Trying new techniques

africanbass · Post by **africanbass** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 5:20 am

This season I plan on doing some cranking. A technique that I have neglected.
How do you manage to put down the spinnerbait rod that has been your go to?
Please point me in the right direction as I feel that I am missing out.

IAY · Post by **IAY** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 7:57 am

I should be asking you the same question except the order reversed

. I like the feeling of crankbaits hitting the bottom and having fish hit it when it deflects off of something. I have never been a fan of spinnerbaits though.

BucketHunter · Post by **BucketHunter** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 9:49 am

IAY wrote:I should be asking you the same question except the order reversed . I like the feeling of crankbaits hitting the bottom and having fish hit it when it deflects off of something. I have never been a fan of spinnerbaits though.

I think this is a real key as mentioned, contacting some cover.
Except for big open water smallies, if I am not ticking something, or snagging weeds, I usually am not getting bit.
Stick with natural colours unless you're in muddy water. I like silent cranks unless it's muddy too. Hot colours and rattles in the murky stuff.
Stick with it, crank fast at first and slow down till you get bit. That's it.
Rapala's DT series make it really easy to develop a system to cover all depths, but you can learn pretty much any line of baits you want.

zodiak311 · Post by **zodiak311** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 2:57 pm

I love crankbaits, have had a lot of success with them. There is no better way to cover a large amount of water. For me it's all about a rocky shoreline, and crawdad colors. My favorites are the shallow depth Rapala crankin rap square bills.

Like others have said, if your crank deflects off something, wait before cranking, that's when you get the most hits. I am always trying to destroy my crank over structure, because that's where the bass are.

africanbass · Post by **africanbass** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 4:46 pm

Thanks for all the great advise

So basically fish it like you want to lose it and you will catch fish

angry john · Post by **angry john** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 3:09 am

get some type of lure retriever if you plan to get serious and have nice baits. It will get expensive in a hurry.

zodiak311 · Post by **zodiak311** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 4:33 am

africanbass wrote:Thanks for all the great advise
So basically fish it like you want to lose it and you will catch fish

You will lose it, that's why I don't spend to much on them

11kalnmitc · Post by **11kalnmitc** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 5:17 am

As mentioned i fish them like i want to lose them...and many times i do, however bouncing a crank off big rocks and having it get slammed by a big smallie is addicting and when fishing conditions get tough, especially mid summer. i turn to rocky shorelines, many times close to deeper water, and if there is some current on it even better. then i go to town and it has paid off for me many times. my favorite is the bomber 6a

Teal101 · Post by **Teal101** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 2:01 pm

africanbass wrote:Thanks for all the great advise
So basically fish it like you want to lose it and you will catch fish

Get yourself a good lure retriever, a 7'-6" moderate action cranking rod, and an assortment of cheaper cranks. I prefer the Bandits and Strike King XD series. The Rapalas are nice for a change of pace with a different action due to the balsa wood and having no rattles. Color wise I like red, chart, and a few forage limitations (perch and bass for me). If you're not grinding bills of your baits you're not fishing em right

Use fluoro so you can feel the bottom better and vary retrieves from burning over rocks to stopping the bait after it makes contact to let it float up. You'll get good at the "bow and arrow" method of un snagging a bait. Hit everything with them. The bottom, stumps, laydowns, grass tips, carp, bridge pilings, garbage, Hippos in your part of the world, mud, sand, schools of baitfish...you get the point

I put 12lbs in the boat in 4 casts on a rocky point with a 5XD grinding the bottom the other weekend and HAMMERED some schooling smallies this weekend on the same bait. The best advice I can give you besides contact everything is carry two of every bait. Nothing sucks worse than accidentally breaking the bill of "the" bait and not having a backup. Ask me how I know, I think I could have turned that 12lbs into 18+ had I not broke the bill on the boat after a 2lber threw the bait under tension right at the boat

I have seven of those baits now

fishballer06 · Post by **fishballer06** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 3:20 am

IAY wrote:I like the feeling of crankbaits hitting the bottom and having fish hit it when it deflects off of something.

I'm with this guy.

Bassmar · Post by **Bassmar** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 5:15 pm

africanbass wrote:This season I plan on doing some cranking. A technique that I have neglected.
How do you manage to put down the spinnerbait rod that has been your go to?
Please point me in the right direction as I feel that I am missing out.

Join me at Clanwilliam anytime except mid summer and I will put you on some awesome smallie action and school you in crankbait fishing

africanbass · Post by **africanbass** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 7:02 pm

Bassmar wrote:
africanbass wrote:This season I plan on doing some cranking. A technique that I have neglected.
How do you manage to put down the spinnerbait rod that has been your go to?
Please point me in the right direction as I feel that I am missing out.

Join me at Clanwilliam anytime except mid summer and I will put you on some awesome smallie action and school you in crankbait fishing

Thanks, I may just take you up on your offer

11kalnmitc · Post by **11kalnmitc** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 3:19 am

africanbass wrote: Bassmar wrote:

africanbass wrote:This season I plan on doing some cranking. A technique that I have neglected.
How do you manage to put down the spinnerbait rod that has been your go to?
Please point me in the right direction as I feel that I am missing out.

Join me at Clanwilliam anytime except mid summer and I will put you on some awesome smallie action and school you in crankbait fishing

Thanks, I may just take you up on your offer

Smallies in Africa?!?! now i definitely need to take a trip! thought there were only LM

africanbass · Post by **africanbass** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 4:30 am

11kalnmitc wrote:
africanbass wrote: Bassmar wrote:

africanbass wrote:This season I plan on doing some cranking. A technique that I have neglected.
How do you manage to put down the spinnerbait rod that has been your go to?
Please point me in the right direction as I feel that I am missing out.

Join me at Clanwilliam anytime except mid summer and I will put you on some awesome smallie action and school you in crankbait fishing

Thanks, I may just take you up on your offer
Smallies in Africa?!?! now i definitely need to take a trip! thought there were only LM

They are not wide spread,limited by climatic conditions.
The South African smallie record is just shy of 8lbs.

zodiak311 · Post by **zodiak311** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 5:37 am

africanbass wrote:
11kalnmitc wrote:
africanbass wrote: Bassmar wrote:

africanbass wrote:This season I plan on doing some cranking. A technique that I have neglected.
How do you manage to put down the spinnerbait rod that has been your go to?
Please point me in the right direction as I feel that I am missing out.

Join me at Clanwilliam anytime except mid summer and I will put you on some awesome smallie action and school you in crankbait fishing

Thanks, I may just take you up on your offer
Smallies in Africa?!?! now i definitely need to take a trip! thought there were only LM
They are not wide spread,limited by climatic conditions.
The South African smallie record is just shy of 8lbs.

That's not a smallie, that's a fatty!

Trying new techniques

Trying new techniques

Re: Trying new techniques

Re: Trying new techniques

Re: Trying new techniques

Re: Trying new techniques

Re: Trying new techniques

Re: Trying new techniques

Re: Trying new techniques

Re: Trying new techniques

Re: Trying new techniques

Re: Trying new techniques

Re: Trying new techniques

Re: Trying new techniques

Re: Trying new techniques

Re: Trying new techniques