ksredneck Posted March 1, 2013 Report Share Posted March 1, 2013 I've never really used crainkbaits much for the fact I think you need different ones for different depth and the fact where I fish theres alot of structure for the treble hooks to snag on. But I'm on a mission to be versatile so can someone give some good tips on choosing colors for muddy water? I'm thinking a good perch color would be a killer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 1, 2013 Report Share Posted March 1, 2013 A bait with some chartreuse in it is good for dirty water. Also reds and black. You don't really see the darker colors any better, but they create a good profile in the muddy water. And if the water is as dirty as you say there's really no need to worry about deep diving lures. In my opinion anyway. It's been my experience that fish tend to move shallow when the water is muddy and they become object oriented. My suggestion for cranking dirty water would be to focus on shallow divers with square bills as these seem to deflect off cover better. just my Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksredneck Posted March 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2013 thanks!! What about the wobble should it be tight or wide. I'm trying to mimick perch and bluegill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 Generally fish like a tighter wobble in cooler water temps, but fishing cold, muddy water is one of the toughest situations there is in my opinion. If I had my mind made up to fish a crank under those conditions I would probably go with a chartreuse/black crank with a wider wobble. It will displace more water and should make it easier for a bass to hone in on it. Now keep in mind I've never fished in Missouri and I'm using things I've learned mostly in Texas to make these decisions. Sometimes regional preferences can make a huge difference. You could also be better off throwing a spinnerbait or a jig under the conditions you've described. Those would probably be my first choice. In muddy water bass tend to hold pretty close to cover. You can't be afraid of hanging up or losing a bait. You need to bump your lures off the cover for best results. Running crankbaits through heavy cover is what we call "crashing the timber". good luck, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksredneck Posted March 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 (edited) spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, jigs, and texas rigged worms are my go to confidence lures. But like I said I'm just trying to be alittle more versatile. can a crankbait scare off a bass? Sorry for asking in my replies I should've put them all in my original post Edited March 2, 2013 by ksredneck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 I don't think it's going to scare off a bass. They're not going to run off and hide somewhere. Now if they've seen a crankbait a thousand times, or heard the same rattle over and over, it may have an adverse effect on them in that they may not eat it. I commend you on trying to broaden your skills, but you've chosen one of the hardest scenarios in which to fish crankbaits. And that's cold, muddy water. It's going to be a mind game until you convince yourself that crankbaits are very good lures with which to catch fish. Until you start catching fish on them your going to be wondering whether or not your fishing one that's the right size, color, depth, etc. and you will have a tendency to revert back to the lures you know will catch fish. But if dirty water is your only choice then your just going to have to give it your best shot. I would suggest talking to other fishermen in your area that use crankbaits and see what they have to say. Don't ask for detailed information as that can lip lock a fisherman quicker than anything. Just see if they will offer advice on depth and color. If they're cranking in 4' or less you can choose from a multitude of shallow square bills. If they're fishing in 6 to 10' there are cranks to fit that need and so on. Seeing as how it's spring and the spawn is either underway or not far off I would suggest some shallow cranks. Cranks can be a good choice when the fish are just starting to pull up into shallow ahead of the spawn and they can be a great choice when the fish have first left the beds and hang up on the first available cover before heading into their summer pattern. You'll just have to grab a couple and give them a try. Just remember you won't learn it all in a day. And here's another tip. While your buying a couple cranks do yourself a favor and buy a good lure retriever. It will more than pay for itself in saved baits. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksredneck Posted March 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 I apprecriate all the advise you've given. Also I'm asking this in advance for this spring/summer I'm not big on fishing when its cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 Glad to help. Another thing about fishing in dirty water is that it greatly reduces the area in which a fish will attack a lure. In cleaner water they might have a strike zone of several feet. In muddy water that strike zone may be cut back to less than a foot. That's where the baits that deflect well off of cover come into play. You have to run the lure into stumps, limbs, rocks or whatever cover they're hanging around. The lure deflecting off of cover can be what makes them decide to eat it as they think it's prey that's wounded or disoriented. Generally shallow square bills deflect off cover much better than baits with rounded lips. And don't be afraid of losing some baits. If your fishing shallow then most of the time you can easily get a hung lure back. One thing you will learn about fishing crankbaits is that if your not getting hung up every now and then your not fishing them properly. good luck, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksredneck Posted March 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 thanks I'm gonna start buying some crankbaits are their any models that really stand out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basskat Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 I fished a tournament here yesterday, the water temp was 46 degrees and the water was a heavy stain. The air temp was a high of 37 and it snowed on and off all day. My son and I won the tournament with 27.90 lbs and a kicker of 8.14 lbs. All these fish came off a square bill Luckcraft 1.5 crankbait around standing timber in about 4 to 6 feet of water. I'll get you a picture and post it tomorrow of the color bait we used. It's one that I painted. My painting skills are not the best which is proof that a bait don't have to be real pretty for a fish to eat it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 All of the big lure companies offer a shallow running square billed crankbait, so there are dozens to choose from. If you're just "trying it out", there are plenty of inexpensive models from Strike King, Rapala, Bomber, Bandit, etc that fit the bill, as well as higher priced lures. In these conditions, a fat bodied lure with lots of buoyancy will back out of snags or ride over them and it swims with a head-down attitude that tends to protect the trebles from snagging. With just a little practice, it's amazing the obstructions you can navigate through without hanging up. I'll throw a crankbait in any cover where I would throw a spinnerbait. It won't sink like a spinnerbait so you can take your time and bounce it off everything you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
