[lthrnck03]

I am a bank fisherman....I am just looking for some opinions on using crank baits from shore. My experience with crankbaits is pretty limited. Here's the reason why.....I find that as I am retrieving a crankbait from the shoreline, it has a tendency to end up banging along the bottom. Has anyone had any luck using them from shore, or do you think that I am just waisting my time with them????

 

[Rob S]

I haven't had any problem fishing rat'l traps from the bank, are you throwing deeper diving crankbaits? I personally prefer topwater bank fishing as I think it doesn't get much better than that. Cabelas shows the casting depth and trolling depth of alot of their crankbaits.

 

[Scott Hobbs]

Banging the bottom is a good thing usually. A lot of times on flats and things in the river or big lake I take a deep diving crankbait and rake it across the bottom. It looks like a crawfish darting and rakes up a puff of clouds as you drag it across bottom. Bass can't stand it and will whack the mess out of it.

Need to determine the depth of water you are fishing and then change the lure to meet the depths. Also might want to use rattletraps, jerkbaits, topwater and even plastic worms or jigs.


tight lines <*)))))>{

 

[lthrnck03]

I am a big fan of rattle traps and top water baits. Have had good luck on both. I just never been confident using true crank baits that dive down to say 8 ft or more, and I always felt like I was wasting my time using the.

 

[Scott Hobbs]

Maybe that the area you are at you will need to use baits designed for use in 2-4 feet of water. Don't overlook these fish catching lures.

Also might want a few jerk baits, Rattlin Rogue, Rapala X-rap, Rebel Husky jerk to name a few. These baits are awesome. Cast and jerk it under water, and it will suspend a moment while you take up you line and then jerk it and wind jerk and wind. These are some good bass lures.

tight lines <*)))))>{

 

[lthrnck03]

I think the one thing that I really have going against me is that I have no idea how deep the water is that I am fishing. For the most part I have been fishing community ponds/lakes, and really don't know the underwater structure. Maybe I'll try to talk to wifey into a portable fish finder for our anniversary. For the size of the bodies of water that I tend to fish I doubt that there are any USGS maps available.

 

[cranker]

i personally like to use bandit series 200 which run 4 to 8 foot and if need to go shallower i will a series[bandit]100 which run less than four foot,as far a s color i normally fish clear to very lightly stained water, unless the weather dictates of course. spring to fall i always had good luck with the rootbeer,translucent watermelon sparkle,and the spring craw color.white and blk/chrome is good too.with the craw colors i like to get to dig deep and worked slow,make a lot of noise and ruckus.i prefer the baitfish colors to be burned at a good rate or slowed down to a slow crawl.hope this is some help,goooodluckand good times

 

[sundrop]

Buy baits with determined depths. If a bait runs 4-6 ft average then you know you are in 4-6ft water if it drags and can change baits etc.... I use a Sharpie marker and make little notes on the bottom of crankbaits as to how deep they run so I don't forget...LOL!!

 

[Scott Hobbs]

You can also write it on the bill with a Sharpie

Not all crankbaits run the same, 2 of the like crankbaits may run different and 1 might catch more fish because of that.

tight lines <*)))))>{

 

[BassAngler1]

For shallow bank fishing I would highly recommend these.

Heddon Excalibur Swim'n Image

I have had a lot of luck with this crainkbait it only runs from just below the surface to about 18"... And Bill Dance signed it, so you know it has to be good lol..

 

[lthrnck03]

For shallow bank fishing I would highly recommend these.

Heddon Excalibur Swim'n Image

I have had a lot of luck with this crainkbait it only runs from just below the surface to about 18"... And Bill Dance signed it, so you know it has to be good lol..

Em' er pertty.... I'll have to pick a few up. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[scottshillfisher]

#5 shad rap black back/silver- caught my largest two bass on these from small farm ponds-sometimes the big bream and crappie will pop em as well and they don't snag the bottom real bad.

 

[Scott Hobbs]

Several different models run shallow, Manns has a 1minus that runs only 12 inches or so, also a good bait.

tight lines <*)))))>{

 

[Handyhands]

I agree about there being nothing wrong with banging on the bottom with a crankbait.. Thats where you catch more fish.. HOWWWEVER, in our creeks and rivers lined with stumps, trees and whatever, which is all good cover for big fish, a bottom rig will almost always hang up on you.. if you arent in a boat, you are likely to lose it. What you need to look for when you are buying something to use from the shore is the word "suspending" on the package, suspending crankbaits, suspending twitch baits, etc. these sink to a certain depth but still suspend off the bottom. MirroLure is a good choice. though, made for saltwater, it can be used for freshwater as well. and you will find many colors which mimic freshwater baitfish. Also the Rapala "X-rap" is one you will want to pick up.

 

[Jeffonc]

I second Scott's recommendation on the Manns 1-minus (I like the baby 1-minus) for a shallow crank choice. Also scottshillfisher's recommendation on the shad rap. I've caught some rattle-bait fish this winter and am looking forward to trying out some bigger swimbaits for the spring. (Who am I kidding - I've hardly met a crankbait I didn't like...)

When you don't know the depth of the water or the underwater terrain you're casting into, a deep diving crankbait can be a good feeler. A couple casts with a 10+ foot diver will give you an idea of cover, depth and slope where you're fishing. It could be a good job for a dollar sale bait though - lots of hazards down there.

I've caught several fish from shore using medium & deep diving cranks that I'd cast out & reel back until they hit bottom, then let them slow-float back toward the surface.

 

[Scott Hobbs]

I've even taken a crankbait that runs just a little deeper than the area and blasted it thru broad bladed grasses or weeds like cabbage. Ease the bait down and plow thru it, let it sit and it will rise some and blast it again.

This is a little hard to get use to though. A good alternative is figure out how deep the weeds are and then just tick the tops of the grass, any bass sitting in the weed holes can't stand it when a bait bounces off his grass walls.

tight lines

 

[luremaker]

Something else to keep in mind while looking for crankbaits is that the manufactures use 10 and 12 pound test line totest their lures and get the running depth. Hence if your using a heavier or lighter line the depth that the lure runs will be different

 

[sundrop]

Something else to keep in mind while looking for crankbaits is that the manufactures use 10 and 12 pound test line totest their lures and get the running depth. Hence if your using a heavier or lighter line the depth that the lure runs will be different

Also if you use braided line you have less floatation and less resitance from the smaller diameter line so it runs deeper as well.

 

[BassAngler1]

I love burn'n Rat'l Traps right through the top of some underwater grass. Bass are just waiting to ambush it right as it leaves the grass edge out into open water. You just have to jerk the rod good as it hits the grass and it looks like bait fleeing quick. Fun times...

 

[sundrop]

You can minimize the snags and dragging grass by swapping out the trebles for "J" hooks too.