Crank Bait Heartbreak... 2025
Luna2406 reply :
I fish out of a kayak and these last few trips have hurt my little fishing heart lol I keep getting bites but they all come off. I see the fish, they don't even jump, and they make a quick turn and boom, they are gone. I sweep to the side when I get a bite, I don't set the hook super hard because the few times I've tried I've lost the fish. Thinking it might be my rod being to stiff, what are the best types of rods for crank baits? I lost a good size Walleye this morning. Any advice would help, thanks!
Bankbeater reply :
Are the hooks sharp? If fish start getting off of my crankbaits I hit the hooks with a file. 90% of the time that corrects the problem.
K_Mac reply :
I had to loose the biggest bass I have seen right at the boat before I took the advice of many and started using a rod made for the job. I use a MHM glass crankbait rod most of the time. You will get many answers, but a slower action rod WILL make keeping CB fish buttoned easier.
poisonokie reply :
Yup, use a long glass composite rod, lighter than normal drag tension, and sharp hooks. I have a tatula 7'7" glass rod that launches 3/8-5/8 cranks with no effort and if I get a good bite, I land it. I don't set the hooks really at all. When I feel a bite I just keep reeling, keep tension on the line, and let the rod load up. Once I feel them trying to run, I might sweep the rod to the side just to be sure, but that's it. Then I just let the rod and drag play the fish until I get it in. That's another good thing about a long rod is you can have a nice buttery soft tip to absorb shock and maintain line tension, but still have plenty of backbone and leverage to steer the fish around obstacles. You can go with a glass rod, but they are heavier, lack sensitivity (which isn't paramount while cranking, but is nice) and the actions tend to be too slow to maintain control of the fish.
Senko lover reply :
What rod are you using?
NathanW reply :
Although its extremely exhausting to fish a fiberglass rod all day, they land more fish. They offer both power and forgiveness where graphite will only get you one or the other. You also may need a longer rod than what you are using now for a better hook set, especially considering that you fishing from a kayak. When you set the hook just lean into them until you feel the weight of the fish, then give them one more good lean to drive the hook home.
You may also need to make hook adjustments to the bait. Bigger hooks are always better. I have found that you can go up in size on the body hook for just about every bait on the market but you will need to experience with the tail hook because many baits wont function well with a larger hook than come stock.
Crankbait fishing will cause some heartache but the landing percentage should be well above 50% if you are doing it right. Dull hooks are probably the number one cause of misses so always check that first and pack a sharpening stone.
Silas reply :
Dobyns 704 CB Glass keeps them buttoned. Also nice to have a mono line or leader for a tad stretch.
FinCulture reply :
slower rod should do the trick...
RighteousFishing WI reply :
Upgrade hook size.
Sam reply :
Suggestions to consider:
1. Use a cranking stick specific to crankbaits.
2. Use line test and bait weight within rod's parameters.
3. Use monofilament to get some stretch.
4. Set hook in a sideward motion at waist height.
5. Never, never give the fish any slack.
6. Never, never point the rod tip at the fish as it gets closer to you.
7. Keep rod tip high as fish approaches.
8. If the bass is jumping put rod tip in the water to stop jumping.
9. Be extremely careful when landing a treble hooked fish as those treble hooks will cause some pain if they get into your hands or fingers.
10. Change the front crankbait hook to one size larger than what is on the crankbait out of the box.
10. You may want to use a 5:1 ratio reel or go with a high speed 7:1 reel depending on the conditions (grass, pads, deep, shallow, wood, rock, etc.)
The most important thing is not to give the bass any slack in the line. The bass will use the unhooked portion of the crankbait as a fulcrum and throw the bait.
Good luck and congrats on hooking them and on landing more of them.
flyfisher reply :
I like throwing cranks too and when i bought a crank bait specific rod it made a world of difference. I have a kistler helium which is a composite rod i believe in a moderate action (i don't think they make it anymore). It definitely helps keep fish buttoned up at the boat but the biggest thing is having sharp hooks. you can't drive the hook home like you would on other baits so having those extra sticky sharp hooks helps out a lot.
Oh and all the stuff Sam said is dead on.
joeblowwwww reply :
sharp hooks can make a big difference !!
gardnerjigman reply :
As everyone has said, sharp hooks matter. HOWEVER, they make the situation worse if your rod is too stiff for cranking. You could be losing them due to the rod not giving enough when the fish turns and darts causing the hooks to pull through.
