I want to spend WISELY . . . and EFFICIENTLY . . . RkCrawler Or Wiggle Wart???

[Royal Blue]

I throw most of my cranks on a 7'0 Med Shimano Compre wrapped with Winn grips, a Lew's LFS in 5:4:1 (I believe,) and either 10lb Pline flouro or 12 ib Big Game mono.

I also have a faster setup with a Lew's 7:1:1 on a 7'0 Berkely Emotion in MH.

[dtrs5kprs]

3 hours ago, edyer said:

What gear ratio reels are most of you using for the warts and jerk baits? I used to think that the 5:1 was the way to go for cranking and jerk baits, but lately I'm hearing 7:1 and just reel slower. As far as colors of Warts go, I agree with everything said, but would add a Fire Tiger to the arsenal as well. One of our guys on our trip did well with that color last year, including big bass for the week. I've ad some good days when the wind was pounding the the slow tapering points throwing the Mag Wart in Fire Tiger as well. Mags are used up here in Michigan be a select few, including the guy from Kalamazoo, MI. When the water is cold up here, slow winding a Mag Wart will result in a 5 pound plus smallmouth on some days.

We used to crank rock piles in MN with mags back when they first came out. Remember how excited we were when Magnathin came out so we could get them deeper.

I would not crank with a 7:1. Yes, you can crank it slower, but you are also dealing with smaller gears to get that speed. Smaller gears = less power. Less power = more effort/wear and tear on you. 

[Guest]

53 minutes ago, dtrs5kprs said:

We used to crank rock piles in MN with mags back when they first came out. Remember how excited we were when Magnathin came out so we could get them deeper.

I would not crank with a 7:1. Yes, you can crank it slower, but you are also dealing with smaller gears to get that speed. Smaller gears = less power. Less power = more effort/wear and tear on you. 

Omg, I forgot about magna thin. It cost me a couple double digit bass in the 90's because I was too stupid to set the drag properly. That stuff would stretch like a bungee cord. 

[dtrs5kprs]

25 minutes ago, TrophyFishR said:

Omg, I forgot about magna thin. It cost me a couple double digit bass in the 90's because I was too stupid to set the drag properly. That stuff would stretch like a bungee cord. 

But you could tick 15' rocks with a mag wart on 8#. That was way back before we thought of pulling tubes.

[abkeenan]

I have 3 cranking setups to cover the shallow-medium-deep ranges of 0-8, 8-14 and 14-25 FOW depths. The 0-8 FOW cranks I use an old BPS 7'3 M Extreme with a 6.4:1 ratio. For the 8-14 FT range I throw that on a 7' MH KVD composite graphite/glass blank (VERY soft MH) paired with a 5.4:1 reel. The deep cranker I have a BPS 7'10 MH Cranking Stick (Rust Brown color model) and I have a 5:4:1 on that as well. I use 10# InvizX on the shallow and medium divers and 12# on the DD22s, DT16/ 20's, Mann's 20+'s and  6/10XDs, etc.

[Ham]

42 minutes ago, abkeenan said:

The deep cranker I have a BPS 7'10 MH Cranking Stick (Rust Brown color model) and I have a 5:4:1 on that as well. I use 10# InvizX on the shallow and medium divers and 12# on the DD22s, DT16/ 20's, Mann's 20+'s and  6/10XDs, etc.

If I have to throw a DD22 to catch them, I'll do without. It's more work winding the bait back in than it is to fight a fish in if and when you get a bite. Eff that noise.

[abkeenan]

4 minutes ago, Ham said:

If I have to throw a DD22 to catch them, I'll do without. It's more work winding the bait back in than it is to fight a fish in if and when you get a bite. Eff that noise.

If throwing them on Nanofil it's like they aren't even there.

[dtrs5kprs]

47 minutes ago, abkeenan said:

If throwing them on Nanofil it's like they aren't even there.

[Guest]

I used to crank fat free shads all summer like a mad man, until I wore the ligaments out of my elbow. Nowadays, I'm using a topwater, spoon & Ned rig during that timeframe. 

[abkeenan]

Had some requests for the retractable dog leash lure retriever setup. I've posted it here before I believe but it's been a few years. Here it is in all it's glory. The BACON SAVER: