Crankbaits are highly effective lures for targeting bass, designed to mimic baitfish and provoke aggressive strikes. Mastering their use involves understanding different types, retrieve techniques, and how to adapt to environmental conditions.
Understanding Crankbaits for Bass Fishing
Crankbaits are hard-bodied lures with a diving lip that creates their unique wobbling and diving action when retrieved through the water. They are incredibly versatile, allowing anglers to cover large areas and target bass at various depths.
Types of Crankbaits
Choosing the right crankbait depends largely on the depth bass are holding and the type of cover present.
- Shallow-Diving Crankbaits: These lures typically run 1-5 feet deep and are ideal for fishing over submerged grass, shallow flats, or around docks and laydowns in skinny water.
- Medium-Diving Crankbaits: Designed to reach depths of 6-12 feet, these are excellent for targeting bass along creek channels, points, and humps, or over submerged rock piles.
- Deep-Diving Crankbaits: Featuring large, extended lips, these baits can dive 15-25+ feet, perfect for deep offshore structures, ledges, and channels where bass might congregate.
- Lipless Crankbaits: These baits lack an external lip and sink quickly, producing a tight wiggling action and a distinct rattle. They are highly effective for covering vast areas, fishing through grass, or yo-yoing near the bottom.
| Crankbait Type | Ideal Diving Depth | Common Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Shallow Divers | 1-5 feet | Flats, docks, submerged grass, laydowns |
| Medium Divers | 6-12 feet | Creek channels, points, humps, rock piles |
| Deep Divers | 15-25+ feet | Offshore ledges, deep channels, humps |
| Lipless Crankbaits | All depths | Searching, grass, yo-yoing, reaction strikes |
Essential Crankbait Fishing Techniques
Effective crankbait fishing relies on a combination of casting accuracy, retrieve manipulation, and understanding how to make your lure appealing to bass.
The Basic Retrieve
The most common technique involves a steady retrieve, allowing the crankbait to perform its natural diving and wobbling action.
- Cast Accurately: Aim for prime bass habitat such as points, drop-offs, weed lines, or submerged cover.
- Steady Retrieve: Reel at a consistent pace. Many anglers find a medium-fast retrieve to be effective for covering water and triggering strikes.
- Incorporate Pauses: Periodically pause your retrieve for a second or two. This often causes the bait to float up or suspend, mimicking an injured baitfish and enticing a following bass to strike.
Mastering Depth Control
Adjusting your rod tip position significantly influences how deep your crankbait runs, giving you precise control over your presentation.
- For Deeper Dives: Point your rod tip straight down towards the water. This reduces line resistance, allowing the crankbait to dig deeper into the water column.
- For Shallower Dives: Hold your rod tip up a little higher. This increases line resistance, causing the lure to run shallower than its maximum rated depth.
This simple adjustment allows you to fine-tune your crankbait's depth to match the specific structure or depth where bass are holding, without having to change lures.
Deflection and Contact Fishing
One of the most effective strategies with crankbaits is to "deflect" them off submerged cover like rocks, logs, or stumps.
- Bump and Go: Cast your crankbait to make it collide with structure. When it hits, pause for a moment, then continue your retrieve. The sudden change in direction and speed often triggers a reaction strike from bass hiding near the cover.
- Feel the Bottom: For bottom-contact crankbaits (like lipless or shallow divers in shallow water), let the lure occasionally tick or "grind" against the bottom. This stirs up sediment, mimicking a feeding baitfish.
Varying Retrieve Speed
Bass can be finicky, so experimenting with retrieve speed is crucial.
- Slow Roll: A very slow, consistent retrieve can be effective in cold water or when bass are lethargic.
- Burn and Pause: A rapid retrieve interspersed with abrupt stops can create an erratic action, often provoking aggressive strikes from active bass.
Key Considerations for Crankbait Success
To maximize your success with crankbaits, pay attention to these critical factors:
- Color Selection:
- Natural Colors: Use shades like shad, bluegill, or crawfish patterns in clear water or when bass are pressured.
- Bright Colors: Opt for chartreuse, fire tiger, or bright orange in stained or muddy water, or on overcast days to increase visibility.
- Match the Hatch: Try to imitate the predominant forage in the lake.
- Line Choice:
- Fluorocarbon Line: Its low stretch and invisibility make it ideal for crankbaits, allowing the lure to dive deeper and transmit subtle bites. A 10-15 lb test is common.
- Monofilament Line: Its stretch can be beneficial for deep-diving crankbaits as it acts as a shock absorber during aggressive strikes.
- Rod and Reel Setup:
- Rod: A medium-heavy to heavy power rod with a moderate or moderate-fast action is preferred. The softer tip helps with casting accuracy and prevents hooks from tearing out during a fight. A length of 7 to 7'6" is versatile.
- Reel: A baitcasting reel with a gear ratio between 5.1:1 and 6.4:1 is excellent for most crankbait applications, providing enough power for deep divers and control for other types.
- Reading the Water: Look for signs of baitfish, changes in bottom contour, submerged cover, and areas where current converges. These are prime locations for bass.
By understanding the nuances of crankbait selection and presentation, especially the critical role of rod tip position in controlling depth, anglers can significantly improve their bass fishing success.
