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My lure of preference is a simple Texas rig. I've had some success with a spinnerbait, but I really want to use all those crankbaits I've accumulated in my tackle box. So long story short, I never catch a thing with a crankbait, and I'm not sure if I'm fishing it wrong or fishing it in the wrong place perhaps. I fish a small pond in Ga and I don't know if area can make a difference as to whether or not fish hit a crankbait or not, seems far fetched but I don't rule anything out. Can anyone offer me advise here. If you prefer a crank yourself, how and where do you fish it? Thanks in advance for the help.
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I use my crank baits in cool water. Spring time as well as fall. They don't seem to work for me here in the NE during the warm weather. Slower presentations work better for me in the heat. You can throw a rattle trap now and then in stain water for a search tool.At least it works here. Remember every area is different and it will some times change year to year. Having fun yet??? Welcome to BFT Jford78, the fun has just begun.
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Welcome aboard Jford78 and thanks for your question.
I too like to fish the spinner baits in a slightly cool environment. What is the surface temp of the water where you are fishing??
That will help us give you some solid answers to your question.[cool]
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There are thousands of crankbaits out there, some catch fish, others catch fishermen. I have my favorites that I use all the time but it's taken a long time to find the ones that usually always produce fish. I like jerkbaits in cooler water and shad raps in warmer water. You just have to keep at it untill you find the right one. Sounds like pretty 'in general' advice but that's really the only way.
How big is this pond in Ga.? Murky, stained, or clear water? What's the vegetation like in the water? Do you know what the bass feed on? It's like trying to find out the answer to a riddle.
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I'm like you I seem to catch 10x the fish on soft baits. As the others have said many factors determine which bait will work best. I just wanted to add that another factor to your success with any bait is confidence. If you are not confident or feel comfortable with the bait you have chosen you will end up giving up on it too quick.
Example: when you throw your texas rig that you are used too and don't get a bit with in the first 30 mins., I imagine you blame it on conditions, the bite or time of day. However, when you use a bait you are not used too, after 10-20 mins without a bite you blame the bait. While this may be true, it could also be some of the factors mentioned earlier.
I do not know how big the pond you fish it, but I find that a good low tech way to judge a particular crank bait is by trolling it. Try making a few laps around the "fishy" areas of the body of water you are fishing, changing the speed too zero in on the one that pull a strike. If you are unable to get anything after a while try a new bait. It may seem like a lot of work, but the time invested may payoff later with opening up whole new fishing experiences.
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First, let me start by saying that I don't consider myself an expert crankbait fisherman, but I do use them more than I use plastics. I seem to catch more fish that way. Probably because my Dad and Grandfather used crankbaits and they taught me to do the same. Like the guy above said, its what I have confidence in.
I don't know what the conditions are in the pond(s) you're fishing. However, like all other gamefish, bass will find the food source that is most readily available and easiest to catch. Most crankbaits are imitations of minnows of one sort or another. If your ponds don't have shad and you're throwing a shad imitation, you cut your odds way down. My suggestion would be to really take a look at the food sources in the pond and try to get a plug that imitates that food source. For instance, most of the ponds I fish for bass have an overabundance of blue gill. I've found that a Deep Wee R in a baby blue gill color works best for me there. In fact, it is my "go to" plug when I hit one of them. When I hit a bigger lake with lots of small shad, I use a Rattle Trap in a shad imitating color. If the area I'm fishing has alot of crawdads and some of the bass I catch have been feeding on them, I switch over to a plug that imitates the color of crawdad I'm finding.
Regards, and good fishin'
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] I also like to fish crankbaits. My personal favorites are the Bandit 200 or 300 series. I usually use baby bass color and when the sun is high and HOT I like to use the splatterback w/yellow on the bottom. I have caught a lot of fish with the splatterback.