How do you guys rip crankbaits through weeds? All I ever get is a crankbait full of weeds. A common suggestion is to knick the tops of a weedbed, but by the time I feel the weed, it is too late and I'm either hung up or get a treble hook full of them, thus killing the action of the bait. I'll admit that I don't fish crankbaits very often, nor do I have a dedicated rig for them. 

The best thing for grass that's 1 - 10 feet down is a lipless crank. Whenever I use billed cranks it's around rocks and wood so I don't have to bother taking small grass off my bill and my trebles. I have fished grass and lipless with mono, fluoro, and braid. Braid is THE best in my opinion because you feel a lot. If the grass is a little deeper than 5 feet than switch to mono. You will feel a mushy type of pressure whenever you hit the grass. When this happens just rip it out with your rod. 9 times out of 10 all or most of the grass will come off. Sometimes you think you have grass and rip it, and there happens to be a fish on the end of your line. That's the fun about this lure type for me... I set the hook before I even know a fish hit it!

Use a good crankbait that "backs up" consistently on the pause.  Use a slow retrieve, and when you feel the bait hit the weeds, stop reeling. Let it back up a second two, and then pop the tip a couple times.  Repeat.  It helps to use a more sensitive, moderate to mod-fast action rod.

 It helps to use a more sensitive, moderate to mod-fast action rod.

 

This is probably my main problem. My rods are not that sensitive and I don't have a dedicated cranking rig.

Try a medium/fast rod as a compromise.  The faster tip will help you detect the "bump" sooner, and allow you to react.  Last bit of advice: sloooooow down. Good luck!

Hooah, you're also fishing in Eurasion Milfoil infested lands and I am all too familiar with it. It's really difficult to keep trebles snag free in milfoil weeds. Try JFrancho suggestions but come thick of summer I just opt for different presentations on very weedy lakes. If you got sand or rock to throw in, then crank away.

A rod with a bit more backbone will help rip your bait from the weeds....Also, try to shorten up your casts a bit, especially with traps.  Keeping your rod tip high you can control the fall of a trap with a shorter cast.  Plus you have less line stretch when snapping it free.  Also. the weed edges may be a easier to start with.   

Throw a deeper crankbait and carve the weeds out. The go back through that same opening. Get a really good crankbait rod. I hear my friends saying they got bites yet I know they didnt because they are using a POS rod.  A great rod reel/ line xombo will be able to decipher bites from cover.