The entire concept of fishing weeds with crankbaits sounds ridiculous to the uninformed angler, yet many pros are not only adept at fishing crankbaits in weeds, but actually MAKE A LIVING AT IT. In other words, they either win a lot of tournament money crankin' weeds, or collect a pay check guiding various fishing parties over a variety of favored weedbeds. In a nutshell, crankin' weeds effectively is an art form in the fishing business. Those who know how to do it, are able to capitalize big time. Those who don't give up in short order.
Any angler willing to learn can master crankbait fishing in weeds with very little trouble. It merely takes the correct selection tackle and lures, combined with some knowledge on how to fish them. After that, practice makes perfect. The more you fish weeds with crankbaits, the better you get at it. And, the fringe benefit of it all is of course, the more fish you're likely to catch. Let's examine a few specific factors that are the essential to making this entire system work.
USE A FLOATER FOR WEEDS
First off, floating/diving model crankbaits are a critical MUST. The buoyancy is necessary to enable the lure to rise back out of weeds after contact is made. The buoyancy also promotes a nose down/tail up action in the lure as it travels thru the water. This, in turn, encourages weedy debris to collect mostly on the diving lip; the trailing hooks remain weed-free.
By contrast, a sinking crankbait, or even one of the recent popular suspending models travels thru the water more horizontal promoting more weed fouling around hooks. The sinking nature of this crankbait style also doesn't allow it to back out of weed cover and other snaggy debris. The end result is far more weeds on the end of your crankbait more often. This is why a floating diving crankbait, with its superior buoyancy, is so superior in weeds.
Admittedly, some degree of technique is also required to effectively fish these lures around weedy cover without getting fouled in weeds the majority of the time. Proper manipulation of the lure along with correct tackle selection in terms of rod, reel, and line are all critical. Over-cranking, in other words using too much speed, drives a lure deeper into weedy cover before the angler can properly react; releasing line tension and allowing the lure to float up. Over-cranking drives the lure too far into the weeds plowing the trailing hooks right into the weed clump. The proper speed, therefore, is critical. That proper speed is nothing more than whatever it takes to make the lure just barely "tick" the weed tops, and occasionally get hung.
HEAVY LINE COMPLIMENTS THE SYSTEM
Line diameter is yet another critical element of weed crankin'. Use a line that's too thin, and it encourages the lure to run too deep. Use a line that's too thick and the lure is not likely to run deep enough to contact any weeds at all. Thicker lines generally work better, and aid in the durability from the rigors of constant casting and debris contact. What's vital here is -- use a line that matches the condition. In every case, this equates choosing a line that allow the lure to just barely run deep enough.
For most weedline crankin' situations with the DepthRaider series, I prefer mono lines in the 30 to 50 lb. range. My favorite is Stren Hi Impact Moss Green 50 lb. test. It has a diameter of about .028. This thicker line diameter makes the "DR" run about 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 feet deep on a typical 60 foot cast length -- perfect for most stained water weedlines. When fishing clearer waters, where a bit more "max depth" is needed, I'll switch to a low diameter copolymer such as 40 lb. MagnaThin; which has a diameter of about .024. This increases my "max depth" by about a foot or so to 8 1/2. Of course, depths greater than this can be achieved by dropping down even further in line diameter.
The main reason I prefer the heavy gauge lines, in the 30 to 50 lb. range, beyond decreasing overall "max depth" ranges, is for insurance against abrasion and line breakage. The line definitely takes a serious pounding when crankbait fishing. Perhaps it takes a more vicious pounding with this tactic than with any other including jerkbait fishing. While a jerkbait is heavy on the cast, it pulls freely overtop cover. As you crankbait bounces along the bottom and careens around obstructions, the line is taking that same pounding. It's getting rubbed against rocks, wood, and other bottom debris. It's being jerked off weeds, and just plain getting abused. A heavy duty saltwater mono like Hi Impact really stands up to the task. It reduces overall abrasion and basically prevents failure when a big fish hits.
USE THE RIGHT ROD AND REEL
Rod and reel choices may vary a bit depending upon the size of the crankbait you're using, and the line needed for the conditions. Spinning tackle works well with small crankbaits on lightweight lines; a common matchup for walleyes along deeper grassbeds and weed edges. Small baitcasting outfits are a better match for medium sized crankbaits in the 3/8 to 3/4 ounce range, and lines heavier than 10 pound test. Heavy duty baitcasters are the only way to go for big cranks, and heavy weight lines of 25 pound test or more.