BaitMonkey1984 reply :
Replace the hooks with better quality hooks. Also, perhaps you should move one side up. Also, I would follow the advice of the posts above and use a crankbait specific rod, it will be more forging when the fish makes a run by the yak. Also, not sure what line you are using but a co-polymer has more stretch than braid. Good luck,
Luna2406 reply :
Thanks for all this info, it is all super super helpful! I will go buy some new hooks tomorrow and maybe upgrade the body hook a size larger. I am looking into a new rod now too, researching the difference between fiberglass and graphite. So far it looks like a composite of glass and graphite, or full glass is the way to go. Any advice on this??
Also, i've heard about changing speeds of the cranks and maybe cranking faster to force a reaction bite and give the fish less time to look at the bait. Is there such thing as too fast?? Thanks again for all the help.
poisonokie reply :
Composite rods are lighter and more sensitive. Nit so much a compromise between the two as the best of both worlds. Just don't go too cheap. (no ugly stiks!)
Yes, you should always experiment with different retrieve speeds and cadences. Change it up. Reel slow, speed it up, pause, jerk it, pause, reel slow, then fast etc...
You'll know if you're burning it too fast because your bait won't feel right because it's probably been destabilized and is just spiraling back to you. Some baits are better than others with fast retrieves. I like yo-zuri and storm arashis the best.
Also, I don't know if anyone has mentioned to run your bait into everything you can. Rocks, branches, the bottom, whatever. That's what really gets reaction strikes. Sudden stops and deflections. Sounded like you were hooking up, but just not staying buttoned, so I didn't go into any of that.
garvin reply :
+1 Composite rod'
+1 Monofilament or Copolymer
With this combo, you can
Paul Roberts reply :
On 9/2/2015 at 10:08 AM, Luna2406 said:Thanks for all this info, it is all super super helpful! I will go buy some new hooks tomorrow and maybe upgrade the body hook a size larger. I am looking into a new rod now too, researching the difference between fiberglass and graphite. So far it looks like a composite of glass and graphite, or full glass is the way to go. Any advice on this??
Also, i've heard about changing speeds of the cranks and maybe cranking faster to force a reaction bite and give the fish less time to look at the bait. Is there such thing as too fast?? Thanks again for all the help.
Hmmmm... I don't think you have to get carried away. A softer rod definitely helps keep hooks in but I still much prefer graphite for the sensitivity. I use standard M to MH action rods (depending on cover) and do fine with them. A flexible tip is a help but some backbone comes in handy -esp when ripping weeds. I would simply avoid really stiff rods. Do use, and keep sharp, quality hooks. The stretch in mono helps too.
Beyond tackle, fighting technique is important. Keep a tight line (the rod bent) and don't rush them like you might with a large gapped soft plastic or jig hook. Be extra careful when the fish gets close bc as the line shortens things get more critical in terms of tension. When they get close I watch for how well the fish is hooked and react accordingly. I also "lead" the fish to keep even tension prior to landing. I'm also esp attentive for boat-side dashes (when the fish senses you, the boat, or the surface) and for leaps and react accordingly.
Speed (and changes in) is a part of triggering and you often have to play around to see what works best at a given time. And no you don't have to fish a CB fast. I often do particularly well fishing them as slow as a jig feeling my way through cover and deciding when to pause, accelerate, float up, etc...
Lastly, some days the fish are tentative and hookups can be poor with a higher loss rate. If I see fish hooked on the tail hook a lot it may indicate biting and pecking rather than engulfing. Sometimes I feel aborted attacks -'slaps' or 'rushes'- without hookups. These things tell me something is amiss with my lure or presentation. Or that the bass are just low in energy. Time to adjust.
