Crankin too slow?

How long have you been spending on the water??have you been seeing many fish? if your not getting weeds every cast your not going to slow.

We average 8-10 hours on the water per day. Prob. 2-4 days a week. See prob. 3-5 skies swimming per day. So crank just fast enough to stay atop the weeds?? Or just a little faster for a react strike? We are in a metallic gray Stratos. Really appreciate the help!!!

QUOTE(reelflyguy @ Jul 17 2009, 10:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>We average 8-10 hours on the water per day. Prob. 2-4 days a week. See prob. 3-5 skies swimming per day. So crank just fast enough to stay atop the weeds?? Or just a little faster for a react strike? We are in a metallic gray Stratos. Really appreciate the help!!!

I Like to keep the lure a couple feet under the surface.. but I go off the follows. You have to read the fish and adjust from there. it can be different from day to day. If a fish is hot on the bait you need to speed up. if the fish is behind the bait or darts off.. slow down some.. what colors have you been using? depth of water??

Been fishing roughly 6-10 feet. I have had a few 25ers hit at the boat. I mostly have been using a mepps yellow blade-green marabou and added a touch of red to the blade. That is what I have had the best luck with. perch or firetiger mostly. It seems like most of the followers come up right at the boat, but most are 25-30 range.

I devised a spreadsheet to calculate retrieve speed, and there may be something to your 'cranking too slow" theory. To get a speed of 3.5 mph (typical low end of the most productive trolling speeds per GPS), one needs to crank at about 2.5 turns per second with a reel that brings in 25 inches per turn (more-or-less typical for a musky reel).

Otherwise, SpinnerBait's suggestions are right on. Also, don't be afraid to use diving lures, because it's harder to get lures down casting than trolling. I've also found suspending lures to be money when casting, especially with erratic retrieves. Baitfish don't drop to the bottom or bob up quickly to the surface when they stop. And "flee" moves definitely trigger strikes! ><{{{{{{{{{*>

6.3:1 and 6.4:1

QUOTE(reelflyguy @ Jul 18 2009, 09:04 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>6.3:1 and 6.4:1

next time out have one guy slow down... and one keep doing what you have been doing. see what works.

Great idea! We usually throw different lures. Maybe we will try similar lures at different speeds!

Any ideas on what else to throw? What lure and what colors?

Thanks again!