Rod lengths are more of a personal choice, but longer is usually better. Personally, I wouldn't use anything less than 6 1/2 feet for most crankbait applications --- small, medium, or large. The only thing I'd vary is the actual rod action. Softer, parabolic actions are best suited for lighter lines and smaller lures. They not only cast the lures farther, but also absorb impact from hard striking fish and bolting runs on lighter tackle and thin wire hooks. Stouter rods are a better choice with baitcasting gear and larger lures. The longer rod also aids with boatside techniques such as the famous figure 8 tactic on muskies.
A lot has been made about gear ratio on all fishing reels. Gear ratio, of course, greatly effects retrieve speed and cranking power. The lower the gear ratio, the slower the retrieve (per complete handle revolution), and the stronger the cranking power. With that in mind, the proper reel speed choice has an awful lot to do with the type of crankbait you're fishing, the size of its diving lip, and the speed you need to attain to create the best possible performance.
Higher speed reels with a gear ratio of over 5 to 1, are best suited for small-lipped lures. These lures offer a minimal resistance and require speed to activate their action. Lower speed reels in the 3 to 1 or, my personal favorite 4 to 1, are the top choice for large-lipped lures that create a lot of drag. The drag is reduced due to retrieve speed and gear power. Plus, the speed required to activate these plugs, and make them run an effective depth is far reduced. So the answer is to have several reels rigged and ready for various situations.
Never underestimate the importance of the actual reel spool diameter. Reels with identical gear ratios can actually have a wide variance in retrieve speed due to differences in spool diameter. Larger diameter spools simply retrieve a lot more line per revolution. This is why an underfilled baitcaster performs totally different than a full spooled reel. If you really want to slow down your speed, underfill a low geared baitcaster and see what happens. By the same token, overfill a high speed reel with a large line capacity (so reel diameter doesn't diminish at all during the cast), and watch that bait zing thru the water like greased lightning.
THE SHORT CAST IS BETTER FOR WEED CRANKIN'
Casting length is yet one final factor worth a paragraph on any crankbait discussion. Simply put, the length of line out on a cast or troll greatly influences the overall maximum running depth of the lure. Short casts create a "V" or "U" type travel path by the crankbait; and the lure will most likely never reach its potential depth. This is not always necessarily bad. The short cast, along with its reduced running depth is preferred for crankbaiting around high weed cover; especially weedy areas that vary a great deal in height. The improved control with a short cast enables you to control the lure thru weeds better, and reduces wasted casts. Long casts maximize a crankbait's running depth potential. This creates a travel path that level out horizontally.
Long casts are the rule for low weed cover and cleaner bottoms. Long casts can also be an advantage in clear waters with spooky fish. The big sacrifice comes in overall control along with hooksetting power. On a short line you have more control and instant power and response on a hookset. A long cast that fouls the plug in weeds is almost surely a waste of time. You'll probably have to crank in the lure, and take the weeds off. Ripping the weeds off is difficult from the long distance. The answer is to gauge your casting distance according to the cover present. General rule of thumb: the thicker the cover, the shorter the cast.
Finally, it can't be overstated how important it is to master "flicking" weeds off the crankbait whenever weed contact is made. This flicking, ripping, and rising motion in and around weed cover is often the key to triggering strikes from reluctant fish hiding tight inside weedy cover. The trick is not to pull or set the hook when weed contact is made. Instead, as soon as the lure bumps into weedy cover, stop your retrieve, do not set the hook nor pull. Momentarily create a slight bit of slack in your line to allow the crankbait (Depth Raider) to float up and out of the weed tangle. In most cases, the weeds are all collected on the diving lip; not the hooks. As the lure floats upward tail first it will back itself out of most weeds. As you resume your retrieve, concentrate on the lure's vibration. If you feel less "vibe" than normal, or if you feel any additional drag, there's a "clinger" (small strand of weeds on the lip or hooks). Now is the time to blast the bait forward with a quick hookset. This will clean the lure better than 95% of the time and trigger some of the most incredible strikes you'll ever witness.
THE SCIENCE OF CRANKIN'
Yes, there is indeed a science to crankbait fishing; especially around weed cover. It is NOT a "brain dead", mindless style of angling. Matching tackle, line test, reel speed, casting distance, and the right lure choice are all part of the formula for success. You need to concentrate on lure "vibe". Make short pinpoint casts. Master the "flicking" bump and rise technique. And, of course, finish each and every retrieve with a solid, quality figure 8. These are basic fundamentals of crankbait fishing for muskies in and around weeds that separate the few who know how, and score big on lunkers of all species; from the masses who wouldn't even think of casting a crankbait around weeds.
Learn the art of fishing big floating/diving crankbaits around weed edges and you will become one of the select few that's consistently posing with the big one!