What is the best crank bait

[Tfisher]

hey i am wondering what is the best crank bait for smallmouth or walleye? i also want to know the size and color thanxs

[Paul K.]

I've had fantastic luck with Storm WIGGLE WARTS preferably in the silver/blue, silver/black and the tigerfire colors. Have also used thunderstick jrs. and hot & tots. Usually I have a very wide selection of those lures in all 3 of my tackle boxes. I have found out that as long as you put a lure in the water, you are bound to catch a fish. GOOD LUCK

[chadk66]

fished em all extensively, and reef runners prove the best easily 3-1 for me. Colors vary though. Firetiger is the most consistant however.

[BD]

There are millions of fishermen (and women) and all of them have their favorites. I like some of the older baits such as the jointed L&S Mirrolure (www.mirrolure.com) in colors #23 and RT etc, River Runts (flea markets, auctions) in crayfish or perch etc, OK-Dokes (flea markets, auctions), and Tadpolys. On one trip to Lake of the Woods, my partner and I longlined baits side by side. Over shallow structure the Mirrolures and River Runts both out performed Rapalas on the order of 4 or 5 to 1. The Mirrolures and Tadpolys out preformed Sparkeltails and Countdown Rapalas about 2 to 1 over deeper structure. We never ran tests with Thundersticks as our tests were several years ago and I don't remember them being around then. My advice would be to get a few lures of each type mentioned in the responces. Don't go overboard in price. Of the ones I like get the jointed Mirrolures starting with the 2 1/2" size first. They are great for trolling in 6 to 12 feet of water.

[guideman]

Water tempurature and how you are fishing them
will make a big difference.

The best cold water cranks are those that have a tight wobble when trolled. As water temps rise wider baits will be more effective.

For casting for early season eye's or smallies it's hard to beat a suspending minnow bait.

The rappala husky jerk, suspending long A's, Smithwicks dead sticks and rouges are some of
the baits that I have great confidence in.

Guideman.
aceguide@webtv.net
www.aceguideservice.com

[IaCraig]

There is no 1 best, it depends if your casting, trolling and what speed as well as over what type of bottom. But most important it depends how deep you need to be and sometimes how sunny it is. For deep, I like reef runners but they are a pain to tune, so I'd probably recommend thunderersticks or something real deep like Luhr Jensen's Hot Lips. I really like thunderstick Juniors or the Shad Raps for mid depth and the old standby jointed rapalas for shallow.

A true story: Last summer when I visited Cabela's outlet store, my wife let my 2 boys (4 & 6) pick out 2 crank baits for me to use in Canada. (they were shallow diving Cabelas brand with pretty bright paint jobs that I would have never chosen). Well my bill was big enough that I wasn't too keen on this plus I already had a tackle box full of favorites, but my wife gave me that look that meant to humor the kids so I bought them. Later that summer in Canada, my friends and I were trolling our old favorites with minimal success when I thought about the boys's lures and maybe those shallow divers would work. Guess what, I starting catching walleyes one after another so my buddies switched to shallow and their luck picked up too. The lesson I learned was correct depth is more important than brand and color, especially if you are fishing too deep.

Thanks kids, I can't wait to see what you pick out for me for christmas.

IaCraig

[Mayfly]

On our combined Walleye/Smallie trip every year on Lake of the Woods (Morson Area - Sabaskong Bay) we do real well casting shallow water, usually windy, rocky shorelines. Our two lures of choice are Rebel Crayfish in chartreuse and orange and a tight wiggler called a Bandit. The Bandits are more of a southern bait maybe but they can be found up north too. Bandits in many colors work well. They cast nicely and come in shallow, medium and deep diving models. I don't troll much, especially for smallies.

[Brizno]

I'd recommend Rapala's... They works wonderful! The colors I used that has most strikes are Golden Shad (unfortunately they stop making this color now) and blue/silver/orange silver-plated. I'm an avid walleye fisherman from South Dakota... I never hit Missouri River without those lures. :) Good Luck and Happy Fishin'!

[Hans]

"Mystic Wally Diver", gold or shad colors.

Hans

--
A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man
contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.

[bobby]

my favorite on erie for both species is the #7 brown shadrap from repala