Trolling with crankbaits?

Could I get some insight to the use of crankbaits with trolling – specifically on the types of crankbaits in what conditions, color, wobble, size, depth, etc.. Planning on stocking up on cranks. Have invested in planer boards and trolling setups. Have seen references to rapalas mostly. I see Cabelas have their own line as well as many others with varying costs. Would appreciate any and all info. Thanks.

I have developes a fondness for the Bomber A’s I really like them for the river because they seem to not snag up too much, and I’ll bet 95% of the time I can get my lure back if I do snag, high bouyancy, and a big lip seem to be key to these lures “letting” go. They also dive deep quickly = less line out. I also like the jointed raps, but they don’t seem to bouce off rocls as well, and I can pretty much count on losing them fairly often. Personally I’d like to explore more of the deep diving Husky jerk baits this year, I do know they too do not bounce off rocks the best either. Fire tiger has always seemed to be a good color pattern, pearl white, and minnow colors, and the crayfish colors should be explored IMHO too.

There are all kinds of crankbaits. Floaters, suspended ones, medium and deep divers. For deep diving cranks I like jointed shad raps and wally divers. Stay away from the cheap crankbaits as seldom do they run true and they are difficult to tune. For the stick type crankbaits I like rapalas and jr. thundersticks.

Eyehunter

This could be a never ending post, costing you up to $1000s of dollars for baits, with an open question like that!!!!

If you could narrow down where/what water you are fishing and when, it would be a huge help!!!

I agree with Gary. You need to look at what you are going to be doing with the lures and where.

This weekend I will be trolling the shallow waters of the upper croix and will be dragging rattle traps and shallow running lures. In a few weeks I will be on pool 2 dragging depper diveing lures on rocky bottoms. Here it will be 6A bombers to start and other deeper diving lures.

Just take a look at what you want to fish and find the lures that will run in those depth and situations.

The book – Precision trolling. This is the best book I have ever bought for trolling.

In the spring (and fall),shallow runner shad raps will provide many moments of fun when trolled just outside the shallow weedlines. There is one lure in particular that has worked very well. It could be the lake, but I have gone through many of the med size firetigers. Depending on your speed, they dive 6-8 feet. Nothing beats slowly cruising in your boat and all of the sudden hearing your drag running. My $.02

Troll????? Crankbait???? whats that.

I can’t give you much advise on trolling because I never do it.

but casting cranks now thats fun I would go with Shad Raps Fire Tiger, Craw Fish, Blue. or with Walleye Divers in Blue, Red, or Green,

and probably our best crank for casting is the Rebel Craw fish. in the Fire Tiger Pattern.

I appreciate the info, guys. Apologize about the vagueness of the request. I certainly have already been using cranks for casting wingdams and sandflats, 3-ways, and longlining. I just didn’t have an understanding as to what/when a crank with tight motion/wobble compared to a fatter larger wobble should be used. I assume a more natural color scheme is used in clearer water and brighter colors in… lets say the mississippi. I primarily fish the pools of 5-8 and a couple of northern wi. lakes – one stained and shallow. the other deep and clear. My current color schemes are the natural tones, crawdad-type colors, and chartruese (firetiger). I ordered the precision trolling book Wednesday. Does cold water = thinner, tighter cranks and warm = fatter, faster cranks or is it trail-and-error? Thank you again for any input.

Nate when did you move to Red Wing? Its 2 words though

My favorite crankbaits #5 #7 or jointed Shad Raps. Colors, well all of them work from time to time!

Good Luck

Brian I moved here in December just got sick of driving to fish all the time I would much rather drive to work than to fish.
say I seen your dad across the street a couple of weeks ago cutting down some trees.
see ya on the water

I was there til noon then had fishing im mean things to do! I saw the truck but took a peak in the garage window and no boat so I figured you were working there?

See ya out there!!

Up here on pool 2 the #5 deep diving shad rap is very popular long lined over rock or sand. Depth range of 4,5-7′, you want the lure to be ticking the bottom, I think that attracts the fish. I think the long thin stick baits are for colder clearer water situations at least on the river, with warmer dirtier water the tight wobble of the shad rap is in order. I like firetiger in low light conditions and perch on sunny days but other colors do work. Good luck on the pocket book! Good fishn to ya!

I agree! Favorite bait is FTJS-5 Jointed firetiger ShadRap. next is orange or red CD-5 Wally Diver. Gonna try ’em both later today on Minn. slough!

None of you guys pull RR Ripshad??????

The ripshads are the most disappointing lure I’ve ever bought, at least for cranks. I know some guys here love them, but I spend so much time tuning, then catch a fish and tune again. It’s not worth it when a #5 comes out of the box and runs true. I really like the wally divers also. Good solid running bait.

Yea, what Kooty said….

I hear ya, for $5 a pop, you’d think the SOB’s could tune them for you. Using snaps will help keep them running true after a fish though. I have to say, I’ve seen some good ole biggens come on them!

heres a pic of my favorite cranbait for running shallow sloughs: 4-6 feet deep, is the Rapala SiNKING mini fat rap. I throw it out let it sink a little, and start going really slowly. Sometimes you can’t feel the bottom, but the walleyes nail this little bait. I go with the brown crayfish pattern, but they have red and a few other colors Also.Geat smallie bait too! I agree with all the guys that like wally divers. Anytime I am trolling more than 7 or 8 feet, i like to tie one on.

I also like the Wally Divers, as posted before. My favorite crank, though, are the bombers – 5a, 6a or 7a. They simply run true right out of the box, and are relatively cheap compared to other brands.

i like wally divers espcially in the clown color for the river. Wally demons and Wally Devils sometimes seem to p roduce better but are quite difficult to find.

Remeber keep your lines in the water, were all in this together