Crank Bait’s Are King
We all have seen those big fat juicy looking lures dangling from the tackle store shelves just begging us to buy them. Heck they look so life like these days I even think about eating one or two of them so why not a fish. I turn on the fishing channel on Saturday mornings and see these same lures being used time and time again, “today we will be using crank baits to catch our fish” says the host of the TV show. So why choose the crank bait to catch your prey. Well its simple really, these lures like the Rapala are tank tested to achieve the perfect wiggle, wobble, pitch and roll which makes the lure look like a reel bait fish.
The color schemes on the Rapala are matched to duplicate whatever baitfish is in your local area. I fish my local river for rainbows and brown trout so I choose the corresponding colors to catch my quarry, rainbow trout colors and the brown trout color. I see the pro’s using them while they fish and have great success with them; some even sign their name on the favourite lure like the Berkley Frenzy Jay Yelas hard baits. Relying on Berkley Frenzy crank baits, professional bass angler Jay Yelas led wire to wire at the 2002 CITGO Bass masters Classic to capture his first world championship.
Yelas, who finished with 45 pounds and 13 ounces, entered the final day of the three-day competition with a comfortable lead of over nine pounds, out fishing the field that included fifty-two of the world’s best bass anglers. It was only the third time in the 32-year history of the Classic that the winner led from start to finish. So this is why I choose to fish the crank bait often, they are proven to work for the pro’s and for me also.
Crank baits can be used in all depths of water as they make them to dive from two feet all the way down to thirty or more feet deep. Depth is important in choosing the right crank bait for your fishing situation. When exposed to different food sources, trout spend more of their time at different depths, making the most of the variety of food that is available to them. When fishing at depth, use large crank baits for better visibility, and when fishing shallow where light penetrates easily, go smaller. Fish tend to find their food on the surface, on the lake or river bed or in the margins. The middle depths tend to be an unproductive “dead zone” as there is little food and no cover there. It is wise to begin fishing deep, on or near the bottom or on the surface when fishing open water. If you don’t find quick success, work your way up or down with your crank bait until you find success and hook up.
Crank baits can be used from a boat or while standing on a shoreline. They can be used in rivers and lakes alike, so they are very versatile and work well in most all fishing situations. My favourite crank baits include the Rapala, Berkley Frenzy, Storm, and many more. Crank baits deserve a place in your tackle box and on the end of your line.
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Mike: Do you notice any seasonal variation in what works?? I seem to do better with crankbaits in the winter and in the spring up until run-off starts. After that the smaller spinners seem to catch more fish. In winter and spring the water level is lower and slower and I’m more likely to be working slow deep pools as opposed to fast, shallow runs so maybe that’s the difference??
Author
Hey Chris, there is more food in the summer and spring months like flies and grass hoppers and so on. So those spinners will work well in these months. Also the water like you stated moves much slower in the fall and winter than it does in the spring or summer. So the food source is lower in the winter than it is in the other three months of the year. Slow water and hungry fish make a good combination for hooking up !!
If you work your crank bait the right way in faster water than you can produce great numbers of big fish in quick moving water flow. I cast from shore exactly like I do when I float. This will produce fish for me. It’s just a matter of adjusting your presentation as the seasons and flow of the water dictate. Different colors as the seasons change is also a factor. Keep that in mind Chris and you will catch more trout.
Thanks for your comment Chris,
~Mike.
Were dou go to by the crank baits? Is there a location in the north east???
Author
Yes there is, The Fishin’ Hole which is located just behind the Super Store on 3320 Sunridge Way NE. Calgary, AB Canada (403) 291-3688
They have a pretty good selection of crank baits but when I shop I go to Wholesale Sports or Bass Pro Shops.
Thanks for your question,
~Mike
Me and my friends are going fishing in the bow west of the city, im going to try fly fishing but my frinds are new to the sport, what should the try in slower shallo water. somthing simple not a crank,can you help me?
Author
Hey Tyler, I would throw out some Panther Martins or Rooster Tails in brown or black. Let them hit the bottom a few times and then reel in slowly. That should do it. You could even try some soft plastic’s jigged slowly of the botton and then reeled in at a medium speed.
Thanks for your question Tyler and good luck, keep me posted as to how you did.
~Mike.
Hey mike, just wanted to let u know i had a awsome time night fishing on the bow for the first time. I was really cool, we got to the water around 9 and fished till 11 the bite didnt start untill the sun went down around 10. We had fish jumping all around us in the dark and they were right on the bank. We only caught browns and one was a real monster.
thanks for the tips in earler articles(night fishing the bow)
see u fishing the bow sometime
Author
Yes sir Sebastian, your very welcome. Glad to hear those monsters are still alive and well while fishing at night. Its quite the trip fishing in the dark hey. I personally love it, a few weeks back I got in the boat at 3:30 in the morning and it was still very dark out. We floated through some cool fog that was coming off the river. We pulled the boat over and built ourselves a nice little fire and waited untill the sun just started to come over the horizon. We then jumped back into the boat and slammed some serious rainbow trout the whole trip from Police to Mac. I cant wait to do it again.
