What kind of line do you use for cranking? 2025

Muddy reply :

Hey fellas; I see a few guys here saying they use braid for cranking. I paid a lot of attention to devolping better crank bait skills this year. I read 3 articles from Clunn,Fritts and Iconelli , they all talked about using the smallest diameter mono that the situation called for. I also bought a Rapala DT kit, with a DVD and that DVD had varios suggestions , especially using mono for anything with treble hooks. What do you fellas use, as I had excellent reults using mono?

Jeff H reply :

Mono for me, usually 10lb sometimes 14lb.

grimlin reply :

12# trilene big game mono 90% of the time....on a rare occasion i go down 8# test mono.

I just picked me up a Dave Fritts baitcaster.I'm about to get real serious into cranking.

Lucky Craft Man reply :

I like 12 lb. flouro. The DT series rating for depth is when using 10 lb. mono. I figure that the sinking flouro at a slightly thicker line diameter achieves the same depth as 10 lb. mono. I like having the added strength.

TrippyJai reply :

i can't afford to use flouro. so on my crankbait reel, i have 10lb big game with a pretty long flouro leader...

the reason why they have the smallest diameter for mono is because they want to get the bait all the way to the bottom.

if you have a good set up for crankbaits such as a good rod, you can actually get away with braid.

DADto4 reply :

I prefer Trilene XL 10# in open water,maybe 12# if I am trying to run the tops of submerged grass.I personally have not been very impressed with the braids.

LAO162 reply :

Because I don't have enough reels to designate different lines for different types of baits, I use copoly for everything

fishfordollars reply :

Trilene Big Game (Green), in sizes from 10-15.

burleytog reply :

PLine CXX 8 lb. test

Muddy reply :

Burley: Why so light? I would like to try a lighter line , now that I see your doing that can you explain why?

Dominick

roadwarrior reply :

Here's the answer:

Baitcasting gear: Yo-Zuri Hybrid or Hybrid Ultra Soft #12

Spinning equipment: Ultra Soft #6

Now what's the question?

8-)

burleytog reply :

Quote
Burley: Why so light? I would like to try a lighter line , now that I see your doing that can you explain why?
Dominick

Everything goes deeper. CXX is strong and abrasion resistant. I wouldn't go below 10 lb. using any other line.

booneangler reply :

10 and 12 pound Triline Big Game in green

deadeye32. reply :

I use 14lb vicous mono or trilene XL 90% of the time

Jake. reply :

10 lb. Suffix Elite

Grey Wolf reply :

I use braid on my fiberglass rod and McCoys mean green co-polymer on my graphite rods.

Matt 825 reply :

I have been using Braid with a 10 IB Flurocarbon Leader of about 10' recently. I have been throwing it mostly in a 7' Medium-light spinning rod and I really like the way its been working. I may switch over to braid on all cranking rods that are soft enough to handle it.

J Francho reply :

I had been using 10# P-Line FC, but have switched to 10# CXX for no other reason than its what was in the line drawer when it came time to change out. I'll probably go back to FC when its time again.

Pencil Pusher reply :

10 or 12 lb McCoy's Mean Green.

.ghoti. reply :

I use mono, Trilene XL, for everything except my crankbait and spinnerbait rods. For those I use Sufix Elite, clear green. I like the way it seems to disappear in the water. It's a bit stiffer than XL, and has a bit more memory. But what line doesn't, when compared to XL.

The memory is not an issue with moving baits.

I use #12 for my spinnerbait rod, #10 for my main crankin rod, and #8 for my small crank rod.

I experimented last year, and the year before, with just about every line out there. Mono, flouro, and co-poly. This year I put XL on everything except those three setups.

Cheers,

Raul reply :

Quote
Burley: Why so light? I would like to try a lighter line , now that I see your doing that can you explain why?
Dominick

Cuz CXX is absurdly strong so he can get away with such "light" line for crankbaiting.

How strong is CXX ? just let me tell you how strong it is, my everyday lake is snag paradise, tons of submerged brush, trees and tree stumps, one day I was fishing with CXX 12 pound test and got my crank snagged on a stump, well I pulled and uprooted the stump, lifted it from 20 ft of water and the line didn 't even cough.

If I had unlimited access to 8lbs CXX certainly I would not hesitate in getting some to fish ( I can only get 12 lbs or more and 12 lbs has the user friendliness of wire ).

Trilene Big Game, XL or XT 10-12 lbs test is what I use Dom.

J Francho reply :

Quote
Cuz CXX is absurdly strong

What's funny is that Raul is being conservative here. It really is silly strong.

Raul reply :

Quote

Quote
Cuz CXX is absurdly strong
What's funny is that Raul is being conservative here. It really is silly strong.

Yup, it ain 't called Xtra Xtra strong for nuthin '.

senile1 reply :

Ten to 12 lb test mono will suffice for most of my cranking needs but for deep cranking I'll go down to 8 lb fluorocarbon.

Muddy reply :

Quote

Quote
Burley: Why so light? I would like to try a lighter line , now that I see your doing that can you explain why?
Dominick

Everything goes deeper. CXX is strong and abrasion resistant. I wouldn't go below 10 lb. using any other line.

Thank you much!

Muddy reply :

Quote
Here's the answer:
Baitcasting gear: Yo-Zuri Hybrid or Hybrid Ultra Soft #12

Spinning equipment: Ultra Soft #6

Now what's the question?

Overpriced and overrated! :

8-)

Muddy reply :

Thank you all, I have a lot to learn here I am grateful to have such good teachers here. 8-)

booneangler reply :

speaking of floro for deep cranking i been really wanting to try it but im afraid i will have a bad experience with it for deep cranks.

Bassboss reply :

I tried using braid for deep cranking... uuuhhhh, DON'T TRY IT, it hurts!!

but if you're talking about shallow, and medium depth crank bait, than braid works nicely!

I like to use mono and FC for cranking best, it's got stretch, and I like that when using cranks.

MALTESE FALCON reply :

I use 12# Trilene XL for my cranking.

Falcon

cart7t reply :

I've tried both braid and fusion braided lines for cranking.

My advice.

Don't.

detroit1 reply :

XL in 6&8# (spinning) and 10 & 12# (casting) 14# (pike) Tried braid and copolymers and did not like them.

Stringjam reply :

I use 20 lb PowerPro with various sized P-Line CXX leaders (depending on cover conditions).

The CXX leader takes the abuse from rocks and crankbait lips, and the braid mainline allows me to get maximum depth and sensitivity.

I've been using braid for cranks for the past 13 years, and fish all styles of cranks from sub 1', to deep cranking up to 25'. Rocks, cedar piles, mud flats, stumps - - whatever.....if it's in the water I'm throwing a crankbait at it. It's just what works for me.

As always, your results may vary.

Jeff P. reply :

I use the Bass Pro Shops XPS Fluorocarbon 10# for my crankbaits and I really like it. I like the sensitivity of fluorocarbon, especially for the deeper diving crankbaits.

FWIW, even though fluorocarbon line sinks, I'm not convinced that the sinking properties of the line would overcome the retrieve on a moving bait like a crankbait or spinnerbait. It seems to me that the sinking properties of fluoro are going to be more useful with slower presentations like jigs and such. I use it on my crankbait and spinnerbait setups, but more for the sensitivity as opposed to the sinking characteristics.

3808

What kind of line do you use for cranking? 2025

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