When Crawling a Crankbait Shines

Crawling a crankbait is a slow, deliberate retrieve that is designed to imitate forage moving in and around cover. 

This technique is very effective for fishing submerged brush and grass for bass, as it allows the bait to slowly bump and grind periodocally ticking the cover, making it irresistible to bass that are lying in wait. looking for an easy meal.

Take a few minutes and watch as long time fishing personality Jimmy Houston demonstrates his approach to crawling crankbaits over and around submerged cover...

Here are a few more tips re: crawling a crankbait:

• Use a crankbait with a tight wobble and close to neutral bouyancy. This will allow the bait to stay down close to cover, where lurking bass are waiting to ambush unsuspecting prey.
• Reel slowly and steadily. The goal is to keep the bait just ticking the tops of grass beds, rock piles and submerged wood.
• Pay attention to your line. If you feel the bait get heavy, stop reeling and let it sit for a moment. The bass may be trying to take the bait; pausing the bait typically results in more hooked bass.

Crawling a crankbait can be a very effective way to catch bass, especially around submerged cover. With a little practice, you can master the crawling retrieve and use it to put more fish in the boat!

Details of Crankbait Tuning

Crankbaits are a popular type of fishing lure that can be used to catch a variety of fish, including bass, walleye, and pike.

One problem with crankbaits however is that they can be finicky and may not track straight out of the box. If your crankbait is not tracking straight, it can be difficult to fish effectively and you may not be getting as many bites as you could.

Fortunately, it is relatively easy to tune a crankbait to track straight.

All you need is a pair of needle-nose pliers and a few minutes of your time as Lurenet's Frank Scalish explains in the following video...

Wow, line tie position matters! I never realized that I might not have been tuning my crankbaits to maximize their performance for all these years.

How about you?

Gear Adjustments to Enhance Crankbait Presentations

Crankbait fishing can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but it's important to use the right equipment to maximize your chances of success. Two key factors to consider when using crankbaits are the length of your fishing rod and the size of your fishing line. 

Here are some tips to help you enhance your crankbait performance:

Longer rods are better for deeper water: If you're fishing in deep water, a longer rod will allow you to make longer casts and achieve deeper depths than shorter rods. Look for a rod that's at least 7.25 feet long.

Shorter rods are better for shallower water: If you're fishing in shallower water, a shorter rod will give you more control and allow you to make more accurate casts. Look for a rod that's between 6.5 and 7 feet long.

Use light line for better crankbait action: The lighter your line, the more action and depth you'll get when retrieving your crankbait. This is because lighter line has less resistance in the water and allows your bait to move more freely thereby triggering more strikes. Try using a 10-12 lb. test line when greater depths and enhanced action are desired.

Use heavier line for more control: If you're fishing in heavy cover or around structure, you may want to use a heavier line to give you more control over the fish. Look for a line that's between 14 and 20 lb. test.

Selecting Line Sizes When Fishing Crankbaits

When fishing a moving bait like crankbaits, new crankbait anglers often miss the subtlities of gear selection to maximize the performance of the bait. 

Beyond the fact that different types of crankbaits (squarebills, medium diving crankbaits, deep diving baits) present the first mystery to decipher when trying to master crankbaits, line selection also plays a key roll on how each crankbait performs during the retrieve.

Take a moment and listen as bass pro Chris Zaldain explains his approach to optimize crankbait performance by selecting the right type and size line to match the conditions being fished...

The two main points Chris makes in his video:

• Fluorocarbon line is preferred when fishing crankbaits
• Use heavier lines when fishing shallow running baits and decrease line size when fishing deeper running crankbaits especially in clear water

Crankbait Tweaks To Catch More Bass

If you’re like many bass anglers, chunk n wind is the retrieve most commonly used when fishing crankbaits…

Did you know you can catch more bass by making a few tweaks to your crankbait fishing approach?

Take a moment and see what Spro bass pro Mike McClelland has to say on the subject…

Ready to make a few adjustments?

I know I am 😉