Fishing crankbaits

So, I usually use a 6:3:1 reel, 12 lb fluoro and a 6"6" MH IM7 graphite rod. I do a really erratic retrieve with em, and prefer the Norman Coffin bill in white, the one that dives 3-6 feet. That jerky retrieve usually gets em going, I've caught a bunch reeling 4 turns, pause, reel once, pause, sweep the tip and crank twice, pause and let it come up, maybe jerk it twice then reel 4 times, pause, etc... I find the more erratic I can get that thing shaking in the water, the more strikes it draws.

Anyone change the hooks on theirs? I like using the red ones, but can't say the change in color on the trebles makes any difference. Just seems to hook up better.

I was never a crank bait guy. I grew up fishing for smallies in heavy seaweed and rock bottom. Soft plastics and finess fishing. Ever since I moved south I just couldn't get the hang of cranks. My go to is a white horny toad. I love fishing top water.

Haven't did a lot of fishing for the last few yrs, but I usually had great luck over underwater structure (about 6 ft) draggin a chartreuse crank bait. My best day was pullin 5 large mouths off a single sunkin bush in about 15 minutes. Dang it that was a kick butt day!!! This was in a lake that has kicked my butt more then once.

Duane

I just started using crank baits this year, well seriously anyway. I had a few, but expanded the box with around 10 rapala original floaters of a few sizes and colors.

Not sure if anyone has even heard of Pierre SD, or Mobridge SD, but I finally ventured out to fish there (I work there a lot), nothing better than pulling 15"-24" (or bigger) walleye's off of the rocky shore! Kinda ruins you for regular fishing that's for sure. Seems like they have changed their taste from those to jigs lately though, they've moved into deeper water in the last few weeks. Boats I think are still able to get em with some crank baits, but us shore guys need some weight.

Funny story about them. I was fishing a lake in the Black Hills (SD, where I live), we were catching a ton of rock bass with some smaller jigs or worms. I started using some F3 and F5 Rapala's. Getting bites... For kicks and giggles I moved up to a F9... sure enough, a few bites. I figured what the heck, threw on a F11 Clown, all be danged if I didn't get 3-4 bites in less than a dozen casts! Them dumb rock bass were around 4-5" long themselves... go figure.

I've been fishing on the Oahe Reservoir myself some yrs back with my Dad and his fishin' buddy. Walleye fishing is a different animal, more of a finesse fishing. I really got a kick out of the smallies in the reeds. We were in the Big Bend area around Ft. Thompson SD. Really had a great time, but catchin bass and catchin Walleye are two different games in my book. Both very fun.

Duane

PS We'll be in the Black Hills in about a week and will be spending a few days out around Huron SD where I was born and raised.

usually we use jigs and tubes or live bait 6-6 rod m ml the lightest line possible
sometimes we use crank baits when the water gets warmer.
when we fish for catfish we step up the equipment.