What's The Best River Crank?

[jdmidwest]

Crawdad color ShadRaps, Firetiger, Gold and Black, and Perch are good colors too. If the fish are runnin in shallow water, switch over to the SSR model with the shallow lip.

[RSBreth]

You never said what line you were using, it's harder to dig deep when using 15-lb Big Game vs thin superlines.

I don't usually go much deeper than about 10 foot or so in rivers during Winter. When I do go deep in cold water I like a tighter wobbling crank instead of a wide wobbling one, just seems to catch more fish. One I've been using the most since it came out is the new XRap Shad. Shaped like the old Shap Rap, but with the XRap finish and long casting, suspending Xrap properties.

Sorry about the "info-mercial" but it does show the action well.

Most of the time I do much better on suspending jerkbaits in cold water than cranks, but I have had days where the crank did catch some when nothing else was really clicking.

[cwc87]

The wiggle wart, Norman 9footer, bomber, and megabass bait x in matte crawl and rick clunn 2.5. Some times the water color and the fish will tell ya what is best to throw. Nothing easier to throw a wiggle wart and wind it in and catch fish in the winter except maybe chunking a spinnerbait out and catching them when their eating it. Just my 02 cents worth.

[Buzz]

I like a good quality spinnerbait too. Every try Picasso Spinnerbaits? They are expensive too, but they work, and last a long time, making them worth the money.

I'll have to see if I can find them and give them a try. Thanks

Yep,

I'm a big fan of the War Eagles too! but I must admit the color you described with a fluorescent orange colorado is a new one for me

Here's a link to the bait I'm talking about http://www.wareaglelures.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=144

The first one I bought just for the heck of it, but now it's become my go to bait. I have used several different color combos and they all have their time and place.

[Mitch f]

You never said what line you were using, it's harder to dig deep when using 15-lb Big Game vs thin superlines.

I don't usually go much deeper than about 10 foot or so in rivers during Winter. When I do go deep in cold water I like a tighter wobbling crank instead of a wide wobbling one, just seems to catch more fish. One I've been using the most since it came out is the new XRap Shad. Shaped like the old Shap Rap, but with the XRap finish and long casting, suspending Xrap properties.

Sorry about the "info-mercial" but it does show the action well.

Most of the time I do much better on suspending jerkbaits in cold water than cranks, but I have had days where the crank did catch some when nothing else was really clicking.

I always use 8-10lb fluorocarbon on the crankbaits

[Buzz]

Yep,

I'm a big fan of the War Eagles too! but I must admit the color you described with a fluorescent orange colorado is a new one for me

This is a link to the bait.http://www.wareaglelures.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=144

I picked it up a few years ago just because it was a little different and now it's become my favorite, although I do throw some of the other colors and they work great too.

[drew03cmc]

I can't believe nobody mentioned my favorite creek and river crankbait, the Rebel Wee Craw. I fish light to ultralight gear with 4-6# test and use the Wee Craw in the F77 size. It will dive to 3 feet and if I need to go deeper they make the D77 in a diving model which digs to every bit of 5 feet.

[RSBreth]

I always use 8-10lb fluorocarbon on the crankbaits

That will help get a little deeper due to the thinner diameter, this year I've been using 4/10 Fireline or 4/14 Stren Superbraid, both with thin fluoro leaders 6' to 8' long to go deeper, it does make most cranks run a foot or two deeper (especially on a long cast), but it won't instantly make a medium diver into a deep diver.

I think the wide wobbling action of a shallower crank gives more resistance and limits how deep it can dive. Lure designers would have to help me out on this one, but as diving depth increases it seems that lures have a tighter wobble. I'm not saying they don't have "thump" or don't displace water as much as shallower models (one of the old jokes about the Norman DD22 is that it's easier to reel in when a fish is hooked to it!) but in general deeper dive = less wobble. So if I'm reading your original post correctly, I'm not sure if you'll find a crank that'll tick the 15' mark with the same wobble as say a Wiggle Wart, which won't run any deeper than 8' - 10' on any average cast. I have a batch of Manns 15+ cranks I like for the lakes, but again, they don't really have the same action as two of my best shallower cranks, the Bomber 4A or Rapala DT4. Much, much tighter.

The one reason I mentioned the new XRap Shad is you can get it diving down and bumping rocks in the 8' range on a long cast, then twitch it along like a jerkbait at that depth, which doesn't really work so well for other cranks. That's something fish haven't seen, either.

I like the idea you have, maybe you'll find something new we haven't heard about, and then I'll get in on it, too!

[flytyer57]

I think the wide wobbling action of a shallower crank gives more resistance and limits how deep it can dive. Lure designers would have to help me out on this one, but as diving depth increases it seems that lures have a tighter wobble. I'm not saying they don't have "thump" or don't displace water as much as shallower models (one of the old jokes about the Norman DD22 is that it's easier to reel in when a fish is hooked to it!) but in general deeper dive = less wobble. So if I'm reading your original post correctly, I'm not sure if you'll find a crank that'll tick the 15' mark with the same wobble as say a Wiggle Wart, which won't run any deeper than 8' - 10' on any average cast. I have a batch of Manns 15+ cranks I like for the lakes, but again, they don't really have the same action as two of my best shallower cranks, the Bomber 4A or Rapala DT4. Much, much tighter.

It's the shape of the crankbait that determines the action of the lure.

Short fat cranks have a wide wobble while long narrow cranks have a tighter wobble.

A big wide bill will also create a wide wobble while a narrow bill will create a tighter wobble.