# Crankbaits?



## monkfish (Apr 3, 2010)

Anyone ever try crankbaits for steel? I went up to Quebec last year to fish for lakers and on a whim I threw on a crankbait instead of the spoons we always fish. My crankers outfished the spoons 2 to 1. Pike too.


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## toobnoob (Jun 1, 2010)

In the past I have but mostly fly fish these days. They will work in the right conditions just like any other technique. Give it a whirl.


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## fredg53 (Sep 17, 2010)

Yep they will work on steel here too


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## Rasper (Sep 6, 2012)

I used a 0-3ft bomber i painted to catch a female. I like stickbaits too.

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## Rasper (Sep 6, 2012)

Alright i had a few friends watch me throw cranks and stickbaits. And they dont know how i fish them so well. So ill share what i told them Cause they never catch one on them. I fish mine like spinners/spoons. But its nice you can retrieve even slower then spoons/spinners without changing the size. Which in the end leaves a bigger or smaller lure wobbling like crazy in the strike zone longer. In the diagram below dont pay attention to the text just the white lines and stuff. So you will cast a bit upstream, straight across or a bit downstream depending on the current speed. The faster the more upstream the slower the more down. Once you cast do 2 hard cranks get the lure down there. Then once your line is at 45 degrees from where you cast slow it down to almost a crawl but keep the line tight like you would a spoon/spinner. You are in the strike zone now. Try to keep that lure wobbling while retrieving as slow as possible with the line tight till you either you come out of the current or till you are at 90 degrees. Do this twice take a step or two upstream do it again and move up till you cover the area. It covers alot of water fast. Good luck. And trust me a rock and a steelie feel alot different dont set trebles into a rock or you are going in after it. You might miss one or two fish but in the end you will save time and money.

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## I_Shock_Em (Jul 20, 2008)

Have had success on flatfish and kwikfish cranks


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

I_Shock_Em said:


> Have had success on flatfish and kwikfish cranks


 I was wondering about those and was going to give them a try. They seem to be the big thing in the NW USA. Anyone use a casting reel? those are big out West too.


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## Rasper (Sep 6, 2012)

Flatfish are great. I just went looking for kwikfish at fin feather fur. I couldnt find em. I want the reall shallow 4'-6'. Anyone know where to go too get emmm.

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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

Rasper said:


> Flatfish are great. I just went looking for kwikfish at fin feather fur. I couldnt find em. I want the reall shallow 4'-6'. Anyone know where to go too get emmm.
> 
> Sent from my DROID BIONIC


What size is that? I have a bunch of from K-9, k-10 k-11 etc. up to k16


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## monkfish (Apr 3, 2010)

Great tip on cranking it down fast to get into the strike zone. Thanks.


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## Rasper (Sep 6, 2012)

Snakecharmer said:


> What size is that? I have a bunch of from K-9, k-10 k-11 etc. up to k16


http://www.rapala.com/Kwikfish/Kwikfish,default,pd.html 
It says the 005 on there web page is 4'-6' i dont know where to find it though in the stores. I might just buy them off their website.

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## Rasper (Sep 6, 2012)

Oh and today i was casting a storm hot n tot. I modified it a bit so it wouldnt run as deep and painted the lip pink, it is a silver/black back.. I got an awesome strike on it. But i didnt have my drag set right like an idiot and it got off also i dont like the hooks on the hot n tots they arent that sharp. But im starting to believe that hardware is more efficient then float. I only was in a hole for 20mins when i got the strike. Im 8/11 on plugs this season. And not on bite on floating maggots,eggs,minnows.
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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

Rasper said:


> http://www.rapala.com/Kwikfish/Kwikfish,default,pd.html
> It says the 005 on there web page is 4'-6' i dont know where to find it though in the stores. I might just buy them off their website.
> 
> Sent from my DROID BIONIC


Thanks, reading the attached article in your link shows those are trolling depths. I'm sure the 9-11 size will be great for rivers as they float at rest.


