Bream on Cranka Crabs

Tasmanian designed lures fool the fussiest bream

Jonty Krushka

There is no doubt that ever since the Cranka Crab hit the market it has been a breamcatching weapon that countless anglers have welcomed into their arsenal. The most obvious feature of the crab is its extremely lifelike action and appearance. This ultra-realistic design of the crab seems to have the ability to fool even the fussiest of bream and often produces bigger-than-average fish. Another major aspect of the crab’s success is its versatility, whether its rock edges, weed edges, deep drop-offs, natural structure, man-made structure, reef or sand flats the crab has proven itself time and time again. The Cranka crab can be a substitute for a wide range of bream lures. Being able to effectively fish half a metre of water one cast and three metres of water the next without changing lures or swapping rods can be a massive advantage. This is especially true when time is of the essence such as in a tournament scenario.

Areas To Fish The Crab: Flats

In my experience, the crab is often overlooked as a shallow water option but this is where I have had the most success with the lure. When fishing shallow sand flats, I like to fish the crab in a similar style to a crankbait. Once I have found a good-looking area, I’ll make a long cast and let the crab hit the bottom. From here it is simply just four to five slow turns of the handle to get the crab scuttling along the bottom followed by a four to five-second pause. I keep the rod parallel to the water and continue this retrieve all the way in. If I can see fish or know that there are fish in the area, I will sometimes pause the crab for even longer and just shake the rod tip to try and impart a tiny bit of action into the floating claws. I will also use this technique after a bite and the fish almost always come back for another go. This retrieve can also be sped up if the fish are feeding aggressively and you want to cover more ground to find schools of fish. These shallow sand flats are present all along the north coast and are common in a lot of the east coast estuaries as well.

Flats with a sparse covering of weed can also be fished with a crab. When fishing weedy flats, I like to target the sandy pockets and work the crab through these areas very slowly. Crabs can also be worked over some weed by slowly drawing the rod tip upwards to lift the crab over the weed instead of dragging it straight through it. Fish will often eat a crab with a little bit of weed on the claws. This is an advantage of the crab in weedy areas over lures such as hardbody minnows and cranks as the swimming action is not inhibited as much by weed. My favourite places to use this technique are the lower reaches of Ansons Bay, Georges Bay and the Swan River.

When fishing the flats, I generally like to cast into the current or wind so that I can fish the crab as slowly as I need to and keep it in the zone for as long as possible without drifting over the area I’m fishing. However, on occasions fish will prefer the crab moving across the current or upstream, this is where having a power pole or stake-out pole can be useful. I’ll usually opt for a 50mm heavy model. Even though these areas are sometimes very shallow using a heavy crab doesn’t impact the action as a natural crab action is crawling along the bottom anyway. A heavy crab can also be an advantage in shallow water where there is a lot of current as it will stop it from rolling onto its back or tumbling as easily. It also aids a little in casting distance. As for choosing the 50mm over the 65mm I have found that fish seem to inhale the 50mm as opposed to sometimes pecking at the 65mm which can result in missed hook-ups or pulling hooks during the fight.

Rocky areas

Crabs are not just restricted to sandy bottoms, they can also be very effectively fished over rock. Although crabs are fished along the bottom the floating claw design makes them quite snag resistant. Having said this, there are areas such as oyster reefs and cunjevoi beds that love to steal crabs. In these really snaggy areas, I like to target the edges where they meet sand or mud. I find this is where the fish tend to be most of the time anyway. Rubbly areas made up of fist-sized rocks are my favourite rock structures to fish crabs over. The Derwent River in particular is home to plenty of these edges. In these areas using a similar retrieve to that used in weedy areas by slowly drawing the rod tip upwards and then winding up the slack as the rod tip is lowered back to parallel can result in fewer hang-ups. Another way to fish rocky areas with fewer snags is to use a 65mm model. I have found the larger size is less prone to falling down and getting lodged in crevices. When fishing the large boulders or single rocks surrounded by sand I like to cast into the eddy on the downstream side and just let the crab sit there for a while. I will often use a shake of the rod tip to impart action whilst keeping the crab in the zone for as long as possible. Another thing to keep in mind when fishing rocky areas is that bream will often pick a crab off a rock when it is snagged. If you are confident that there are fish in the area and get snagged, sometimes it can pay to just wait for a few seconds before taking the boat or kayak over to unhook it.

Man-made structure

Man-made structures such as wharves and bridges are also great places to target bream on crabs. When fishing wharves a lot will depend on the current in the area. With little water movement, I will fish my way around the jetty casting in underneath next to each pylon and letting the crab sink to the bottom. Once it hits the bottom, I will retrieve it a metre or two and then wind it back in and cast again. When there is a lot of flow, there are two main tactics I like to use. One is to fish the eddies on the downstream side of the pylons and the other is to position the kayak or boat upstream, cast short of the structure and let the crab waft back in underneath with the bail arm open. Once it has hit the bottom I will let it sit for a while, retrieve it a couple of metres and wind in to start over.

