Crankbaits & Depth

[eric1978]

Got a question for some of you crankbait vets out there.

Whenever choosing a crankbait to throw, I always pick one that will reach the river bottom. If I'm fishing in 2-4 feet of water, I'll throw a shallow runner, 4-8, something a little deeper diving...and so on. I always want it to be bumping off the rocks and other cover.

Do any of you guys ever fish shallower running crankbaits in deeper water if you think the fish are suspending or relating to mid-depth cover? Not talking about lipless, I know the answer to that. Wondering about billed cranks.

[brownieman]

Sure, I'll allow for suspending fish...figure if I can put it right in front of him h'es a little more apt to hit it.

later on

bm

[fishinwrench]

Unless you're fishing for Whites/Hybrids you need to be close to, or bumping, Something. I seldom fish crankbaits in rivers for smallmouth, but for Brushpile fishing on L.O. you want to go just over the top of brush, and bump it occasionally.

So when fishing brushpiles in 8-10 FOW I like a Bomber 7A (runs about 6 ft. on 12# line).

Brushpiles in 12-15 FOW I like a Poes 300 (runs about 10ft. on 12#)

Brushpiles in 18-20 FOW I'll use a Norman DD22 (runs about 16ft on 12#.)

You can adjust the running depth of any c-bait a couple of feet by changing line size, casting distance, or the position that you're holding the rod.

For tickling the bottom from 1-6ft. you just can't beat a Wiggle Wart.

For suspended Whites and Hybrids the time tested favorite around here is the old Rebel Fast-trac (looks like a plastic version of a ShadRap... and no longer made). Not sure how deep they run, but it doesn't seem to matter. They are like gold to the serious hybrid fishermen on L.O.

[Al Agnew]

Like I said in the other thread, I always opt for my own shallow runner first if the water clarity is between 2 and 4 feet and the water temp is mid-50s or above. The reason is that I've simply caught huge numbers of fish on it through the years, and seldom run into days when it doesn't work and a deep runner does (though that has happened). There are several advantages to the shallow runner, however. One, it is less tiring to fish all day because it doesn't fight you all the way to the canoe as much. Two, it comes over submerged logs and rocks better. Three, all else being equal, I'd rather have a bass looking up at a lure against a bright sky than looking down at it, simply because I believe they get less of a good look at it and are more likely to hit it on pure reaction. And four, my shallow runner has a unique profile and wobble, which smallies in the rivers haven't seen as frequently.

Active bass in warm weather streams are usually in relatively shallow water anyway, and usually willing to come up to a lure.

However, if I decide for whatever reason that a deep diver is called for, I go with one that truly goes pretty deep. The medium depth runners, to my way of thinking, are the least desirable crankbaits, and I only use one when there's so much gunk on the bottom to foul the hooks that I have to keep the lure above the bottom but as close as possible. My shallow runner goes up to about two feet deep. The deep runners I use go at least 8 feet. If I'm fishing a deep runner, I want it to be digging up the bottom and bouncing off everything in the way, not going through the mid-depths.

[RSBreth]

I generally like the crank to contact something - the bottom, timber, weeds, whatever. If the fish are suspended I usually do better with a jerkbait, swimming jig, Clouser Minnow on the fly rod, something that has them looking up, like Al said.

[smallmouthjoe]

I also like mine to stay in contact with the bottom, I just seem to get more bites that way.