Losing crappie on the way to the net
I've been trolling cranks for 40 years for everything from sauger to crappie. I know losing fish near the boat is just part of the game but Ive recently been on a streak of bad luck that is really puzzling me. I'm losing probably close to 1/2 of the crappie I hook when they come loose between the time they surface and I get the net under them.
I've varied my trolling speeds from 1.5 to 2.5 mph. No difference.
I'm making sure my hooks are VERY sharp and in good condition. No difference.
I've slowed down the speed I reel the fish in on the surface then tried speeding it up. No difference.
I've tried cranks in all sizes and shapes, shallow to deep. No difference.
Earlier in the summer we were catching most crappie that had the crank buried DEEP in their mouths. Now I'm not even having to get the pliers out to get most of the hooks out. I know this has been a strange year here with both weather and lake conditions. I'm just looking for some ideas that might increase the % of crappie that are hooked and put in the net.
Thanks.