believe in braid. I use 15# or 20# Vicious Moss Green Braid. I choose braid for several reasons: no stretch, small diameter, less drag, strength and durability. I can spool up once per season. I don’t have to let out nearly as much line and still reach the depths. With shorter distances between the rod and crankbait I can make tighter turns. This saves time and increases my catch ratio. The primary reason for using braid is to eliminate losing crankbaits to hang-ups; crankbaits can get expensive. I seldom lose a lure using 15# and I never lose a lure pulling 20# braid because the hook usually straightens.
Depthfinder
I’ve used Lowrance, Humminbird, and Garmin. I’m going to let you choose. I do recommend you get one that allows you to split the screen between sonar and mapping. You will need an up-to-date lake map chip that shows the lake in 1’ contours. I recommend you turn on the tracking feature of your depthfinder in order to show where you’ve been. This allows you to retrace your productive tracks. Use your GPS waypoint marking feature to place marks where you catch fish or see potential structure or cover.
The Lowrance Elite-7 CHIRP is an excellent choice for an affordable depthfinder. It combines CHIRP Sonar with DownScan Imaging, built-in GPS antenna and base mapping. It has slots for lake map chips from Navionics, Hot Maps, and Fishing Hotspots. I recommend CHIRP sonar technology because it provides greater sensitivity, improved target resolution and superior noise rejection for clearer, easy-to-see bait fish and game fish targets.
The HydroWave
Another tool I’ve added to my crankbait pulling arsenal it the HydroWave Electronic Feeding Stimulator. The HydroWave is a patented electronic device that produces sound that causes an instinctive response in nearby predatory fish. Fish can hear the sounds and feel the vibrations of the sound waves in the water. Fish are drawn in the direction of the device eager to strike any bait it sees. Sound travels further and faster in water than it does in air, around 4.4 times as fast, about 5,000 feet per second. The speed combined with the poor visibility of water is the reason that fish rely heavily on vibrations and water movement to detect their prey.
Professional Outdoor Writer and Photographer Brad Wiegmann says, “The HydroWave was designed to mimic noises of baitfish or other prey game fish feed on. The game fish hear and feel the sound-reacting in a positive manner, sometimes stimulation a feed response. Kind of like two kids fighting over a limited source of candy, one fish will grab the lure and swim quickly away causing other fish to go crazy trying to find something to attack. I also believe the main reason HydroWave stimulates a feeding response is it gets baitfish more active. Anytime it’s on and you get within a certain distance, shad will pop the surface or even start darting or swimming around. Active bait fish simulates fish into biting. Any advantage makes a big difference.”
The CRANKBAIT
This article would not be complete if I didn’t offer my choice of crankbait. I choose Bandit Lures in the 200 and 300 series. “Bandit Crankbaits have a compact shad profile that’s perfect for attracting Crappie, and they run true right out the package. Over the years of long lining, we know that the 100 Series runs 3- to 7-feet deep, 200 Series runs 7- to 12-feet deep and the 300 Series runs 9- to 17-feet deep, depending on how much line we have out and the line test,” according to Kent Driscoll.
Bandit was the first crankbait company to recognize that crappie fishermen were using their lures. They designed a series of Crappie Colors and Hooks. They changed their hooks to smaller red hooks for added crappie attraction. With names like Awesome Pink, Orange Crush, Grenada Shad, Sardis Gold, Chrome Clown, Hotty-Toddy, and Chartreuse Sparkle, one can see why Bandit knows their baits belong in every crappie fishermen’s tackle box.
Learn the Depth of Your Lures
What good is it to have all the equipment, in the right location, see fish on the depthfinder and not know what distance to troll your crankbaits? It makes no sense whatsoever. I would like to introduce my readers to a tool that I’ve found to be priceless. It’s called a Precision Trolling Book. Many anglers call it the Trollers Bible. It can be found at precisionangling.com.
The Trolling Bible has the dive curves for almost every crankbait on the market. It was created for walleye fishermen but crappie fishermen have embraced it fully. I normally fish the 10’ to 12’ range with 15# braid. Since my braid has the same diameter as 4# mono the dive curve tells me I will need between 45’ to 50’ of line out. So I set my lure in the water, set my line counter to 0 and flip the release. When it reaches around 46’ to 47’ I stop it and let it go to work.
Another tried and true way to check your lure depth is to find a flat the depth you wish to fish and let out your lures until they start bumping the bottom. Make sure you select a flat that’s free of cover. Record the distances for that lure and you’re beginning the process of building your own depth curves. Different lures dive to different depths, so this may take some time but it’s well worth your effort. Please remember that distances will be different for monofilament and braid.
Conclusion
I could write an entire article on every topic mentioned. That is not my goal or aim. I try to cover the highpoints and get to the point as quick as possible. There is no need to expound on a topic too long because you’ll eventually get bored. I advise the beginner to take this article as a checklist of required equipment. I also advise you to buy the best affordable equipment the first time and you won’t have to spend money upgrading.
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