What am I doing wrong? I bump them into everything, vary retrieves and everything else. I ocassionally will catch one on them. I put it down, pick up a jig or spinnerbait and start catching. How do people just pull up on a spot and start catching with them?

Confidence is a big factor, and knowing the basics of cranking helps too. If you are banging into stuff, that sounds good as long as you're not throwing such a big lipped bait that it rarely swims a lick before it crashes into something else.

For more bites, go to 1/4 to 3/8 size baits used in stained waters with a bit of a chop. Might want to mimic the forage base either bluegill or shad and definitely make long casts with a parallel flavor to them. Keep trying to hit the rocks and wood with the square bills, and pull those lipless models through the grass with braid. Cranking gets better with the temps above 50 for the most part so don't rely on them in really cold water for the best bite. WHen the spinnerbait bite is good the cranking usually is too.

You could be getting bit and not know it, but that's another story.

Confidence is a big factor, and knowing the basics of cranking helps too. If you are banging into stuff, that sounds good as long as you're not throwing such a big lipped bait that it rarely swims a lick before it crashes into something else.

For more bites, go to 1/4 to 3/8 size baits used in stained waters with a bit of a chop. Might want to mimic the forage base either bluegill or shad and definitely make long casts with a parallel flavor to them. Keep trying to hit the rocks and wood with the square bills, and pull those lipless models through the grass with braid. Cranking gets better with the temps above 50 for the most part so don't rely on them in really cold water for the best bite. WHen the spinnerbait bite is good the cranking usually is too.

You could be getting bit and not know it, but that's another story.

Can you use flourocarbon also?

Yes, you can use flurocarbon.

Some of the pros like mono for the stretch.

I had the same problem until I started throwing smaller cranks. My hookup/catch rate went way up from before. Part of it was confidence I'm sure, I really can't explain the rest. The cranks I throw average around 1.5" to 2" long and are at most 1/4 oz. It worked for me. I'm sure a lot of it was I was throwing them for the sake of throwing them. I had a lot of success in the spring, then it tapered off a bit when it got warmer. I'll throw them again in the fall and it'll probably pick back up for me. Too many other things working for me now, I'm not sweating it.

Thanks for the replies. It's funny, I like throwing them and have success with a baby 1-, but go a little deeper and nothing. I'll definitely try the suggestions. thanks.

I basically throw shallow cranks anywhere and anytime I'd otherwise be using a spinnerbait. You don't want the bass to get too good a look at them so you need to alter speed according to the water clarity. Unless the fish are actively feeding, I assume multiple casts to the same piece of cover will be needed to get a reaction bite. That's just like spinnerbaiting too.

I'm going to get more into it. I honestly think when I fish deeper I'm not fishing the right stuff. I'm usually on more weed edges than hard structure. I think I have to find more stumps and rock in the deeper areas, like when I fish shallower.

Outside weed edges might pay off a little deeper into summer for you. For now, I have been destroying fish on shallow cranks, specifically the Lucky Craft Rick Clunn jointed waker. On Oneida Sunday, you had to go slow for bass. Burn it, and the pickerel were after it.

1st thing I do when cranks seem off is slow way down. Slow and steady, then slow and erratic.

I was trying the strike King 1.5, I think I'll go back to my Normans and Bandits, as they are smaller profile. Good stuff guys, thanks.