How to Fish a Crankbait for Bass
Crankbait Time Is Anytime is what makes them one of the most popular choices for bass fishing. One reason they are so popular is because of how much water they can cover in a short amount of time. They are great for finding where fish are holding in unfamiliar waters.
Crankbaits come in all shapes and sizes and more colors than you can imagine. They are made out of either hard plastic or wood and are designed to mimic a swimming baitfish, crawfish, or other prey.
A unique aspect to Crankbait Time Is Anytime is their lip or bill on the front of the bait. This lip is designed to get the lure beneath the surface when you reel the bait in. The diving depth of the lure is determined by the size of the bill. The bigger and longer the bill the deeper the bait will dive.
For me Crankbait Time Is Anytime with these different types:
- Squarebill: Squarebills are shallow diving crankbait. They generally dive between 0 to 5 feet deep. Because of this, they are very popular during the spring and fall, when bass move up to shallow water for spawning or searching for food.
- Medium Depth: Mid-depth diving crankbaits run 6 to 12 feet deep and have a rounded bill. The rounded bill generates a tighter wobble action than squarebills.
- Deep Diving: Deep diving crankbaits can dive 12+ feet, with some reaching up to 25 feet deep. These are typically larger bodied but there are a few models that aren’t so oversized.
- Lipless: Lipless crankbaits are unlike the other 3 types of crankbaits. As the name suggest, they don’t have a lip that makes them dive. Instead, lipless crankbaits sink and their diving depth is controlled by their weight and your retrieval speed.
How to fish:
A basic, steady retrieve will catch fish but adding in some slight modifications can increase your productivity. When fishing around cover try slowing or pausing the bait for a second giving inactive bass a chance to strike. In open water you can try a stop and go retrieve. The key to crankbait fishing is locating bass then paying attention to what is causing triggering the strike. Some days it will be a fast steady retrieve others might be a stop and go. If you can manage to find the pattern then you are in for a good day on the water.
Where to fish:
Bumping a crankbait into cover triggers strikes, but the lure is just as effective in another role. They work well in other structures as well. Fish them around ledges, rip rap rock, weed edges and clay banks. Where to fish them is most dependent on the season you are fishing.
Equipment:
The best fishing rod to use with a crankbait would be a medium-heavy or medium, with a length of 7’ 0” or 7’ 6”, and a tip action of fast. For a reel only use a 6:1 gear ratio or a 7:1 fast to get them moving right away. For line, Fluorocarbon.
Technique:
A crankbait works best when it is deflected off of the bass-holding structure. It could be logs, docks, rocks, or whatever structure you are fishing. The key is the interrupted action and the deflection caused by hitting the structure. Sometimes a short hesitation after striking the object will help draw strikes.
Tip:
A crankbait is a “zone bait” with its path running like a pendulum starting out shallow in the water column, diving to its maximum depth and then ascending as it returns to the boat. So you’ve got some depth zones that each type of crankbait covers.
If you’re not using this versatile big fish catching bait, you are missing out. Crankbaits can be used in a variety of situations and are effective almost all year. They are exceptionally effective during the pre-spawn when bass are looking for an easy meal. Tie one on and give it a try this year, you will be glad you did.
“Catch The Dream!”