Crankbaits by Eric Remian

TIPS & TECHNIQUES

PRESENTED BY
FISH ON BASS ANGLERS
Gaithersburg, Maryland

Author: Eric P. Remian – Editor, Tips and Techniques
Photos: Prover and Greg Greene

Subject: Crankbaits

Mark all your crankbaits with the depth that they are designed to run right on the bait as soon as you remove it from the package with a permanent pen. If you wait you will find that it won’t be as easy to remember the specific size and model of the bait. This simple process is a tremendous tool when trying to pattern Bass within the water column.

We must learn to think vertical since the crankbait is a tool just as if it were a wrench sized for a specific bolt. These fabulous baits are designed to run at different depths and we must use the correct tool for the situation. Bass are constantly changing location to take advantage of the existing conditions. If the conditions dictate, they may be shallow. Then, when something changes such as the light intensity or the water visibility, the Bass will relocate or reposition themselves. It may be that they go deeper or get tighter to an object or hide in the shade of an object. Whatever the reason, be prepared to change your presentation by knowing the depth and action of your tools when changing baits. For example, if you throw a Mann’s Baby 1 Minus against the shore when the sun is bright and the water is clear, your chance of success is less than it would be if you changed your bait to one that runs deeper like the Mann’s Baby 4 Minus. The Bass may still be active but their strike zone may have been reduced from what it was an hour or so earlier that day. Learning when to change your bait can put the bait back in the zone and in front of the fish.

Don’t tie on a crank, throw it a dozen times and conclude that a crankbait pattern won’t work. Switch baits until you find one that the fish are responsive to under the then current conditions. Just because you have a favorite style and color doesn’t mean that another won’t be more productive at that time. It is very possible that the fish will slam the bait if it were presented in a slightly different manner. Slightly deeper, ticking the top of a weed bed or digging into the bottom kicking mud up or banging into rocks or gravel, etc. Using a deep diver up shallow with a slower retrieve can create that different look and sound that it might take to trigger a strike. At times even the noise the bait makes can be a deciding factor for a strike. Try a bait without a rattle. Bass tend to instinctively sight feed more often than not. The louder bait may just be enough of a turn off for the Bass not to strike under certain conditions.

Be sure to stock baits in your “tool” box that can cover a range of depths and actions. Your most productive colors should be stocked in a series. For example, I have a favorite brand of bait, the Fat Free Shad, of which I maintain the same color bait for each of the depth ranges they are manufactured in. This allows me to test the water for fish location and or change the depth of my presentation when necessary without changing the color or action of the bait. The baits pictured in this color series cover the water column from the shore to a depth of approximately 18 – 20 feet. Think vertical.
Different brands of baits will have different character or action when compared to other similar brands. Sometimes a brand change will be the little adjustment that makes the difference. Don’t be stuck to one brand until you’re sure it’s what the fish want at the time. Keep another brand tied to another rod and experiment periodically. Let the fish tell you what they want.

Having the depth marked on the bait will let you know how fast or slow to retrieve. If you use a bait that is designed to run in 8 – 10 feet in shallow water, then a quick couple of cranks will most likely put the bait near bottom thus you can slow the retrieve, starting to feel the bait working along the bottom.

When you feel the bait ticking the structure hold your rod tip higher. When you start losing contact with the structure, lower your rod tip. Most likely the bait is tracking down a contour or is rising towards the end of the retrieve. Your rod angle can help maximize your presentation.

Remember to throw your bait past your intended target. It takes a few cranks of your reel to get the bait down to where it will be most productive so you need the extra yards on the cast to allow the bait to be in the strike zone when it reaches the target.

Line size will increase or decrease a crankbait’s running depth. A good rule of thumb is to use as light a line size as possible in order to enhance the baits action. Lighter line will allow the bait to reach its deepest depth but common sense will dictate the size you should use. When your chance of hooking a large fish in heavy cover exists, increase your line size to minimize the potential of breaking your line. Water clarity and lure speed should also be considered when selecting line size.

Try different retrieves. A start and stop retrieve tends to be most successful. Regular and suspending baits can be bounced off an object and stopped. When the bait starts again and a fish is near the deflected cover, the fish may react by striking instinctively since it must not let a potential meal get away if it is to survive.

Use the sharpest hooks available. Most crankbaits are designed for specific hook sizes. An increase in the size of the hooks on the bait may increase the odds of landing a fish but it could also affect its action. Test it before and after a change if you do decide to increase hook size.

Use a rod made for crankbaits. The manufacturers today are dialed into the correct materials for specific techniques. Several rods that are recommended are the G Loomis Crankbait series rod, the LEWS Crankn Stick made by Browning, and the crankbait rods made by BASS Pro Shops. The Bass Pro Shops rods are very reasonably priced. These rods have stiffness in the butt and a forgiving limberness in the action that really makes a difference in the angler’s ability to work the bait and play a fish once hooked. Do yourself a favor and get one. The action of a crankbait rod improves your feel of the bait so much it’s amazing.
Wood is great fish holding cover to work with a crankbait. Cast your bait into a deadfall with a plan. Casting without a plan is asking for trouble. Your bait won’t get stuck as often as it could if you present the bait properly. Cast it parallel to the branches and trunk. When it contacts the cover, pause the bait, let it clear the wood and then continue the retrieve. Be careful not to set the hooks into the wood when becoming accustomed to this pattern. Working it slow is the key. If you think you have a strike, tighten up on the bait without pulling it too hard. A fish will move. The cover will not. Most often, a Bass will hook itself. This pattern can be so intense that you will find yourself anticipating a strike after contact with the cover and at times becoming zoned into the bait feeling every little branch and twig.

Tune your crankbaits. Tuned baits look more natural when retrieved. Tuning is easily done with a pair of needle-nose pliers but start first with the line connection. Tie directly to the split ring supplied using a loop knot or take the split ring off and use a round wire snap. It is not recommended to use both. One loop is all that’s required since the transmission of the bait’s action to the angler is not as great with more than one loop. The goal of the connection is to keep the bait as loose as possible so that the bait’s action is not hindered. Cast the bait a few feet and then pull it down hard so that it mimics the fastest retrieve speed you would use. The bait should run straight down so that you are looking down at it and only the top should be visible to you. If any portion of either side is visible the connection eye should be bent slightly toward the side that was visible. Small adjustments are best since big adjustments would most likely be too much of an adjustment.

Fortunately, the more skilled I become with presenting the bait properly minimizes the hang ups I have and provides a better than average chance of freeing the bait if it does get hung. I constantly plan a route to pull the fish out when hooked before the cast therefore the bait itself is easier to get out as well when and if it does hang up.

Finally, I have found that the more I fish with crankbaits the more fun I have fishing. These baits are truly big fish baits. This fact is proven to me over and over again. I will target wood and other thick cover with a crankbait simply because most of the other guys don’t want to be bothered with an occasional hang up. The fish in this cover type are typically less accustomed to crankbaits so the potential for a strike is increased.

Have Fun!