I like to fish bridge pylons in a similar way to large rock boulders. I’ll position myself downstream and cast into the eddies. I will also cast up alongside the pylons and fish the crab back along the bottom all the way. Generally for this style of fishing, I will use a heavy 50mm crab or even a crab with added weight however in some circumstances when the fish are holding higher in the water column a light crab may be worth a try. The slower sink rate is closer to that of a real crab and hangs in the fish’s face longer which can sometimes trigger a bite on tough days. When targeting particularly large fish in the gnarly country a 65mm crab can give you an advantage. The larger hook size allows you to put more pressure on fish when fishing heavier lines to get them away from the structure without the risk of straightening hooks. Although Tassie doesn’t boast a massive number of man-made structures compared to some mainland systems the Derwent River is one place I have had great success with crabs fishing around wharves.

Deeper areas

All of the techniques mentioned above can also be applied to deeper areas. Sometimes when fishing in deeper water or areas of high current I like to add additional weight to the crab. I will normally do this by attaching a 1/8th or 1/12th ounce TT snakelockz weight to the back of the crab. To get these to sit upright when attached the wire clip on the snakelockz can be bent 90 degrees or the split ring on the crab can be removed and the weight attached directly to the tow point on the crab. One of my favourite deeper areas to fish crabs is where the weed meets sand/mud in about 2.5-3.5 metres. Fishing a crab parallel to this weed line in a similar way to fishing a grab over the flats will often work a treat. This technique is particularly effective in little Swanport, the Swan River and Ansons Bay.

Gear for fishing crabs

The gear I use for fishing crabs in almost all scenarios is the same. My preferred rod is a 6’8” 2-4 lb BKCustom rod with a skeleton split grip. This rod is light, sensitive and comfortable, making it ideal for long days on the water. I match this up with a 2500-size spin reel. A good quality reel with a smooth drag is definitely worth the extra money. A sticky or rough drag can cause the small trebles to pull out during the fight if the fish is only just hooked in the outside of the lip. The reel I use most often is a daiwa Certate. My reels are spooled up with a three-kilogram braid. I have recently been using the Sunline Xplasma Asagai which I have been very impressed with. For a reasonably priced braid it casts well, ties knots well is easy to manage and rarely tangles. I then attach a leader via an FG knot. For most scenarios, I will use a 2.5kg leader of around 4-6 metres in length. A long leader provides a bit of stretch to help absorb the fish’s headshakes but retains some of the sensitivity and castability of the braid. I have recently started using the same outfit but with 2.5kg straight through and this also works well in some circumstances. For leader material, my go-to is Sunline Shooter FC Sniper Invisible. I have also recently used the new Daiwa Xlink which has been good so far. I find the 2.5kg leader a good all-rounder and a good starting point but there will always be situations that require going lighter or heavier.

Pretty much the only time I will use a different outfit is when fishing for large fish around structures such as oysters or mussel-covered wharves. In this scenario, I will opt for a heavier outfit such as a 6-14 lb rod, matched up with a 2500-3000 size reel with an 8-16 lb braid and an 8-10 lb leader.

Choosing a crab

When it comes to choosing a crab to tie on I generally stick to a few colours that give me the most confidence. There is a heap of great colours that all work but my three favourites are brown, olive and spotted. When choosing between these three I will often try and “match the hatch” of the crabs found in the area I’m fishing. A good way to do this check is to place a fish in your live well for a while and examine the contents left on the bottom. This will often contain a few crab legs and claws and will enable you to determine what colour crabs the bream is feeding on. Systems can even differ from one end to the other, for example in the Derwent I like using a spotted crab in the lower reaches but change to a brown when heading upstream. The choice of size and whether additional weight could help, will all depend on the area you are fishing and the method you are using. I also like to use scent on crabs. I find on days when the fish are particularly spooky and spend a long time looking at the crab a bit of scent can go a long way. The scent I use most often is Squidgies S-factor. Another important thing to carry is a pair of split ring pliers and some spare claws. Bream and big bream in particular love to crunch down hard on the claws and can often bend them up quite a bit. Once bent up the hooks are more likely to break even if you can manage to straighten them up a bit. I will normally swap them out if they get a bit chewed up, especially when targeting large fish.

Not only is the Cranka Crab a proven tournamentwinning lure for some of the best anglers in Australia but it is also a great option for people starting out chasing bream on lures. Fishing a crab can be as technical or as simple as you like and is a very reliable and addictive way to target bigger than average bream. No matter what type of structure you are fishing or where in the state you are targeting bream it is always worth having a couple of Cranka Crabs in the tackle box.