FishingMN

So the 4s and the 1.5's come stock with #4 size. KVD says on the cranks to upgrade to #2's.. so long as they are the 1x strong, 2x short, elite, etc.. on the jerkbaits he says doing the same would through off the balance.. so stay with a #4 (which is what it comes with) but go to the elite 3xgrip, long, and NOT 1x strong. The thinner wire will keep the weight lighter.. the longer length will make it a bit easier to get a hookup. 1x wire would make it heavier and make the jerkbait slowly sink.

So what size would be appropriate for a sk kvd 4s squarebill crank bait? I am going to order them. If you know what size would be good for a strike king jerkbait, I would be interested as well. I think I actually have just one of these on one of my crankbaits, and forgot what it was, I was puzzling over that the other day.. it works so well.

So, the trokar hooks that come standard on the sk square bill seem quite sharp and have good penetration, but I feel like they need a bigger barb. I was getting a few bass shaking free with the included trokar hooks. Switching to a different treble hook with better barbs I noticed I stopped losing fish. I will have to look at the Mustad KVD short shank.

its the strike king pro model 4s. it clearly indicates trokar hooks. http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=33027876 unless this is a Dick's Sporting Goods exclusive??

ok. Thanks. Lots of helpful info. I'll check out those other cranks and maybe try silent cranks when the fish are inactive.

Thanks for your comment! I do prefer braid for usability, but.. well on slow presentation bait there is no doubt in my mind that a less visible line helps. I started out fishing only braid and did great, but when fishing with friend using floro, they out fished me 2 to 1... until admitted and switched to floro. The slower the presentation, the more it helps. Drop shot on braid would be really tough. Now, on cranks, because its a moving bait, that I haven't figured out yet. Not sure if floro would help get that 30% extra bite.

rattle: I like using a squarebill crankbait that dives to about 4 feet and have always wondered if they are better with or without the rattle. I personally prefer the rattle, but i've noticed that most come without rattle, even some of the more expensive $20+ models. Is a silent crankbait preferred. I am sure there are situations where one works better than the other and it all depends on fish attitude. But what I am really trying to understand is which is intended setup and if I only had one with me, which would be best to have. bait: I've been using a strike king kvd 4s pro model with trokar hooks and builtin rattle. How does this crank compare to others? hooks: The 4s comes with trokar hooks, that I seem to loose a few fish on until I tried other hooks. Do you think this is just in my mind, or are the stock trokar hooks not that good? line: Here's one I am really curious about. How much better is fluorocarbon over braid? Does fluorocarbon invisibility really increase bite counts?

Sounds like a fun morning! At least you know where to start next time you are out. When you were using the DT10 I imagine you were just outside the weededge? Or were you still knicking the weeds? Is the lake that clear that the weededge is past 10 feet?

water temp 57to60 around some lakes metro area

maybe try a walk the dog, buzz bait, or popper on those near surface bass. Of course calmness and low light will be important. 3lb'er today. water temp 65. What temp does it really start to pickup? Or is it a weed die off thing?

Are sure it was 52 degrees and not 62? Are you far north MN? Thanks for the report! Sounds like an awesome day.

I don't get it. Using a lipless crankbait, some of you said to pause when you feel weeds then Jerk. Others said to just immediately jerk. 2nd question, where I fish in MN it seems like the weed height varies, so it will be smooth sailing then suddenly I am in a thick glob of subsurface milfoil. Is that the wrong area to apply this/these tactics?

found a 4 around 2lb mark on weed edges, 2 on a plastic bait and 2 on a square bill crankbait. 7 ft water, evening.

Thanks all. So shaded and windblown would be the best place to start, if everything else is equal.

When flipping a jig or t-rig on the outer weed edge of norther lakes for LMB, is the east or west side of the lake going to be better in the morning? How about in the evening?

I've seen 69-75 degree water temps lately. What temp starts bringing them in usually?

that sounds like more than 1600, are you sure it isn't worth it with insurance?

Start by looking for steeper contours - where the contour lines are closer together. Soft bottom doesn't usually form steep drop-offs as often as would a hard bottom. Of course this will just be a better probability.

I've read somewhere recently that someone was coaching somebody in the correct way to cast. And they tied their elbow to their side so they would learn to cast without raising or extending the upper arm. (you can still swing the lower arm) I've changed that in my cast and I actually develop more speed and distance and it is easier and less painful. I still haven't fully broken the habit though.

There are exercises and stretches designed for fishermen that really help with hand, wrist, arm and shoulder issues. Also there are right and wrong ways to cast, reel, and even hold the rod that will make a difference. It would be nice if there were a website or collection some where of these. Or even a book. I've come across a lot in my past searches for the same areas and when I am consistent with these, they really do help. Just fishing more won't fix it, if you are using the wrong form.

Cool! I will try that..

Awesome. Good to know. I was dropshotting with natural color roboworms and sorta though maybe I should switch to very dark, very light, or very colorful. So I understand that it is clearer water deeper, but it still makes sense to use a vivid/ highly visible appearance bait.

That's helpful, but rivers with current will mix water far more and deeper than a lake.

Darkness and clarity are two entirely different things. It could be bright but foggy so visibility is poor/short. It could be dark, but clear so visibility is great/long. I would seem to me algae would be nearest where there is light at the surface. And would thin out with increased visibility as you go down deeper. But i don't know. I've never dived in green water to see how it is at 10, 15, or 20'.

In a northern lake with green water and visibility lost for lures 2-3 feet below the surface, is that same level of visibility present at 10' or 20'? Is maybe the algae in the water concentrated to the top 5 feet?