CA Striped Bass on Crankbait - pro suggestions

[Junky Juke]

Hello brothers,
I wish to improve my technique, so I come here to ask you hardcore unique hunters out there what's your best retrieve style when going for striped bass in cali.
According to my knowledge and experience striped bass is catchable on a large artificial baits selection. But in particular crankbaits work very well.

But I need something specific, ossia how to best retrieve #4/0, #5/0 and #6/0 crank.
I noticed that the first two can keep a perfect depth on 1 and 2 reel in speed, but the 6/0 tend to stay too near the surface on speed 1 and keep a good depth at speed 2 and 3.
Problem is the biggest striped (trophy and uni) are very slow swimmer and often they cant reach the lure if I reel in too fast, but at the same time #6/0 crank ensure better result for big striped.

That said, what's your most effective retrieve technique? Please specify at what depth you try to keep the lure with stop&go - lift&drop and what's your best casting distance to optimize lure behaviour.

Thank you and have best luck with your monster catches!

[Tarquin_P]

Full stringer in 3 in game hours. 7m blue/white or lemon 3/0 crankbait. Normal, trophy and 2 uni in a day.
Throw as far as possible, reel speed 3 for first 5m, then speed 1 straight retvrieve.
Not biting on that retrieve then twitch while steady reel one speed 1.

[Junky Juke]

Nice one. I'm ging to try this twitch on speed 1. I'm now experimenting some retrieve I've seen done by some pros. I'm curious to see if real techniques work in this game. By now I was able to land 1 uni + a couple of trophies on 4/0 whiteblue crank. It seems that giving some action to the lure works better than straight reel.
Thank you Tarquin

[dannyboy]

I've had some success with the 1.5oz (42g) 4/0 lemon tiger, reel speed 2 lift & drop. Might pick up the odd steelhead or salmon along the way but mostly stripers. Normal, 2 or 3 trophy and a uni or 2. I know you asked specifically about cranks but no harm in extending your arsenal :)

[Junky Juke]

hehe of course bro. I have a nice selection of crank/spoons/jigs and I tested them all. I cought unis on almost everything with a 4/0+ hook on it except for plastic jigheads (I tried green, yellow and black shads). I'm mostly concerned about 6/0 crank. They are not easy to handle. Infact for unis I usually rely on 4/0 cranks that seem to be more easy to keep at their optimal depth at low speed.
I cought a uni on 4/0 lemon tiger on sunny day but it was a lucky shot because I couldnt catch anymore.

Is anyone trying some RL retrieve technique. By eg. trying to make the lure hit the bottom to simulate a fish feeding or suddenly changing swimming direction and so on?
In RL it's the usal way to handle artificial fish baits. The more they behave like real live counterparts the more the odds to beguile the prey. But I can't still figure if it on Fishing Planet.

[Jonathan J. O'Neill]

I use Rainbow 5m #6/0 cranks.

I can cast out to about 40 meters on my setup. 2 Speed reel until it hits max depth, then RMB once every rotation of the reel's handle. So, click once, wait for handle to do a full rotation, wait a half second, click again.

I also do 2 speed retrives, to bring it to max depth, then let it rise to surface, retrive until it hits max depth and let it rise. Both have worked for me.

[Junky Juke]

Nice. What reel do you use in this case Jonathan?
Thank you guys, I really needed al this infos.

[Jonathan J. O'Neill]

At the time I was fishing them, the Vortex 4000/5000. Stiill works with the 7000.

[Capt_Mac_141]

Originally posted by FishyFrags:

16ft 3/0, crank for steelies

Interesting choice, I found that the 12 ft. #2/0 "Rainbow" works very well on Steelheads.

[Junky Juke]

Thank you for keeping alive my two week old thread guys. By the time passed since my OP I found a comfortable lure: lemon crank #6/0. My retrieve consists of a prolonged lift&drop at speed 1 to make the lure go down at first bump level. I can't explain more precisely my technique, but it is very affective and brings is some nice unique striped basses ;)