Cranks vs Harnesses

tbayboy · **Joined:** Fri Aug 21, 2015 7:04 pm **Posts:** 29

Hi everyone, as the temps are warming up (and up and up) I'm wondering what everyones opinions are for switching up trolling for 'eyes. On the opener I did ok trolling worm harnesses on a bottom bouncer around 1-1.5mph and the temps were mid 50s. Today with temps around 68 (big island) I tried the same but no takers (marked fish however). Maybe just one of those days but I tried running back over withe same lines with a rap DT20 at about 3.5mph and also got nothing but a pike.

So.... when do you switch it up and do you adjust speed for temps at all or do you typically have a set speed for cranks vs harnesses?

Roblin · **Joined:** Mon Jan 12, 2015 6:53 pm **Posts:** 842

Last year I used bouncers and harnesses right from May to late July and caught fish. Nothing changed as far as speed or colour. Not sure what to use if harnesses don't work.

BigMac · **Joined:** Fri Nov 28, 2008 5:18 pm **Posts:** 1383

3.5 is pretty fast in my opinion. When trolling summer cranks I stick around 1.7-2.2 mph. I’m sure fish bite at all speeds but that’s what works for me.

Try flicker shads or other small shad baits or husky jerks.

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Roblin · **Joined:** Mon Jan 12, 2015 6:53 pm **Posts:** 842

I think 3.5 mph is pretty fast. I'm always 2 kph or less.

Walleyeone · **Joined:** Tue Jul 20, 2010 9:05 am **Posts:** 235

Try 1.6.to 2.0 and we used worm harnesses all last year and caught fish. Cranks work to but just play with the colours and speed and they will bite..

tbayboy · **Joined:** Fri Aug 21, 2015 7:04 pm **Posts:** 29

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'll try slowing down the cranks - seems like its just fast enough to get it down a bit and feel the action - would you typically be pulling the behind a dipsy or other weight to get them down if your not going very fast? Late last year I was getting fairly stead hits on the cranks at around 3 so I stuck with it but I'll try a bit slower.

Very happy to know that the harnesses don't have an off time - grew up on them but for some reason I thought the quinte gang tended to favour cranks and was wondering if I was missing something.

BigMac · **Joined:** Fri Nov 28, 2008 5:18 pm **Posts:** 1383

tbayboy wrote:

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'll try slowing down the cranks - seems like its just fast enough to get it down a bit and feel the action - would you typically be pulling the behind a dipsy or other weight to get them down if your not going very fast? Late last year I was getting fairly stead hits on the cranks at around 3 so I stuck with it but I'll try a bit slower.

Very happy to know that the harnesses don't have an off time - grew up on them but for some reason I thought the quinte gang tended to favour cranks and was wondering if I was missing something.

You stated 3.5mph above. Did you mean 3.5kph?

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tbayboy · **Joined:** Fri Aug 21, 2015 7:04 pm **Posts:** 29

All my speeds were MPH - trolling the bottom bouncer/harness at about 1 to 1.5 MPH and the cranks (taildancers) at about 3MPH to 3.5MPH. I'll try slowing down with the cranks next time

meat sticks · **Joined:** Tue Dec 14, 2004 1:39 pm **Posts:** 30

I've caught pickerel over 3mph, but not too often. I generally stick to a salmon speed of 2-2.5 max with cranks, but I've often caught fish under 2mph as well slow trolling with the bowmount. Are you using braid on your trolling rods? I find it helps an aweful lot to feel if your crank is running right. For worm harnesses, I pretty well only troll on my bowmount now, unless I'm fishing a 2 rod per angler area, then I troll a bit faster with the kicker to allow mixed presentations.

tbayboy · **Joined:** Fri Aug 21, 2015 7:04 pm **Posts:** 29

I'm heading out tomorrow morning (winds willing) and will try slowing things down a bit (I'm on a kayak so speed tends to be a measure of comfortable effort). And yep, using braid (with flouro leaders) for trolling cranks and harnesses for just that reason - easy to feel the action and ticks on the bottom.

Hopefully have a good update for you all tomorrow. Here's a couple videos of how its gone so far - one from openers and one from last week (the one in the jacket and toque would be openers..) https://photos.app.goo.gl/sjG0T0qvxngeNrXS2

sunrisecottageresort · **Posted:** Sat Jun 02, 2018 9:49 pm

tbayboy wrote:

I'm heading out tomorrow morning (winds willing) and will try slowing things down a bit (I'm on a kayak so speed tends to be a measure of comfortable effort). And yep, using braid (with flouro leaders) for trolling cranks and harnesses for just that reason - easy to feel the action and ticks on the bottom.

Hopefully have a good update for you all tomorrow. Here's a couple videos of how its gone so far - one from openers and one from last week (the one in the jacket and toque would be openers..) https://photos.app.goo.gl/sjG0T0qvxngeNrXS2

Personally, I use all braid (no flouro leader) because the Bay and other waters I fish are always stained waters. If the water is clear, like Lake O, I'll use flouro leaders. Just my preference. Saves knots and weak areas in your line.

jkd24 · **Joined:** Thu Jan 21, 2016 2:34 pm **Posts:** 386

Pretty cool videos there, walleye in the first one was nice size

BWHDeseronto · **Joined:** Tue Sep 06, 2016 8:58 am **Posts:** 138

Used worm harness wiith tiny piece of worm on front hook and a gulp minnow strung between both hooks. It worked well from opener till mid October last year
Then switched to cranks of planer boards.
I have always trolled a worm harness bouncer setup on slow side and use the angle
Of the line as an indicator.
I haven’t seen any mention of current or tide on bay, for example
In the reach In 20’ of water using a 2oz bouncer I like to maintain a 45degree line angle
There can be as much as 0.3mph difference between north bound and downstream south bound
IE 1.3mph south vs 1mph north
Similar in Napanee River
Use trolling motor only with harness
Working well this year.

tbayboy · **Joined:** Fri Aug 21, 2015 7:04 pm **Posts:** 29

Thanks for the info everyone. Went out to focus on cranks this morning - tried a TD7 in clown/metal and kept around 2-1/2mph. Got a nice 20"er almost right off the bat so thought "wow the guys on this board sure are smart:

. But after that it was just a couple perch so can't really say (yet) but my legs definitely like the slower speed (trolling motor... I wish!).

I switched up to the harness behind a 2oz bottom bouncer a couple hours later and landed another small 'eye (using a gulp spinner worm). Called it a day just before the rain started, hopefully get another shot this week.

@BWHDeseronto: interesting mix, I'll have to try that. Because I'm using a peddle powered kayak an exact speed is hard but when I'm pulling a bouncer I'm doing the same as you - try for 45 degrees and around 1mph though it often drifts up to 1.5.

@ sunrisecottageresort: Most of my reels were setup for using all over the place (just got back from NW ontario for example) so I've gotten use to putting a flouro leader on them and just stuck with it, probably not needed here but they're already setup. And yeah, I have lost fish because of a bad join knot - you'll hear those curses from the other side of the bay I'm sure

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Cranks vs Harnesses

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