Thread: Opening Day of Cranking Season

Originally Posted by Rees Guide

I got another solution, pm me or call and I will share

share i want to know too

Been pulling 350s and 300s in 8 foot of water running them 3 or 4 feet deep for a couple of weeks. One thing I have noticed about the shallows while cranking is that good size waves shut it down. I have some 200s and 100s but will most likely sell them now.

Originally Posted by Snubbys

Yes sir, up2early.. finding them is key and deciding what lure color and depth is the next. I bet I pulled cranks under 20 -30 crappie yesterdee... it's all about location, color and depth. And just cause they like one color or at a certain depth one day, don't equate to the next. It's a hard to pill to swallow to leave biting fish after we finally find em.. but we leave good fishing to put in time with good friends and family... and at the end of the day that's what counts the most!

You spoke a bunch of truth right there Snubbys.

Originally Posted by Rees Guide

Been pulling 350s and 300s in 8 foot of water running them 3 or 4 feet deep for a couple of weeks. One thing I have noticed about the shallows while cranking is that good size waves shut it down. I have some 200s and 100s but will most likely sell them now.

With lines that short, you're probably not even off the back of the boat. Do you seem to lose more fish due to hook pulls with the short line?

Originally Posted by Rees Guide

Been pulling 350s and 300s in 8 foot of water running them 3 or 4 feet deep for a couple of weeks. One thing I have noticed about the shallows while cranking is that good size waves shut it down. I have some 200s and 100s but will most likely sell them now.

I've been trying to tell folks that here for some time without having to come right out to say it. Most all of us have good electronics and know how to interpret what it is showing us. I honestly think the average crankbaiter fishes UNDER most of the fish on any given body of water on any given day. If I'm seeing baitballs top out at say 10 feet down to 20 feet, you can bet my cranks are going to be running 10-13 feet deep, top 1/3 of the baitball. Last summer I was catching limits on KY Lake in 85+degree water 8-12 feet deep when nobody else was even bothering to be out there. There was a thermocline in a major creek that was from 12 feet to 14 feet deep. I knew the fish wouldn't be below that depth(that's why I always have 2D sonar on when pulling cranks). My wife and I won a crappie tournament here in late Sept running C55s on 30-40 feet of line in 25 feet of water. That bait will dive 18 feet on 100 feet of line but the fish were only 8 feet down, suspended near bait but wanted the size and action of the big bait. I still have some 200s and 100s that don't see the light of day very often.

BTW, I bought about 10 dozen bone white Bandit 350 Ledge baits during the winter off eBay. I thought I'd paint them to sell but most will end up in the Excel. For what I had to pay for them, it will be painful if I lose them.

I rarely run baits real deep, and like you said, bet we are fishing too deep most of the time. Caught fish Thur and Friday both with only 5 feet of line in the water running dead up against bushes in 7 or 8 feet of water, pretty violent strikes too!

i have to agree ,a couple times last year i caught fish in 24 FOW baits at 14FT depth in one area,one week i cuught them in the same area on the bottom by the bank in 15FOW,

Originally Posted by Rees Guide

I rarely run baits real deep, and like you said, bet we are fishing too deep most of the time. Caught fish Thur and Friday both with only 5 feet of line in the water running dead up against bushes in 7 or 8 feet of water, pretty violent strikes too!

Got to love those aggressive strikes on cranks.. I was pulling my cranks right thru their living room (40 -50 ft of line), bumping tops of brush. Those Butla hogs wasn't having it all. Equalivent to the old guy hollering "get off my lawn"... when they get the rear treble hook in the gills you know them jokers are mean. Up until the moment I'm skidding them across the water face / mouth first into the boat that is.. . But yes I agree under fishing them is an issue, especially this early in the year..

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