A depth chart will allow you to understand how deep your crankbait will go into the water. Depth charts is important for understanding crankbaits because crankbaits wont always remain at the same depth in the water. The depth of the crankbaits can change for several reason, such as the speed at which you retrieve your crankbaits, the diameter of the fishing line that you use, and the distance of the fish from your boat.
If you are not aware of the depth of your crankbaits, you may not be able to effectively find the fishes. Using a depth chart will allow you to understand how deep your crankbaits will travel, allowing you to ensure that your crankbaits reach the fish. One of the factors that will change the depth of your crankbaits is the retrieve speed of your crankbaits.
How to Use a Crankbait Depth Chart
Depending upon how fast you retrieve your crankbaits, the depth at which your crankbaits will go into the water will change. If you retrieve your crankbaits at a fast rate, your crankbaits will travel to higher depths of the water. However, if you retrieve your crankbaits at a slower rate, your crankbaits will travel to greater depths of the water.
For example, a shallow runner crankbaits may reach depths of six feet while being retrieved at a slow rate, but only reach depths of three feet when being quickly retrieved. Therefore, by controlling the retrieve rate of your crankbaits, you are in control of the depth at which your crankbaits will travel through the water. Another of the factors that will affect the depth of your crankbaits is the diameter of your fishing line.
For instance, if you use fluorocarbon lines, your crankbaits will go to deeper depths in the water due to the sinking properties of fluorocarbon lines. Monofilament lines are more buoyant than fluorocarbon lines, so your crankbaits will remain shallower in the water with the use of monofilament lines. Braided lines are thick, and will create more drag with the water.
Therefore, crankbaits with braided lines will go to shallower depths in the water than crankbaits with thin lines. Thus, if you want to control the depths of your crankbaits, you must also control the diameter of your fishing line. The species of the fish that you are targeting with your crankbaits will also allow you to determine the depth at which your crankbaits should travel.
For instance, redfish live in shallow flats covered in grass, so the depth of your crankbaits should be relatively shallow between four and five feet. Flounder live in deeper channels along the edges of the flats, so crankbaits should be set to reach depths between eight and twelve feet. Speckled trout live in both shallow and deep areas of the water, depending upon the time of day.
Therefore, depending upon the species of fish that you target, the depth at which your crankbaits will go will change. Consequently, you will have to utilize a depth chart to determine which crankbaits to use based off the type of fish you want to catch. The tides also play a major role in the depth of the water where the fish are located.
Thus, the depth at which you should fish will also change with the tide. During incoming tides, when the water is moving into the bay from the ocean, the fish will be moving into shallow flats with the moving water and sand. Therefore, crankbaits should be set to only go to depths of four feet or less during incoming tides.
During outgoing tides, when the water is leaving the bay, the fish will be moving into deeper channels. Therefore, during outgoing tides, you should use a medium or deep diving crankbaits when fishing. These tides will change the depth at which the fish will be located, meaning that the depth of your crankbaits will change with the tide.
The physics of the crankbaits are the same in both salt and freshwater environments. Therefore, if a crankbait can travel to depths of ten feet of travel in a saltwater bay, it will be able to also reach depths of ten feet in a freshwater reservoir. Although the environment will differ, the physical properties of the crankbaits will hold true in both locations.
Thus, you can use depth charts for managing crankbaits in both salt and freshwater environments. By using a depth chart, you can remove the guesswork and trial and error when using crankbaits; you can simply use the depth chart to determine what type of crankbaits to use in whatever environment your fishing in at the current time.