Crankin Questions

[mark29860]

Greetings from SC. I'm wanting to give this a try even though the lake I mostly fish has more black crappie, I would think if I pull near structure and get the crankbait deep enough I should still get the reaction bites plus it will give me reason to be on the lake during the summer along with the jet skiers and pleasure boaters. Anyway my question has to do with what rods and lengths would be best. Would a B&M 8' BGJP be to limber. Thanks for the help.

[MO' MONEY]

You would get a lot of "wiggle" in the tip with the BGJP. Starting out, I used all bass rods and 2 14' trolling rods. I usually can make do with whatever rods I have laying around. Like you said, key will be catching them suspended above structure. And being that close to snags I will recommend braided line, about 30# so you don't lose baits every pass


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["G"]

Use rod lengths that will let you get 4 ft. Of separation between lines. I wouldnt pull by or near structure....i would push them with a two or three oz weight 3 ft. Ahead of crankbait.

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[trypman1]

Black crappie will hit deep running jigs, but do not like cranks. Long line jigs for success with blacks and cranks for whites. Cranks at 1.5mph and long line at .8mph. There is charts for both here. P.S- it could be the speed with cranks, that blacks don't like.

[Cray]

I'm like Mo, use what you got and like G said get you some good separation. If you don't have anything laying around to get you started go to monks crappie and get 2 8ft and 2 12ft pinnacle rods. 2 short poles pointing back off each corner and to long poles pointing off to the side would get you started. If I was fishing for blacks, I'd do like G said and push off the front with smaller baits. Or use offshore tadpoles to get them down deep but would definatley down size baits.

[M R Dux]

Black crappie will hit deep running jigs, but do not like cranks. Long line jigs for success with blacks and cranks for whites. Cranks at 1.5mph and long line at .8mph. There is charts for both here. P.S- it could be the speed with cranks, that blacks don't like.

I beg to differ big time on this. If I'm pulling cranks near cover, especially grass or weeds, I'll catch as many black crappie as whites. That said, we don't have that many of those types of cover as wood on KY or Barkley. The most of my fishing will be on flats or near breaks, not trying to target cover specifically. Looking for baitballs in open water produces more warm weather crappie and those are the kinds of places black crappie are not as likely to hang out in. If I get a crank in front of a black crappie, it will destroy it as much as a white crappie will. My % over a years time will be 90/10 white/blacks. This was from yesterday from a break in 20+ feet of water.


As far as rods and terminal tackle for cranks, I've used every rod on the market prior to settling in with Southern Crappie Rods. This was in a time frame that I was paying retail just like every one else. Once I started pulling cranks on the 8-14' Southerns, I sold my other trolling rods. Ed's new "T" series in 12" and 14" are custom made for pulling cranks or pushing with heavy weights.

[Snubby]

Black crappie will hit deep running jigs, but do not like cranks. Long line jigs for success with blacks and cranks for whites. Cranks at 1.5mph and long line at .8mph. There is charts for both here. P.S- it could be the speed with cranks, that blacks don't like.

4 out of 6 keepers this morning were blacks, hammered them cranks.


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