I am trying to force myself to try things that I usually do not. I know the idea of not throwing crankbaits is unfathomable to some, but I am not successful with them!

I've fish Ray Roberts a few times, I know this is not the best fishery, however the place is loaded with half submerged trees. I have no idea how to approach this style of fishing.

I figure the first thing people will say is "throw a jig"....well hell, thats something else I've not had much luck with! It seems like essential "go-to" baits for around here are what I do not feel comfortable with.

Another subject is crankbaits. I've picked up a couple on a square bill, but nothing consistent..just random "cruising" fish. I have no idea where to setup or what really to do with them to help improve my success. I basically try to cast it out as far as I can, along a flat...over a point if I can and steady retrieve it in. Usually end up with nothing but wasted time!

I'll add that if anyone within Lake Lewisville or Ray Bob would like to give me a hand in the learning curve, I'd be more than excited to get some experience and confidence with these baits! I am a 24 year old student, not a crazy guy trying to sling crankbaits at 'cha .

Thanks for any advice!

Right now with it being fall the squarebills is the way to go grab some kvd 1.5 and 2.5s and go to town I even like them on rock banks that are shallow the have a decent drop off also also make sure your rod n reel set up is good for the crankbait for squarebills I like 15lb mono on a 7ft med action rod and a 6:3:1 reel good luck!

I have pretty decent setups for cranking. My "square bill" setup rod is a m/h G-loomis but is v-e-r-y forgiving, not sure what the specs are on it. Along with a Mettle that'll cast the smaller lures very well. For larger cranks I have a Curado 200B5 (5:1) on a Castaway Go-2 crankin' rod.

I guess it's something I just need to keep throwing!

+1 working real good right now.

Also do not forget a rattling bait like a Red Eye or a Rapala Rattlin Rap. An easy way to learn the feel of a crankbait and how they hit it. It can be fished fast and slow, and is a good easy bait to catch fish on. Just my .02.

Fish Catching Travel

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Ranger 09,

I live in Valley View, TX and I just started really bass fishing again last January. I never was much good with a crank or jig either. In the past when I fished growing up we always just TX rigged and threw spinner baits. I suck at RR but had alot of luck on square bills in the spring there and at other lakes. I also caught a ton of fish last January on Moss lake on a jig. I'm not an expert now at either but now they are definately my go to baits alot of the time. Like I said RR has not been good to me this summer, but now that the water has cooled off I finally caught a few decent fish yesterday on the elm fork arm in the back of a small cove on a 3-5ft. square bill shad colored. I see that ur a student. don't know if u have a fishing partner, but I'm a RN and am off alot during the week when no one else can go. I plan on hitting it hard through the fall on RR. Just hope the bite turns back on!!!

Thanks for the info guys. I will just keep at it!



Tuesday and Thursday I need to be at class at 2pm. Mornings are certainly free, I attend UNT and need to be at Discovery Park which is near 288 Loop and I35. Certainly let me know if you plan on going one of those days. I'll try to work it in!

Sometimes you have to experiment around big time with cranks. Throw one pattern and burn it, jerk it, steady roll it, then move to a different crank. Throwing into the wind always seems to help me when I'm on fish.

If you are going to work a shallow diving crank 3-5ft instead of going up to a point and working it back and forth get parallel with the bank. Put your boat in water that is 5-8 feet and cast parallel with the bank. Keeps the bait in the strike zone. If you see a rocky bank that is going to get you some fish with that crank.

when i throw square bills, i use a VERY erratic retrieve. Very seldom do I just crank it back in. I start off with a slow retrieve, then a couple of quick turns, let it sit, then some more quick retrieves. This usuallly get some very hard hits. Then on the hook set, I use a sweeping motion, that will allow the fish to get the bait in their mouth good and drives the hooks in without ripping it away from them. This is what I do, and I am no pro, but it has worked well for me. Hope this helps you

Good advie above, and a couple more pointers. Try to hit the submerged limbs, rocks, trees with teh bait. This will make it deflect and HUNT, according to Rick Clunn. This is when you will get most of your bites on a crankbait. The erratic retrieve is also a big plus. Sounds like you have the equipment, just need a little success. When reeling the bait over something, you can feel the rod LOAD UP (get heavier on the tip) and then when the CB breaks free of that limb/rock/roadbed/stump is when a lot of strikes occur. You can obviously catch fish by just reeling the CB, but when it is making contact with something is when the CB is realy working.

I would dirrect you to my articles, but some have frowned on that, since they are not posted here on the TFF.

Hope this helps Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Thad Rains

All great advice. I'm not a big Crankbait person either however there are times when crankbaits are an excellent choice. I would also add, try fishing one day with nothing but Crankbaits. Throw in some of the above mentioned advice and I'm sure you will be catching bass in no time. Good luck.

I think I am going to go out with my two cranking rods a few times and make it work.

Any advice for working standing timber? The kind that is littered throughout Ray Bob? I pull up to the endless array of trees and am lost at what to throw, to pitch to 1,000,000 trees and hope, work the edge, ?

Find those standing trees that line the channels, baitfish tend to migrate back in the creek channels. Bang those trees with that square bill and you might get bit.