gulfcaptain reply :
I have fished a lot of crankbaits this year, probably more then any other year. IF you choose to upgrade your hooks and go up a size, get the short shank hooks as so they don't tangle. I have read a lot of good advise as far as rods. Personally, I use several. All are made or have the action needed. Depending on the size of the baits you are throwing, I have found that Falcon's Bucoo 7'M rod which has a moderate action is excellent for baits up to the size of the KVD 1.5's. After that I move up to a MH BPS Crankin Stick, Falcon Bucoo 7'MH which has a Mod Fast action and excels in fishing lippless cranks. Also prefer the Quantum KVD Tour Cranking rods as well in the 7'4" and 7'10" MH's for deep diving and large square bills (8.0 size) I fish braid with leaders, but then have a soft drag. All baits get upgraded hooks in the Mustad Ultra 1X short 2X wide gap trebels. My advice, the slower more moderate action rods as well as fiberglass rods with a lighter drag, will yield more results. But also there is no hookset until that fish turns the other way. Keep turning the handle until it loads up the rod and turns then a short side sweep as mentioned is all you need. And yes keep pressure on that fish at all times (normally have the rod tip down) and the rod bent.
Paul Roberts reply :
On 9/3/2015 at 1:15 AM, gulfcaptain said:... My advice, the slower more moderate action rods as well as fiberglass rods with a lighter drag, will yield more results. But also there is no hookset until that fish turns the other way. Keep turning the handle until it loads up the rod and turns then a short side sweep as mentioned is all you need. ...
Don't want to single you out gc (very much appreciate your posts) but your comment is a perfect jump-off. IME, waiting for the rod to load can give up a lot of fish. With 'glass, one may not even know they were there. Nice when they "glom on" but they don't always do that. They can take cranks a number of ways, and they don't hold them for long.
gulfcaptain reply :
On 9/4/2015 at 6:28 AM, Paul Roberts said:Don't want to single you out gc (very much appreciate your posts) but your comment is a perfect jump-off. IME, waiting for the rod to load can give up a lot of fish. With 'glass, one may not even know they were there. Nice when they "glom on" but they don't always do that. They can take cranks a number of ways, and they don't hold them for long.
I understand what you're saying. And my advice was on how to make the most of the hits and keeping them hooked. Now yes, there will be fish that hit a bait that will not load up the rod and try and pull it out of your hand. This is where time and experience comes into play when you understand WHAT the bait is doing and if it feels different. Still I don't swing, I turn the handle faster till I feel that pressure of that fish which then loads the rod and can set the hook. And don't worry about singling me out, this is what the forums are for. Discussion on topics asked and different views and ideas which then improve all of our techniques when we can take bits from everyone of us on here.
Paul Roberts reply :
Yes, continuing to reel through is a great response and can result in solid hookups, on the majority of good committed crankbait bites. For someone new to crankbait fishing that is great advice. When you can slow down and do that you have taken the next step.
The bites I'm talking about are what may feel like a little peck, or a mushy weight; and they can eject very quickly. Some of my crankbait fish are caught as though I'm fishing a jig. "Peck" Pop! (instant hook set). Wait a moment and they are gone. "Was that a fish?" You bet it was. 
Luna2406 reply :
This is all great advice, learning a lot. Thanks guys I appreciate it!
dam0007 reply :
This is why I stopped throwing jerkbaits on a M/F. Anything with trebles Moderate action period! No Mod/Fast crap. Someone else mentioned a Dobyns 704. I prefer the 5power but that's just me. Dobyns CB line in graphite have the best parabolic bend for non glass rods, if you go glass the bend is even better but the trade off is a heavier Rod.
Paul Roberts reply :
Yeah, going slower in action is a plus with jerkbaits. I tend to use jerks in more open water (although the streamlined lip on the X-Rap can get through weeds surprisingly well). Ultimately, I like a stiffer tip for jerks, which also helps in strike detection; many jerkbait takes can be those soft mushy ones.
hatrix reply :
I like to use a slower rod for not just treble baits but pretty much anything. Unless there is for some reason no other way Im going with a moderate type action. You can pick what ever rod material you like I guess but it's more about the action of it. How the rod bend and comes back when pressure is taken off. I have had plenty of heart break and it's usually right I front of you. That is where you really see what happens with a rods action. Its very rare for a fish to get off anymore literally almost never. I just reel towards them and keep the line right and turn away from them and pull as that's all it takes. I also don't play games with them and let them take drag or do laps around the boat or work them this way and that. Burn them in and the only way they can go is towards you and you are reeling fast so they are screwed.
poisonokie reply :
Yes sir! No ex fast for me. Mod fast is where it's at.
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