MASTERING THE CRANKBAIT GAME Ebook

MASTERING THE CRANKBAIT GAME

• How to catch walleyes right at ice out using crankbaits.
• Where to use crankbaits at ice out on shallow natural lakes, rivers, or deeper lakes and reservoirs.
• Insider refinements that will triple your crankbait trolling catches.
• Overcoming tough spring conditions on the river with cranks.
• The hottest crankbait programs to run on YOUR lake.
• Three proven crankbait programs that bring dog days walleyes to their knees - excuse me, fins.
• Sneaky fall daytime crankbait programs.
• A ranking of different performance characteristics for popular crankbaits, we talk about everything from Salmo's baits, to Reef Runner, to Rapala.
• Night time cranking the fall period for sows no matter where you live!
• The three major mistakes most trollers make.
• One secret element to add to your crankbait presentations that will catch more and bigger walleyes. This has become a lost art!
• The real secret to effective trolling in rivers.
• Secrets to cranking weeds and brush
• The one reason leadcore line is so deadly, it's not what many fisherman think!
• When and why you should use snapweights, three ways, leadcore line, monofilament, planer boards vs. 12 foot rods, superbraids, and more.
• What colors are flat out, sizzling producers on different lake types.
• We'll walk you through one entire walleye season, showing you the in's and out's of deadly crankbait programs.
• There is much more.

Here's This Digital Book's Introduction:

It was nearly two decades ago when I caught my first walleye on a crankbait. Just getting started in walleye fishing, I was put off by a popular notion in those days: "Son, if you're going to catch walleyes you need live bait."
The idea of having to follow rules when out enjoying the freedom a lake offered didn't sit to well. That's about the time I turned my back on another wise-tale walleye rule. The resort owner pointed out to a rocky point on the lake and said, "drag some live bait around that rocky point, walleyes love rocks. I think they're catching a few out there. It's been slow, to darn cold to get the fish wanting to eat. Good luck son."

It was June on Spirit Lake in Northwestern Iowa and I was on a three day family trip hell bent to accomplish something I never had-catch a mystical walleye, on purpose! The pattern I discovered that day is one I still use to this day when I'm in the mood to cast and the conditions are right.

The water was cool for this time of year and the wind was coming out of the west that day. It was mid June and the water was in the low 60's. I knew weeds were coming up in the shallows as I motored the old Alumacraft Backtroller away from the dock. I had two rods rigged up and figured the walleyes are up around the weeds since everyone fished deep for walleyes and reports were slow. All of this "figuring" came from research I had done on what wins walleye tournaments in June on natural lakes and from pouring through my old In Fisherman books. It's usually shallow water and weeds are always involved.

One rod had a Bomber crankbait on of some sort. It had a good sized lip to help it dive deeper, perhaps 8 feet on a cast. The other rod had a Rapala stickbait tied on. The plan? Get the boat out in deeper water just off the weed line and drift in to three or four feet of water. The deep diving bait was flung out as far as possible along the weed edge in 12 feet of water. I worked this bait back hard by initially cranking the heck out of the reel to get it diving deep, giving it some occasional pauses. Things stayed pretty quite for the first few minutes. Then it happened once the boat got up into 9 feet of water amongst the clumps of emerging weeds.

Wham! Drag slipped off the reel instantly as I set the hook out of fear more than anything else. The lightning-like jolt felt made me think I had a pike. The fish dug hard, giving a hard fight. Finally, peering down into the clear water I saw a white tip, big eyes, and beautiful gold body. WALLEYE! It seems no matter what we do in life, our first successes are very memorable. I bet you remember your first walleye?

Sticking with my plan, the boat drifted up shallower, some casts were made in 4 feet of water with the stickbait rod. Another One! I couldn't believe my fortune with the few fish I did manage to catch on this first walleye excursion-neither could the guy back at the resort. "Wow! Looks like you got 'em figured out. Where'd you catch them and what were you using?"

"Pretty shallow on a Husky Jerk."

"Musky Jerk, what the hell is that?"

"No, I said, Husky Jerk, it's a kind of stickbait, crankbait type of lure."

The resort owner gave me a bewildered look I'll never forget and said, "That's interesting." The guy didn't believe me. That one day taught me a lot about walleye fishing.

1.  Walleyes are more aggressive than most people think.
2.  Poor fishing reports almost always tip you off to shallow fish.
3.  They are always biting somewhere on the lake.
4.  Information is cheap, do your own thing and find your own fish.
5.  Walleyes love to eat crankbaits.

Since that time crankbaits have really increased in popularity. Now they're to the point that every serious tournament angler must have the ability to put any bait at precisely any depth and keep it there. Crankbaits quite simply are the dominant force in both the tournament arena and serious recreational fishing front. Chapter 1 takes a closer look at the effectiveness of crank'n walleyes.

In Chapters 2, 3, and 4, we'll talk about the seasonality of crankbaits. Learn that cranks will catch fish anytime the lakes are open. They'll catch fish right at ice out, in August when dog days set in. In the late fall period is prime. But you'll also learn the other prime times when crankbaits take center stage.

A crankbait for all practical purposes in this book is any minnow imitating plastic or balsa bait that dives and wobbles on a troll or retrieve. There are many methods to getting a bait to dive to the determined depth. And in Chapter 5 We'll talk about delivery systems and some super refinements for more precision.

Crankbaits come in a wide array of colors. And many times you find one color and style will out produce anything under a given set circumstances on your home lake. Chapter 6 gives you examples of proven baits and colors. We've used popular crankbaits for these examples, simply because they are proven in a wide array of lake types and they are accessible at many retail outlets. Learn to apply an intelligent thought process to your crank selections for the situation you're fishing while reading each crankbait's review. We talk about all the qualities that make a great crank. There are many!

Night and day, it doesn't matter. Cranks will catch fish just about anytime you decide to pull them. "Pulling Plugs" or trolling is the main delivery system used in today's walleye world. However, getting out at night casting will shine in many situations. Chapter 7 talks about important aspects of night fishing for big walleyes.

If you think trolling is boring, you'll want to browse over Chapter 8. Structure trolling with hair-splitting precision is a keep you on the edge of your seat proposition. It takes masterful boat control, an eagle eye on the depth finder, constant adjustment, and a sixth sense for knowing what's coming up for depth or structure. You'll learn some secrets for cranking contours, structure, and open water.

Chapter 8 talks about all the work that goes into a winning trolling program and how to achieve the most precision possible with an easy to duplicate system. You'll also learn many miscellaneous tournament tricks for different situations you run into while trolling.

Grab your trolling rods and get ready to go catch walleyes at all times of the year on a wide array of waters. The techniques and thought processes presented in this book will get any angler well on his way to catching more and bigger walleyes using crankbaits.

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