Bass Fishing Crankbait Basics

Fishing crankbaits for bass can sometimes be hit or miss depending on water conditions and weather. Anglers tend to focus on color when fishing crankbaits, and although important (we will get to that later) there are other more subtle techniques that can bring those bass to the boat. 

Letting the Lure Work

If your not casting a crankbait out far enough, you are not letting the lure do what it is designed to do. Lighter line solves this problem. Drop your line size down to 8 or 10-pound monfilament to get maximum distance out of your cast and maximum effect from the bait.

Reel Fast

Can you reel a crankbait too fast? Answer is no. There are times when slow rolling a crankbait produces, but most of the time you want the lure moving fast to trigger a bite. Think about trolling and the speed at which that lure is moving. You probably can not reel as fast as you troll so you can never fish a crankbait too fast. Most crankbait strikes are impluse bites. Fishing fast gives the fish less time to "think about" what is coming and increases the chances it will instinctively strike.

Fast but Silent

The same premise with fishing a crankbait fast follows with the noise it makes. The more noise or "rattling" the more warning and awareness a fish has that something is coming. Sound is important in stained and dirty water, but in most conditions the more silent the better.

Color, Color, Color

Some element of fishing crankbaits has to come back to color. Color is less important than presentation but it still matters and should not be overlooked. Clear water warrants natural color lures as bass will spook at the sight of something unnatural. Match local food sources such as bluegill or shad as the color of choice. Stained water, bright colors right? Not necessarily. Dark colors such as black shad brown crawdad create a noticeable silhouette that can easily be detected by bass.  

- Phil Manning (FISH THIS)