Newcomer to Crankin'

[Jerckbait]

What size and type of line do you prefer when crankin??

[cmclairday2]

As a rule of thumb, go light when I go deep. 10 lb carbon for deep stuff, and go up as I go shallower. Throw shallow runners, like square bills on 17-20 lb carbon.

[jp71291]

This depends alot on the lake i'm fishing and what type of cover/crankbait I'm using. Flurocarbon is never a bad option with a crankbait. Smaller diameter line will make the bait go deeper. So if you are trying to get it really deep then use small diameter flurocarbon. Fluro doesn't float so it will naturally make the bait go deeper as well. If you are tring to keep the bait shallow then I use mono. Mono works good and is cheaper. Most of the pros today use fluro for all crankbait applications. Hope this helps.

[DanCard]

I wouldnt reccommend flourocarbon for cranking. It has little to no stretch and you can lose more fish with it. I use 10 lb mono for deep runners and small cranks, 20 lb mono for the big square bills.

[cmclairday2]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by DanCard &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">I wouldnt reccommend flourocarbon for cranking. It has little to no stretch and you can lose more fish with it. I use 10 lb mono for deep runners and small cranks, 20 lb mono for the big square bills.</td></tr></table>
I hear, and understand that mentallity, but...if I'm going to depend on something to give while fighting the fish, I really don't want it to be my line. The proper rod and drag settings are more than sufficient, but that's just my opinion.

[tanker4lyfe]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by DanCard &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">I wouldnt reccommend flourocarbon for cranking. It has little to no stretch and you can lose more fish with it. I use 10 lb mono for deep runners and small cranks, 20 lb mono for the big square bills.</td></tr></table>
That is why you ensure your rod is suited for Cranking especially deep cranking. Shallow cranking mono is what you want because when a bait deflects off cover it will actually lift it up and over becuase its a tad bouyant and also due to the close quarters and the reation strike of shallow cranking most bites are aggressive and fast and the mono will help allow the fish to take the bait. I use 12# floro for mid-deep cranking, 17# mono for shallow cranks. my shallow crank rod also acts as my Trap/Spook rod with the 17# mono.

[DanCard]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by cmclairday2 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">
The proper rod and drag settings are more than sufficient, but that's just my opinion. </td></tr></table>

This is true, but I want as much give as I can get with a crankbait. The smaller wire hooks are much more apt to pull out and the lures themselves give the fish much more leverage to throw the hook. I use glass rods and have my drag loose on my crankin reels, but unless you're fishing in extremely heavy shallow cover, you don't really need a lot of back bone fighting fish hooked on cranks.

[UBF1]

If you are deep cranking go light 8-10 flourocarbon to get as deep as possible. We are always trying to get deeper. Also will need a good plug knocker and and a box full of crankbaits.

[PolarKraft195]

I use 8 or 10lb Silver Thread Excalibur for mid to deeper cranks, and Trilene 12XT for shallow squarebills.

[Rodney Bledsoe]

lure that cost $5.00 and lower 10 or 12 floro. Lures that cost $5.00 or more 15 or 17 floro

[Young Gun]

12 pound flouro on just about all my cranks except sqaurebills ill tthrow 15.

[cull25]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by Rodney Bledsoe &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">lure that cost $5.00 and lower 10 or 12 floro. Lures that cost $5.00 or more 15 or 17 floro </td></tr></table>

Lol I use the same train of thought. ANd none of my crankbaits have a chance of diving deeper than 8 ft around me.

[aussiebasser]

If I want deep I'll use 4lb Fireline with a 15lb Mono leader. Drag settings are important.

[Neilslure]

David Fritts says he avoids floro as it cant stand up to the stress of making long casts all day and weakens.

[cubswin]

I mostly use 12lb mono for my crankbait rods. Find its thin enough to get the baits down to the depths I want them to go. I keep a reel with 10lb on it for when I want a little deeper running out of the baits. I sometimes go up to 14 on the shallow baits.

If I was fishing weeds more, wanting to run baits over the top of them, then I'd go up to 20lb mono.

[mww24]

8 pound fluoro on my deep cranking rod for anything that dives over 10 feet with a 4.9:1 gear ratio reel. on my shallow cranking/lipless rod i have 14 pound mono with a 6.3:1 gear ratio reel. The deep rod is a 7'4" glass rod medium heavy moderate action. The shallow rod is a 7' medium moderate action.

[Jason1]

I keep 2 crankbait rods ready, usually with 10 or 12 pound. the difference in rods though is stiffness.
I have one i use for "shallow" baits that is 7' med. has good backbone but soft tip.
my other rod i use for deeper baits, it is a 6'6" med but the tip is a little stiffer for the deeper bills.
also for reels, i use a 5.3:1 for shallow baits, and a 4.9:1 the the deep divers.

[Jerckbait]

thank you all for your input
very valuable information

[billius]

You could follow all of the good advice given. Or...you can do like I do and don't crank!! Way too much work!

[haftafish22]

normal cranking bandits, sk series 3's, seaguar 12# invisx, been using vicious lately and I think it's "okay" for cranks in the lighter sizes 8,10,12#

Square bills get 15lb invisx or abrasx, sometimes 15lb big game depending on exactly what i'm doing

deep cranks, anything from 15lb seaguar to 10lb depending on depth and what i'm fishing. hope this helps a little, IM me if you have any more questions or want a more in depth answer, Josh