2 Questions lets just use a DT10 as an example.

 

What if I fished it in 8' of water would it just ride along the bottom.

 

Same question but in only 4 feet of water?

 

Just curious.  Sorry for the probably dumb question - this is my first season really getting into them.

Crank it..bang it off the bottom..let it rise a little..bang it off the bottom again..repeat.

larger diameter line won't allow the bait to dive as deep. I believe the dt10 is rated to dive to 10 feet on 12# line (might be 10, I don't remember) going up to 17-20# mono will keep the bait higher in the water column.

Generally speaking yes.. @ 8' it may bump , most definitely @ 4'... Certain baits are tough enough to bump and grind, say scattered rock, brush, etc.. However the Dt 10, is not the crankbait I would use for that style of cranking... There are much stronger baits that will hold up better... IMO

Bumping rock.. Will destroy the Dt baits... I like them..But I have tore up too many... Yozuri cranks are tough, Norman and a host of other company's ... Will hold up better.. Bombers are good too.. I like balsa baits, but be prepared to pay. Plus other factors, as in, rod tip high/ low.. Type of line/ size.. You throw with 20 pd. mono you will keep that bait up,more so,than throwing with 8 pd....study David Fritts, he's got crankbaiting down to a science.

Crank it..bang it off the bottom..let it rise a little..bang it off the bottom again..repeat.

 

Now that's how you call those hawgs in!

Crank it..bang it off the bottom..let it rise a little..bang it off the bottom again..repeat.

Yup. I almost always fish a crank thats rated deeper than the water I'm fishing. I use a sweeping motion, not cranking mind you, bang off the bottom, let it rise while reeling the slack, then sweep again. Obviously there are many patterns and methods to cranking and different conditions may require a different method but the above is kinda my ol standby method.

Will work great unless there is really thick grass. When cranking grass, you want a bait that just ticks the top of the grass.

A slow steady retrieve in shallower water will cause it to bang into the bottom, kicking up little puffs of sediment every time it does, kind of like a crawdad flipping away along the bottom 

Thanks for all the replies - looks like in certain situations it works great.  I didn't even realize that line weight would affect the depth.

Generally speaking yes.. @ 8' it may bump , most definitely @ 4'... Certain baits are tough enough to bump and grind, say scattered rock, brush, etc.. However the Dt 10, is not the crankbait I would use for that style of cranking... There are much stronger baits that will hold up better... IMO

Bumping rock.. Will destroy the Dt baits... I like them..But I have tore up too many... Yozuri cranks are tough, Norman and a host of other company's ... Will hold up better.. Bombers are good too.. I like balsa baits, but be prepared to pay. Plus other factors, as in, rod tip high/ low.. Type of line/ size.. You throw with 20 pd. mono you will keep that bait up,more so,than throwing with 8 pd....study David Fritts, he's got crankbaiting down to a science.

 

Yep, DT-10 in 8' with 10lb line works very well but to take that and use it at 4 feet is asking for trouble with any balsa bait. The reason is at 4feet deep the bait is no longer banging and bumping along the bottom, it is grinding and balsa doesn't stand up to that for too long, I'd use a plastic bait as even a cedar bait may encounter problems. In 4' of water I like the DT-4 of course but the DT-Thug, the lip on the Thug allows it bang and grind on the bottom without the lip separating from the body because of the design, but it also makes it less effective in open water.

Deep diving rarely dive to the rated depth. This isn't false advertising, but it's close as the lure can get to the depth advertised under ideal conditions; length of cast, size and type of line and retrieve speed.

You can wake a floating big deep diving retrieved very slowly but it's better to wake a lure designed for type of presentation. The lake bottom is rarely flat and the same depth, it usually tapers from shallow to deeper where a deep diving lure excels. You can cast into 4' of water start the retrieve and follows the bottom as it gets into deeper water, like fishing a point.

If you like to bump the bottom one of the best lutes for this are metal lip lures like the Mud Bug or original Bomber lutes. Clear plastic (Lexan) lip lures work OK, the diving lip is usually more rounded and tend to roll when hitting the bottom.

The make different diving depth lures for a good reason, use the right lure for the type and of water you are fishing.

Tom