I am looking to really work on my treble hook baits this year - cranks, jerks, topwater.  My question is about crankbaits.

 

Hypothetical situation:

 

You are fishing in water 10' deep.  The fish are hanging out on bottom or very close to it.  Would I want to fish something that runs 10-12' so that it bumps of the bottom or one that runs 7-9' deep.  Maybe both and see what the fish want?  What determines why you would pick one over the other?

 

Thanks.

 

 

10-12 or 12-14 for sure.

Something that just ticks the bottom. I'd be tying on a DT10 first if it were me.

I've had bad experiences with the DT series. However, with the abnormal weather we've been having, I've had massive luck with the Jointed Shad Raps in number 05 or 07.

I'd opt for one that runs shallower during colder water periods and pick a suspending model like a FatFreeShad, cranking to max depth and reeling with pauses intermittently. The colder the water, the longer the pauses. Pre or post spawn, I would opt fo something that just contacts bottom occasionally. For the summer period, I'd use something that runs deeper than the bottom reading. Crank it down and grind it all the way until starts it's upswing. Using a deeper diving bait will insure bottom contact throughout the most productive part of the cast, will transmit more information to you about bottom content, transitions and if you loose contact early on, depressions you may not have noticed.

If you can see the fish feeding and cant get hit on bottom ,  throw something shallower. 

I would throw a strike king 3XD depending on how you work it you can do both. I always crank and grind the bottom first and then work up from there.

What type of bottom. Rock and wood I would go for the deeper plug. I live with weed bottoms in WA and all I would get back is a weedy mess.

Our lake has a bit of weed bottom. Love getting that occasional ball of hate coming back from the depths.

I want my bait to be hitting bottom unless I'm trying to tick it over the tops of weeds or bang it through timber for suspended fish. 

Thanks for all the responses.

 

Looks like unless I'll be pulling up a pound of salad I want to be bumping the bottom.