What makes a great crankbait.

[Kevin/CO]

There is tons of different ideas out there and definitions for whata good walleye crank bait is. Some people say its a deep minnow bait, or a deep stick bait, or thats its just a long high profile bait. But nobody agrees and there's so many theories out there I jsut don't know what to believe exactly. I try to troll cranks for 'eyes but don't have much success, so what makes a crankbait good, not colors but body styles and chapes.

[Fin Addict]

Some people say its a deep minnow bait, or a deep stick bait, or thats its just a long high profile bait. But nobody agrees and there's so many theories out there I jsut don't know what to believe exactly. I try to troll cranks for 'eyes but don't have much success, so what makes a crankbait good, not colors but body styles and chapes.

I catch the majority of my large walleyes(over 6 lbs.) on cranks. I don't know that there is a hard and fast rule on what type of crank is best universally but I can tell you that on any given day in a specific area, one crank is definitely better than another. Here are some basic guidelines for chosing where to start.

1. The tougher it is for the walleye to see the bait, the bigger you want the profile - both easier to see and sense. so at night and in muddy or heavily stained water, bigger is usually better.

2. You need the bait where the fish are. So if you are using a Shad Rap and and not ticking bottom periodically and the fish are marking near the bottom, upsize for more depth. Either know what depth each bait will reach or get Precision Trolling and use the chart.

3. Thinner line will give you better action and more depth with smaller baits. 6 lb Fireline is very nice if trolling areas w/ less snags. Up to 14 lb in snaggy water at night or stained water.

4. Smaller baits in more natural colors if fishing clear water.

5. Colder water with less active fish and you want a more subtle action. Summer nights when the waves are rolling on a reef, the fish will pound a very fast, active bait.

6. Speed makes a difference.

7. Get baits away from the boat by casting,using boards, run deep or long line.

8. Run several different types and depths til a pattern is established.

9. don't stick w/ a bait that isn't producing very long. I never go more than 20 min w/o changing something until I find the pattern.

In short, its not really the bait but rather knowing how and when to use each bait. I have literally hundreds of cranks - most from sale bins off season, and use most all of them at one time or another. All the well known baits produce, you just need to have the patience to use them each enough to know when they work for you.

[WAeyes]

Those are very good tips from Fin Addict. The only thing that I would add is to have some that work well at slow speeds and even can be stopped motionless without changing depth.

[Johnnie Candle]

Great crankbaits for eyes all have one thing in common, they roll. The best way to see this other than being underwater is to watch the bait from the top. If there are times when you can only see one eye at a time then the bait is rolling. Eyes feed from the bottom up. The only way they know what color the bait is, is when it rolls on its side. The colors on the side of the bait should have enough contrast to create a good visual for the fish. Fire tiger is a great example.

Some baits that are good at this are Storm Thundersticks, Husky Jerks, Thundercranks, Shad Raps, and Reef Runners. Amazingly enough those are all hot walleye baits.

Good luck in your search of the best eye catcher.

[stevefellegy]

One thing I always look for in a fake minnow....crankbait I mean, is one that WORKS at any speed. From 1 mile an hour to 3.5. miles per hour, without failing to run 'true'. There aren't many..lol..and I promised Seelhoff I wouldn't say anymore.

[collie]

The one consideration you have to make is what type of forage you are representing, if you are fishing a #5 shad rap (shad like), in a lake that the main forage is smelt or some other long narrow bodied bait, thats probably not a very good choice of cranks. Know the forage of the lakes your fishing. Then its a matter of fine tuning your presentations.

[stevefellegy]

Ya know, I think the "theory" of matching crankbait design/color to the home cooking the walleyes are used to, sounds better than it really is. Remember....walleyes don't read the In-Sider nor watch Fishing the Midwest. ( just HAD to say that Bob lol)
Some crankbaits work in ALL water. The key is, maybe, more in how they are presented, meaning speed, location in the water column relative to how the fish are set up etc. I think if you 'stick' with what I will call the "big three", in the silvery sided, darken'd back colors, with a little orange on the belly, you will eliminate a lot of tackle boxes and endless speculation of what works. So what are they?

1. #13 Floating Husky Rapala

2. #7 Shallow running Shadrap

3. Ripsticks and maaaaybe Little Rippers

So....all shallow runnin'..Hmmmmmm Gotta figure out how to get'em down there, huh? ENVISION

Okaaaay! Before you all start yellin'.....I admit there is the exception to the rule sometime. But you asked. That's my answer!

[Backwater Eddy]

I agree on the roll/wobble effect with predatory fish like walleye. The lure choices I would also agree with and also would like to toss in the Bomber Long A as a classic thump-thump wobblier.

I have long suspected the "thump" of the crankbait is just as key a factor, if not more so, than the profile or color. Baits that produce a low range vibration, not noise just for the sake of noise.

Although there are situations where a clatter box rattletrap will wake up fish faster then anything else, thumpers tend to produce most consistently for me.

Day and night my go to bait’s are minnow or shad style thumpers.

Backwater Eddy ~ ~><sUMo> ~ ><>

http://home.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/index.html

[appleye]

I think what makes a crankbait shine more that anything is covering a ton of water. Everything stated is prabably true but I think that the bait is put before some many fish that sooner or later one is going to eat it. I think dept and speed are the key. I have caught walleyes on just about every crank that is made at some time. I try the off the wall stuf from 6" to 50" and if you can get it to the right depth one will bite. The more lines in the water covering miles not feet. Sure some days one bait is going to shine, but how many tourney's have multiplal cranks and spinners worked at the same. It comes down to who gets the big bite and who lands the big bite. I think thas sometime we get to use to what should work and its the only way we fish, next time On the water break out a crank and for 4 or 5 mph even in cold water they will hit and a lot of time their big.
The key in fishing cranks is having one on in the water.

Man is the ice ever going to come off? I'm ready to throw some jigs!!!

appleye
Scott Appley

[Brushpile]

Rattles

80% of the cranks I pull have rattles!!!

[Cangl]

Brushpiles also saying 20% do not :) There can not be one best crankbait no way. To many times I have taken limits on one bait well the others only offer a bump or a few token fish and handed the lure over to my partner for his fish! Though I carry like sizes and patterns it is only obvious whats going on. Inland and small walleye tend to throw a curve at large and big water baits. So smaller baits often fit the bill. Fat styled 2.5 -3.25 baits suggest both crayfish and bluegill. Rattle traps most likely bluegill. Minnow baits would follow the idea of the minnow that are avaiable to the fish. We have used some incredibly tiny baits to get fish when walleye are feeding on larvae and there own fry on Lake Erie, and Little Bay De Noc. Seems as though if the big crank is on you should be to, but when the fish are busy with another "buffet" going natural will catch any fish even the wary and small ones.