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## Rasper (Sep 6, 2012)

I think ill go with the 7x cause every trolling plug i use seems to hit there minimum trolling depth from casting. I might try the 9 if i dont like the 7x 

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## Govbarney (Jan 3, 2011)

#3 or #5 Rapala Countdown , in the original silver and black. This has always been my go to when nothing else is working. For me the best time to use it is the dead of winter , when the water is real clear. Just let the lure sink to the bottom , and then burn it through the holes. I feel this works b/c it makes them bite out of aggression , or curiosity, as opposed to hunger. 

Make sure you use a Fluorocarbon Leader. 

This also works for brown trout down in the mad river.


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## Rasper (Sep 6, 2012)

Govbarney said:


> #3 or #5 Rapala Countdown , in the original silver and black. This has always been my go to when nothing else is working. For me the best time to use it is the dead of winter , when the water is real clear. Just let the lure sink to the bottom , and then burn it through the holes. I feel this works b/c it makes them bite out of aggression , or curiosity, as opposed to hunger.
> 
> Make sure you use a Fluorocarbon Leader.
> 
> This also works for brown trout down in the mad river.


I'm really surprised that, that tech. works. They are really slow in the winter, they def. dont run after anything. Usually they let stuff by if it is moving fast enough. They wont move 3 ft. to even run down a fly. With plugs and such. you more or less gotta get them to wack it. And to get them to do that... its gotta be a foot or less away from thier face. And the longer you have it there, the better. I noticed after i catch a fish, my heart is still racing, and ill retrieve a little too fast for like 10 mins or so. And i realize im going to fast, i slow it down, and bam fish on. At least for me, the slower i retrieve the more fish i hook.


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## Rasper (Sep 6, 2012)

So i picked up some Kwikfish K7's and K9x's. How come when i cast them out i cant get them to run maybe but 2 feet. If i retrieve hard they start flipping upside down.. and when i slow it down they dont dive at all. Im guessing its because i should keep my line tip up, i like to keep my line tip horizontal when casting cranks. Anyone with suggestions?


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## firstflight111 (May 22, 2008)

we always use them for steelheads they love them ...


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## Govbarney (Jan 3, 2011)

Rasper said:


> I'm really surprised that, that tech. works. They are really slow in the winter, they def. dont run after anything. Usually they let stuff by if it is moving fast enough. They wont move 3 ft. to even run down a fly. With plugs and such. you more or less gotta get them to wack it. And to get them to do that... its gotta be a foot or less away from thier face. And the longer you have it there, the better. I noticed after i catch a fish, my heart is still racing, and ill retrieve a little too fast for like 10 mins or so. And i realize im going to fast, i slow it down, and bam fish on. At least for me, the slower i retrieve the more fish i hook.


I honestly find trout to be very active in cold water, far more active then any other freshwater species. I also have heard that the peak metabolism for a steelhead is when the water is just above freezing, Its when the water begins to warm in the spring that their metabolism slows down and they concentrate on breeding. 

In the dead of winter trout will sometimes follow my lure be it a spinner, or crank right up to the shore or my waders in crystal clear water, when that happens I know I have to change the color of my lure, spray some type of scent on, or in allot of cases speed up my retrieve.


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

Rasper said:


> So i picked up some Kwikfish K7's and K9x's. How come when i cast them out i cant get them to run maybe but 2 feet. If i retrieve hard they start flipping upside down.. and when i slow it down they dont dive at all. Im guessing its because i should keep my line tip up, i like to keep my line tip horizontal when casting cranks. Anyone with suggestions?


That depth on the website is for trolling with probably 30 yards out. Msybe try a 1/8 oz rubbbercore sinker about 18 inches before the lure to get it down.


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## Rasper (Sep 6, 2012)

Snakecharmer said:


> That depth on the website is for trolling with probably 30 yards out. Msybe try a 1/8 oz rubbbercore sinker about 18 inches before the lure to get it down.


Good idea... i use that for bass fishing crankbaits. Why do those things just go over my head. Oh do you have an all silver or chrome K9 you wanna sell? I couldnt find one.


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