$500 for crank baits...

[Fishmission]

I must say, the Crystal minnows have the best heavy duty hooks standard for cranks. You can’t tear those things up. I love em but I also cringe when I lose some of those deep divers. $$$

 

[gonefshn]

If it’s cranks you need, sell the cabelas points and buy pull tabs or lottery tickets. $500 isn’t enough.

 

[limit2winit]

if scheels still has their buy 2 get 1 sale on flickers that could be a good haul , but i personally cant catch anything on a flicker shad. minnows seem to work ok, but i dont think ive caught a limit of walleyes yet on a flicker shad. salmo hornets seem to work best for me in a casting situation and salmo bullheads trolling. now $500 won't carry you to far unfortunately, but a good mix of everything of flicker shads/minnows, salmos, scatter raps are a must have too,

 

[KDM]

I must say, the Crystal minnows have the best heavy duty hooks standard for cranks. You can’t tear those things up. I love em but I also cringe when I lose some of those deep divers. $$$

I agree, which is why I take the original hooks off and replace them with cheapy eagle claws. The eagle claws bend more when I get stuck in wood or rocks and I don't loose the lure as much as I did with the original hooks. Sounds goofy to go with a weaker hook instead of the top of the line, but like you said, those yo zuri's are spendy and I can buy hundreds of eagle claw trebles for the price of one lure.

 

[JayKay]

For casting cranks in a lake, pond, or res it's the standard Shad Rap for me. For day to day muddin' it's yo zuri crystal minnows (4"), shallow running shad raps, and a few husky jerks. That just about covers 95% of what I use.

For casting in skinny water, I have a "new" favorite. Or rather, one I took out and tried long enough to get a reaction. And then another and another and... My last 14 fish came on Shadow Rap Shads. #9. You can pitch it in current that puts a #11 Original floater on the bottom, and this lure is just slightly shallower. Tiny bill, so it is shallow and the bill won't get broken off, and it floats, so can get out of rocks. It's heavy (for its size) so casts well, even into a breeze, and has rattles which help at night and in muddy water.

My new favorite, and the color that's worked best (out of the 5 or so that I own) is Bud.

Now Rapala should send me a couple of free ones.

BTW, Dirty Mike could paint this lure in maybe snooty, or something similar, and dynamite wouldn't work as well.

 

[guywhofishes]

Great, now I have to try the shadow rap sha..... Wait, $9 a crack?!

 

[JayKay]

Great, now I have to try the shadow rap sha..... Wait, $9 a crack?!

I take it like this. When I'm out there and nothing else works, and I think "Would I rather have 5 walleyes or 9 less dollars?"

Well, I go with the fish every time.

Besides, you really only need one. Bud, it is...

 

[guywhofishes]

1. low risk of northerns I assume
2. no boat expense
3. no $10,000 of electronics and other boat stuff

I'm no accountant but it looks like you might be ahead of me in savings or $/walleye

 

[DirtyMike]

my price per walleye is exorbitant to say the least.

To the OP; IF I was to spend $500 on cranks, it would be a mix of cranks. Flicker minnow #11, Salmo Hornet #4/6, Reef runner 200/400/800, maybe some tail dancers. This is my list of what to buy yet. I have plenty of shad raps (of all the varieties), original floaters, husky jerks, glass shads, shadow raps etc.

 

[5575]

Fishing USA has buy two get one free going right now on flickers.

 

[raider]

Thanks all... I'd go the dm route but will have a bunch of cash left on a free cabelas card - and I really want to learn how to pull cranks... I've got a smattering of 10 year old stuff I haul around now and want to get enough new stuff to be able to give it an honest chance...

I don't like pulling cranks now, but that kind of challenges me to do it and figure it out... I'm pretty good with jigs and rigs now but I know times that the crankers really s h ow me up... it's also just kinda nice on a flat water 90 degree day to go for a boat ride and enjoy a slight breeze...

 

[shorthairsrus]

what lake are you going to fish -- i think that dictates type of crank. With that said though --- 90s red bombers that caught all da big ones by waukin -- probably wont catch anything but a cold now.

- - - Updated - - -

buzz that is

 

[gone_fishing]

I would be sure to add a few Salmo Rattlin' Hornet's (size 4.5) to the mix.

 

[eyexer]

Reef runners always get it done for me. I have 500 plus crankbaits of damn near ever brand sized shape and color. And 90% of the time end up catching them on reefs.

 

[JayKay]

1. low risk of northerns I assume
2. no boat expense
3. no $10,000 of electronics and other boat stuff

I'm no accountant but it looks like you might be ahead of me in savings or $/walleye

My favorite place has an occasional pickerel, but they're not that common. I've been bit off a few times, but maybe less than once per year. My fishing pal Sluggo uses some short leaders (of his own making) and they don't seem to slow down his walleye fishing one little bit.

With better lines (PP), I snag and break off less than I used to.

You're not wrong on the boat and electronics. I would love to have all that stuff, but I honestly don't know that I'd use it enough to get my money's worth. 'Sides, for me, fishing is therapy. If I can't have a blank look on my face, while zoning out and daydreaming, I wouldn't enjoy it as much.