There is no doubt in my mind that if I had a choice every day to fish crank baits; this would be my go to bait as it is just fun as it can fire up a school of fish like no other bait. Fishing crank baits does however require some thought as there is more to it than just reeling the bait back to you. The more skilled you become the more fish you will catch and the more excited you will get during the crank bait season.
As you become more comfortable fishing crank baits you will find that there are “musts” that make you a better crank bait fisherman; first is making a long cast, nothing is more important if you can’t get your bait out there 30 to 40 plus yards you need to get different equipment to get you there. It all starts with casting distance as bass are followers and the longer your bait is in the strike zone the better chance you have. Also, distance creates depth with crank bait the longer you have to work the bait back the deeper it will get and when fishing summertime depths getting to the fish is imperative.
There is also important aspects to your cranking style; just reeling usually doesn’t get it done you have to think about the little things involved in the bait. What is the bait doing, how does it present itself in the water, how do the fish react to the movement and more? All these thoughts need to factor in to your retrieve in order to create a bite. Presentations like cadence, movement, slow movement, fast movement, pauses and hard fast pulls should all factor in to your thought process. Speed creates depth lack of speed makes the bait run shallow; rod tip up or down changes depth and bait movement. All of these factor into your success rate. One of these movements may be the ticket to catching fish but you won’t know that until you get your bait in the water and change your retrieve enough to determine it. The only way to make it work is to keep changing your presentation until one them creates a bite and then repeat your cast. Crank baiting is a combination of thought process, experimentation and determination; make it different, make it work and you will be successful.
Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service
www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com
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Email: bassguide@comcast.net
Call: 256 759 2270
Capt. Mike Gerry