When you need to cover water and find active fish, a crankbait is hard to beat. These diving, wobbling hard baits let you fish quickly, search a lot of water, and draw reaction strikes from largemouth that a slow bait would never move. And when a crankbait bumps and deflects off cover, the strike is often immediate and violent.
Why it works
A crankbait's wobble and speed imitate a fleeing baitfish and trigger a reflexive strike. Just as important is deflection, when the bait ticks a rock, stump or dock and caroms off, it mimics a panicked, injured baitfish, and bass pounce. It is also a superb tool for finding where the active fish are holding.
Types and how to fish them
- Squarebills: shallow-diving crankbaits made to bang through shallow cover, wood, rock and grass, and deflect. Fish them fast and let them hit stuff.
- Deep divers: longer-billed baits that reach deeper structure, points, ledges and drop-offs, to pull bass off the bottom.
- Vary the retrieve: a steady wind covers water; a stop-and-go or a deflection off cover often triggers the bite.
Tip Make the bait hit things. A crankbait retrieved through open water catches some fish, but one that deflects off cover, rock and wood catches far more, so pick a bait that runs at the depth of the cover and grind it into structure.
Gear
A moderate-action baitcasting rod (a softer tip than you would use for plastics) helps fish stay pinned on the treble hooks, paired with a Daiwa baitcaster. Match the bait to the depth you want to fish.