Am i the only one that steers clear of sinking jerkbaits and crankbaits? I dislike them mainly for their snagability on the bottom, it sucks. I know they have their place and i know there are ways to prevent snagging the bottom with them but I still dislike the whole idea of them sinking. does anyone feel the same way? and if not when do you feel is the best time to use a sinking jerk/crankbait?

Me too.  Took me a couple years before I got up the nerve to throw rattle traps even. 

All my lipped crankbaits float... Some people fish suspending squarebills but I just don't like them.

Jerkbaits I like when they suspend or just ever so slightly sink

i use rat-l-traps with caution lol and for good reason. lures arent cheap.

Rattletraps have been a top producing lure for me for years. If you're afraid of getting snagged, you're not going to catch all the fish you could be catching. 

They are useful on the right water type, before I had decent electronics I would use a Bagley Dredge in the river channels and locate brush piles etc...

If you aren't banging a lipless into the bottom, you're doing it wrong.

 

 

I buy lures knowing there will probably be a day I lose them, comes witht he territory.

Am i the only one that steers clear of sinking jerkbaits and crankbaits? I dislike them mainly for their snagability on the bottom, it sucks. I know they have their place and i know there are ways to prevent snagging the bottom with them but I still dislike the whole idea of them sinking. does anyone feel the same way? and if not when do you feel is the best time to use a sinking jerk/crankbait?

You sir are a sinking bait wuss.

 

Millions of fish are caught every year with lipless cranks, which btw are sinking, now there´s a powerful argument on how a sinking bait can help you catch fish that, if you don´t fish with sinking baits, will never catch.

 

On the other side, no self respecting crankbait fisherman ever goes out with his trusty ole plug knocker, that is if you don´t want to decorate the submerged wood with baits.

Just like with a Senko, that slow fall on the pause can be just the trigger to get fish to hit. Countdown Rapalas do well for me

I buy lures knowing there will probably be a day I lose them, comes witht he territory.

^ This. If you aren't losing a few, you're fishing in the wrong place.

 

Tom

If you are afraid to lose a lure other then open top water baits chances are you are fishing it wrong. Getting nasty on the bottom will produce numbers and size.

I am not sure I have ever actually fished a sinking jerkbait but suspending and floating I have. The water temp and you line can change how they suspend but you can tweak them with hardware suspend strips/dots or using different line. As for a lipless there is nothing to be scared of and your missing out huge if you don't fish them. It funny in a way your talking about jerkbaits and lipless cranks since now is when they shine and are probably the best choice you can make as the temps drop.

Rat L traps were the first lure i fished when i was four i had help of course but i been fishing them ever since and crank baits are very good also i like sinking lures they work it dont get exspensive intill its strike king 10 xd you lost ive lost many of exspinsive cranks and almost cry when there my favriot ones but thats fishing

i use lipless cranks and have never lost one, but i can admit that I use regular cranks more often. maybe I have less confidence in them than ordinary crankbaits. I'll get over it haha xD takes time and effort. but i still dont look forward to losing lures to the bottom.