crankin question?

i went and fished one of my favorite fishing holes yesterday and when i got there i started fishing a crank bait its a xcailber squarebill and i made bout 5 cast and hooked up with my first fish wasnt no big deal then i made 2 more cast and hooked up with my second fish and faught him all the way to the boat and he got off when i was about to swing him in. then after a while i tied on a strikeking xd crankbait and was crankin deep and hooked a nice 3 pounder and faught him all the way to the boat and i really played him too cause i could see him and i really wanted to land him and just as he was to tire out he slipped off . im using a stcroix medium action 7ft rod and the other pole is medium heavy . do you think it could be the pole im using or would it be me setting the hook to fast not allowing the fish to completly inhale the bait , im not jerking on the bite im pulling to the side would that cause me to loose my fish any help would help. thanks

I had the same problem for a while....did this:
Quit using medium heavy (only medium for cranking now....give a little more when they jump) and started going up 1 hook size on the back hook on most of my crankbaits.
Strike Kings and Bombers seem ok but all my Bandits needed a bigger hook on the back...lose a LOT less fish now.
Just my advice

I find that over confidence is a major cause of loosing fish at the boat. You get it in your head that you've caught this fish before he's landed and somewhat let your guard down giving the fish the advantage to get the better of you. My thoughts.

Could be the hooks. A lot of times the hooks that come on cranks aren't the greatest. I usually end up changing mine. Also just the regular wear and tear on any hooks such as dragging against rocks can dull your hooks down. I've seen a few interviews with pro anglers that say they will sometimes change their hooks a couple times a day just to be safe. I personally think that's overkill but I will change them a couple times a season.

Another piece of advice would be to make sure you never give the fish any slack and keep your rod tip low. Although it's a lot of fun to watch them go airborne during the fight it also gives the fish the best opportunity to shake the hook loose. And if it's usually happening right at the boat try using a net.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

I would consider the line as well. It's really a combo of things that could be wrong. The rod, reel, line, hooks and technique can be controlled. The thing you can't control is luck (good or bad) so prepare the stuff you can control and it will work out eventually.

I have gone days or weeks and never lose a fish and then I'll go out and lose several for all kinds of reasons. Stuff happens to everyone.

I have used 3 power loomis rods that I purchased for working soft plastics and just thought I would try them with shallow and medium cranks and they worked great! I actually use my 6'6" GL3 for that now. I still used my crank rod but since it has a lower ratio reel I mainly use it for deep divers.

mustad makes a kvd elite treble hook. its a hook kvd swears by. i have changed out almost all my crankbaits with these and because the shank is shorter you can go a size bigger which is a plus.

I agree somewhat with the overconfidence although I have also found that after playing a fish for a while will also enlarge the hole in which the hook is in the fish. I have noticed a lot of anglers fishing with me will get the fish to the boat and give it slack at some point and that is the moment the fish lets go. All that fish needs is 1/2 a second to throw a crankbait or any bait for that matter. I keep tension on the line 100% of the time until the fish is in my hand. It is tough to do and most do not realize that split second they let slack back to a fish but it happens. I do like to upgrade the back hooks of my cranks as well. That does help

Thanks on your info guys I will give it all a try

[QUOTE=nitroz7;462382]I have also found that after playing a fish for a while will also enlarge the hole in which the hook is in the fish[/QUOTE]

That's it right there. "Hawging" a fish, or working him too hard will cause this, or a rod that is too stiff, or a drag that is too tight...