Thanks for the update and I’m glad to hear you enjoyed your trip.
~Mike.
Hey Mike,
This is the second time I’ve written and I’m proud to say I’ve been using some of your advice to land some beautiful rainbows in the Bow. I still haven’t seen a brown but that will come.
A buddy and I were going to rent a raft or a canoe and float to MacKinnon Flats. Two questions: is one easier or more advantageous than the other (raft vs. canoe)? And what are the approximate float times from locations such as Policemans Flats and city limits to MacKinnon? Your advice would really make it easier to plan our trip. Thanks!
Mike
Author
Thanks Mike for your feedback, its nice to hear you are catching when many do not. It pays to do your home work before fishing an intimidating river like the Bow River. The Browns will come, just keep chucking those crank baits out there and you are bound to hook one.
I was able to fish on Friday and land a 26 inch monster Brown that made me smile from ear to ear. I was jacked up to say the least.
As per your questions about the boats, It’s a matter of personal preference and what type of vehicle you drive. An inflatable is easy to deflate and put in your trunk if you drive a car, or if you buy a larger raft say 14-15 feet, you can fit them in the box of your truck fairly easily. Canoe’s are just as good to fish with but require a van with it strapped to the roof or a truck with a trailer depending on the length of the canoe. So I prefer an inflatable because you can launch it into the river wherever you want too.
Here are the times it will take you to float form different places on the river. Graves Landing to Policeman’s flats takes approximately 5 hours give or take an hour for stops and such. Police to Mac will take the same time, and Mackinnon to Carseland weir is roughly the same time, 5 hours. In the spring when the water is flowing fast you can cut an hour off of those times, in the summer it will be about 5 hours from point A to point B and in the fall it will be more like 6 hours from point A to point B. Wind, the amount of stops you make and water flow all factor into the times.
Thanks for the comment and I am glad to hear you are catching fish on the Bow River.
~Mike.
Nice blog with very helpful information, i think i would try night fishing…
can you give some hot spot, i’m not very familiar with the bow, i usually fish in the wir (hatchery)
i don’t fly fish, what lures you recommend?
many thanks
I love fishing crank baits for many species. They just give off that vibe that attracts most any fish, but I have never tried them on trout.
Usually when I am trout fishing I am using my fly rod but the next time I hit a lake or pond with my float tube I am taking a few crank baits with me, just to see how well they do.
Author
Sounds great James, I think you will do just fine in your selective with the choice of size and color.
Please let me know how you do with the crank’s.
~Mike
A little bit off topic here but I figure you won’t mind!
I finally got my fly fishing gear out to Calgary and I am dying to go out! I am thinking of going to the Elbow River (live close to it) out near the Bragg Creek traffic circle.
I was wondering if you knew that area was good or not and what kind of flies to use. Or maybe a killer spot for a fly fisherman on the Bow?
Thanks in advance!
for those who care i was out a few times last week and crossed paths with fly fisherman, one instance i hauled 3 browns out as he was walking away in defeat, another i pulled a beautiful 21 inch rainbow out of a hole that a fly fisherman gave up on. that being said i just tried crankbaits for trout this year after a decade of not fishing and in my opinion they are king. cd7 brown pattern, it works everytime.
Author
Yeppers, that’s the Jammie right there Kyle. I like CD 9’s for the BIG Boys that live in the Bow River. Now is the time for the big cranks, even size 11’s will slay them out. Use the 11’s slow with an erratic ripping as you retrieve them from a slower run or pool.
Then you will see huge trout.
Sounds like you seized the opportunity Kyle, way to go.
Thanks for the update, hope to hear from you again soon.
~Mike.
Hello Mike,
You slay big browns and I have to ask you a few questions relating to the type of gear you use.
1. Which type of line and test are you using and do you use a fluorocarbon lead? if so which type and test?
I just moved to slave lake alberta from a little town on lake ontario where im used to floating row for rainbows in the 5 – 16 pound range. Can’t wait to slay some big browns on the bow and would like to throw out some lures. Any help would be much appreciated thanks.
Andre
Author
Hello Andre, welcome to the blog, and Alberta as well.
I am a big monofilament fan so I use the toughest mono on the market, Berkley XT 8Lb test line. I tie that straight to my lure and have never had a problem bringing in some big fish.
You can but this line at almost all tackle shops here in Calgary or you can use the link here on the Blog and that will take you to Bass Pro Shop online site where you can buy it there also.
Thanks Andre and hopefully you will get a chance to fish the Bow River this spring.
~Mike.