Crankbaits! A personal favorite and probably one of The Most effective baits year-round. Nothing triggers a fish like a crankbait does, and even when the conditions are slow, crankbaits still trigger a bite. One of the greatest advantages of fishing a crank is that you always know at what depth it runs. Most baits out there run true to the depth they’re designed to be at. Another big plus from a crankbait is the fact that every action is unique, and they come in various shapes, sizes, and colors, and selecting the right one can significantly impact your success!
Crankbait fishing for any type of Esox is a thrilling pursuit that requires dedication, skill, and the right equipment. Understanding fish behavior, selecting the right baits, employing effective techniques, and using the proper tackle are all critical elements in the pursuit of these apex predators. Trolling or casting with crankbaits can be a thrilling and rewarding pursuit that requires dedication, skill, and a deep understanding of the baits, as well as different techniques. The excitement of hooking into any BIG Pike or Musky on a crank makes the effort worthwhile. Constantly feeling the ”thumb” of the bait in your rod tip, all of a sudden a hit, and a brutal weight on the other end is what it is all about!
Releasing a BEAST of a Pike Back into the deep!
Crankbaits and the right terminal tackle are fundamental components of a successful angler’s toolkit. These two elements work in synergy to help anglers present their lures effectively, connect with fish, and ultimately bring in the big ones! It doesn’t matter which diving depth – shallow, medium, or deep you are fishing, in order to choose the appropriate depth based on the target species and the water’s structure baits have to be balanced with quality hooks and terminal tackle. Straight from the package, the original components are often good, but better when they are customized, or modified, it doesn’t matter what you want to call it. Little improvements can seriously impact your fishing, and tiny details often make or break your day. Over the years I have found that such details truly matter, and the way a bait moves through the water, but also the way the trebles are attached underneath can make a pretty big difference in keeping a fish hooked, let alone getting one on the hook.
A 13” Drifter Tackle Believer with triple BKK Spear-21UVO 5/0 hooks & Wolverine Tackle Super rings
Especially when it comes to BIG crankbaits, the ones I love fishing so much, this is a hugely important thing to look out for. Usually, the larger cranks are difficult to get bit on, simply because of their size, but the reward will be much greater in the end when a fish decides to strike, When chasing giants, only one bite can make or break your day, and if you fail on terminal tackle, or on bad hooks, you will never forgive yourself. I have experienced this all too well over the years when I didn’t have access to quality components back in the day, and when there wasn’t so much great gear available as it is today. It has really been a trial-and-error game over the years, but thanks to this trial and error, I now have all the experience one can need when it comes to chasing big fish!
For the Gigantic Ones, this 14” Slammer Minnow with 5/0 BKK Spear-21SS & Wolverine Tackle Super rings
Looking at the baits above, namely the 13” Believer and the 14” Slammer Minnow, you can clearly see where the years of experience when it comes to rigging baits properly come into place. On such large crankbaits, it is vital to have a good hook set. The baits are large, and it is very important to make the right decision on where to place hooks and terminal tackle such as what split rings to choose from, how many, etc. These baits are large and therefore three hooks are utilized. Originally the baits come with three hook eyes and you always want to use these unless the hooks are tangling inside one other which can be a problem at times. I have chosen the BKK-Spear21 5/0 trebles both in the original Super Slide (SS) coating and the UVO hooks. To personal preference, you can do this as well and match the hatch when it comes to coloring. I always aim for the highest quality in trebles, and that’s why I’m all in with BKK.
A Great example of hook tuning! One BKK Spear-21SS 4/0 up front, followed by two 3/0 in the back!
Another thing that is very important and often overlooked is the positioning of the hooks, as you can see from the picture above. On all baits that come with hook eyes, the position of the hooks is already decided by the manufacturer, but you can jump in here with the use and choice of split rings. I always use the highest quality on the market when it comes to split rings, and they are the stainless steel super rings from Wolverine Tackle. These are triple rings and will never ever bend or break. Especially when fishing with crankbaits, they are a vital item underneath your baits for the simple reason that the rings endure the most beating every single time. Unlike any other release system, there is no direct release on a crankbait, and therefore you want to have the best quality that you can possibly get. I have chosen to use double split rings on the 10” Drifter Tackle Believers pictured above because the bait also has a large body, you want to have the maximum freedom for the hooks to move around. Plus I can modify the angle at which the hooks sit against the body of the bait, the positioning is much better, and any hooked fish will not be able to throw the hooks due to the simple fact that the trebles can swing in any direction!
Single Wolverine Tackle Super rings on the 8” Jointed Depthraider from Joe Bucher Outdoors
Sometimes the way a bait comes from the factory makes it limited for users to tweak them with hooks and split rings to the preference of their own choice. On the crankbaits below, the Jointed Depth Raiders from Joe Bucher Outdoors this is certainly an issue. Because these crankbaits have a slimmer body, smaller hooks need to be used. When using double split rings on these cranks, the hooks change into each other. Especially when casting this can cause problems because there is zero watch on how a bait ends up in the water after a cast. Therefore, I have chosen to use single rings on these crankbaits. I did choose to go for a smaller split ring, namely a size 3 from Wolverine Tackle to reduce tangling up. Of course, I had wished to go for double rings, but since this would be both casting and trolling bait, I had to make decisions. Sometimes you can change the hookup ratio on a crankbait by adding more or fewer rings, but in this case, you cannot, I choose to take off the original trebles and replace them with again, BKK Hooks. Spear-21SS 2/0 were used, and they are also lighter than the original trebles which makes the bait run even more naturally through the water.
Releasing a Big Pike back into the deep, when all elements fall into place, this can be the reward!
Naturally, there is no better experience than just going to the water and letting the fish tell you what they want, or better, what they need. You will only find out by trial and error what will happen once a fish decides to grab your bait, and in which way they grab it. Generally, all baits on the market are targeted head first, but sometimes it happens with picky fish, or during slow conditions that they tend to eat on the tail end, it is also important to look out for how far a treble sticks out from the body of your baits, and can a fish eat it even on a slow strike. In this article, I have given you plenty of insights on how you can modify your crankbaits to use them with full effectiveness on the water, but of course, it always remains up to you as an angler on how you take on things going forward with the advice I have just given you. In the end, everything happens on the water, and solely through trial and error you can find out what words.
The smallest details matter! Triple BKK Spear-21SS 3/0 hooks on these 10” Slammer Tackle Minnows!
I can strongly advise you to take off all components such as trebles and split rings from the original manufacturer and put on quality split rings and hooks. This is the only way forward and the way to hooking, and more importantly, keeping a big fish hooked. I see it all the time, people spending thousands of dollars on boats, sonar units, and more, but eventually trying to save money on their baits. It is not the boat that catches the fish, but the baits. So next time you head out on the water you have to make sure that whatever you do, you are better prepared than ever, and with the right terminal tackle regarding hooks and split rings. This will certainly increase your chances of hooking into that fish of a lifetime you’ve spent a whole year searching for, and also keeping it on the hook!
Good luck on the water!
Christian Drost
