I've been throwing crankbaits a lot more this year and my success rate has been not good. I've lost more crankbaits than I have caught bass. There are some days where I do well and there are days that get very frustrating getting hung up on every other cast.

This problem has mostly to do with shallow crankbaits, especially flat sided baits. I've lost quite a few Spro Little John's. I'm not a crankbait expert so I assume they aren't the best for heavier cover, but I thought you needed to deflect off objects to get hits. Seem like I get hung up every time I hit something.

I tried everything from giving it a pause to jerking it. Some advice? Funny how when I run into a problem, I tend to get frustrated and forget even the basics of fishing.

I've been throwing crankbaits a lot more this year and my success rate has been not good. I've lost more crankbaits than I have caught bass. There are some days where I do well and there are days that get very frustrating getting hung up on every other cast.

This problem has mostly to do with shallow crankbaits, especially flat sided baits. I've lost quite a few Spro Little John's. I'm not a crankbait expert so I assume they aren't the best for heavier cover, but I thought you needed to deflect off objects to get hits. Seem like I get hung up every time I hit something.

I tried everything from giving it a pause to jerking it. Some advice? Funny how when I run into a problem, I tend to get frustrated and forget even the basics of fishing.

http://www.***.com/Ultimate_SmartLink_Titanium_Rings/descpage-ULSR.html

Yes, lipless cranks are not the best for fishing timber, they do hang up in an eyeblink, and no, crashing cranks into objects is not always necessary to get a hit.

If you fish from the shore then you are in practical terms screwed, you will continue to loose baits on a regular basis so you have to get used to the idea. There are telescopic lure retrievers but as usual, the longest one available is 15 ft and your bait gets hung up 16 or more ft away from where you are.

From a boat things are not so bad, you still ocassionally loose lures, a lot less I might add, when you use a plug knocker.

Little John cranks do have a lip.  Get a plug knocker.  Mine cost $10, and has paid me back in the hundreds.  Do fish your baits where they'll get hung up, you'll get bit there.  As far as lipless and wood goes, the Spro Aruku Shad has a very broad head, and deflects off timber very nicely.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_52869_100011005_100000000_100011000_100-11-5

It will save you a lot of money in lost crankbaits. I have only lost 2 cranks in the last 3 years and I get hung all the time.

Allen

When it comes to cranking heavy cover, not all crankbaits are created equal. Some definitely come through cover much better than others. Take the time to find out which brands or models do and fish those more in this situation as opposed to trying to force a possible "favorite" bait to do something it's not well suited for. Basically the right tool for the job kind of thing.

The other part to this is technique...learn how to "walk" a bait through cover, even when moving baits fast and it will greatly decrease your rate of hangups while increasing your rate of success. I see lots of guys in my boat that just crank without regard to this point and they ususally end up hanging up more and catching less because of it.

For deeper running baits, some type of lure retriever is almost a must if you don't want to leave a fortune in jewelry attached to the objects at the bottom of your lake.

-T9

I fish cranks from shore all the time and haven't lost a single on this season, and maybe only two all of last year....  I tried a plug knocker, but could hardly ever get it down to the bait from shore.  Tried the telescoping pole too, doesn't work so great either. 

I have just started to swim or wade for my lures if I can't work them out using the 'bow and arrow' technique. 

Works every time.

The Little Johns do hang a bit easier.  They are not as buoyant as other cranks.  It is a nice bait however.  Also, maybe try cranking above weed lines until you get a better feel.  Stick with it, it will happen for you.

try this when you get hung up take some slack line near your reel and hold it in your hand, as if your going to flip to something.  now put tension on your rod by loading it with the snagged lure, should look like you have a fish on to other people.  now release that slacked line and sometimes this will pop the lure backwards and release it from the stuff it was stuck on.

Thanks for all the great tips on saving money and freeing lures from snags, but can anyone give me some tips on fishing a crankbait?

I feel like whenever I fish a crankbait faster, I would get snagged more often.

The slower the better around timber or brush , plus  a rat-l-trap  or any flat sided bait is not the best bait to use around timber/brush.

if you have a lot of timber, check out coffin-billed or square-billed cranks.  they come through timber A LOT easier.

I think Timber Tigers come through wood/brush cover the best.  That being said, if you're going to fish cranks in & around wood & brush cover,  invest in a heavy duty extendable type pole retriever, the longest you can get and a plug knocker style crank retriever.  Over time, they will pay for themselves in retrieved crank baits.

For the most part, I throw cranks on mono, 10 to 20 lb depending on conditions.  Occasionally,I throw them on braid.  When I get a crank on braid stuck, I don't waste time with the pole retriever or the plug knocker.  I wrap the line 4 or 5 times around a front boat cleat and back off with the trolling motor.  More often than not, the hooks will bend out and the bait will release.  Lots of other times, you will break the branch you're stuck on and you'll get your lure back.  Occasionally you will break the line, but a least you haven't wasted a bunck of time using the pole retriever.