# Anybody Like Ripping



## Old Hunter (Mar 8, 2002)

When I am trolling cranks 90% of the time the rod is in my hand,I seldom ues rod holders. I would be considered a fast crank troller and most of the time I am sweeping my rod forward in about 3' swings. It makes the crank dive and get a little wild. It may hit the bottom,turn sidways, act like a crippled minnow.Then I drop the rod back and give it slack which stops the dive and the crank stops and rises. They usually hit on the rise. Anybody else do this?


----------



## rowdie (Jan 19, 2005)

I caught one of mine tonight like that, but no, I don't do it consistantly. Sometimes, I do better with just putting it in the holder.


----------



## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

I would say the majority of the fish I have caught trolling are caught that way.


----------



## Backwater Eddy (Jun 16, 2003)

More often then not, I am varying my speed in this manner while trolling.

Surge and fade back, increases vibration momentarily and then pauses the crank, this will often draw strikes.

Much like attraction and pause in the vertical while ice fishing, this stimulates strikes in the horizontal plane.


----------



## T Shot (Oct 4, 2002)

Works like a charm. Same with varying your boat speed and making s curves.


----------



## T Shot (Oct 4, 2002)

rowdie said:


> Sometimes, I do better with just putting it in the holder.


I would have to agree here, some days it just doesn't matter.


----------



## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Old hunter, I do it all the time when trolling. Walley don't overrun the bait, they stop short and try to suck it in. I watched a video once of a walleye following a bait for 1/4 mile and tried to take it at least six times. I actually drop back enough to leave some slack in the line then sweep it forward about four to five feet. It's that or put a small float midway in your snell. That will also let the bait move back a couple of inches when the fish tries to inhale the bait. 
I don't do it as much with cranks as I do bottom bouncers with spinners. I also will often use a jig and move through an area at about 1/2 mph.


----------



## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Plainsman said:


> Walley don't overrun the bait, they stop short and try to suck it in. I watched a video once of a walleye following a bait for 1/4 mile and tried to take it at least six times.


This is interesting you mention this - I've been out testing this as well by using the camera as a downrigger ball (needs a lot of added weight) and attached a release clip for fish strikes so we can reel it in without the camera. It's hard without good water clarity and the camera has to be balanced perfect to always keep the lure in view...I think it's almost ready (I've had it out 4 times and had to modify it each time since).

I expect I'd learn more in a couple days of watching them react to the cranks than all the time on the water put together. I know I've learned a lot in the winter using cameras.

And I will attest that Old Hunter is the King Ripper in the boat. 8)


----------



## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Chris you will have to bring us up to speed after you watch you bait a few times. Maybe you will have a new secret you don't want to share.  I think one of the reasons that jigs are so successful is because people slack up on the line and give the fish a chance to pick it up.


----------



## Hollywood (Jan 22, 2006)

It always drove me crazy at night casting stickbaits to feel them "bump" the lure without getting hooked, then one afternoon I saw what was really going on. The previous post is correct- a walleye comings flying up behind a bait, stops right behind it & sucks in hard. I watched one do this 3 times in a row (one cast) in perfect conditions. I caught it on the next cast. If the line had any slack in it at all that fish would have swallowed it. Figure thats why on windy nights I used to think they hit harder. Not so- the arc in the line allows them to suck it back easier.


----------



## rowdie (Jan 19, 2005)

It worked twice today, plus one pike.


----------



## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Old Hunter and I were talking about it Wednesday night fishing and this girl hit while we were demonstrating. Good timing (25.5" - CPR'd).


----------



## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

ripping and snagging are alot the same... illegal to snag wally tho!! :beer:


----------



## Backwater Eddy (Jun 16, 2003)

Ripping or Surging, is just a method to allow a fish to feed effectively. Not a method intended to hook up on a fish anywhere but in the mouth.

Surging a crankbait allows slack, that will also allow the fish to inhale the bait.

Walleye seldom Dog Bite a bait like a pike will, they inhale it by displacing water out through their gills, the slack in the line allows the bait to flow into the mouth with the water. That is the "Push" you feel when they try to inhale it but are unsuccessful in doing so.

Some days a suspending crankbait will work well, or a floating model, or even a sinking model for this purpose. It depends on how active they are and if they are inclined to feed in the vertical or prefer horizontal ambush feeding.


----------

