By Mark Romanack
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| Crankbaits are awesome lures for “staying in contact” with the bottom or cover like weeds, rock and wood. |
It’s always nice
to stay in contact with the people we care about. When it comes to targeting
walleye, bass and other species with crankbaits, staying in contact with the
bottom, rock piles, weeds, wood and other cover is often critical to fishing
success. Sure there are times when fish suspended in the water column will
hammer a crankbait that wobbles past, but day in and day out the way to get the
most from these lures is to fish them tight to cover.
ON THE REBOUND
Crankbaits for
the most part have methodical wobbling actions that if the true were told can
be a little too mechanical at times. A bait that moves along at the same speed
and with the same vibrations may or may not trigger strikes from nearby fish.
When a crankbait comes in contact with the bottom, weeds or other cover that
methodical action is suddenly interrupted
and this is precisely when a crankbait is most likely to get hammered by
a nearby walleye or smallmouth.
Most anglers
understand that a crankbait rebounding off a rock or other debris in the water
is a good thing. The problem is when crankbaits are fished on monofilament or
fluorocarbon lines it’s not always easy to tell when the bait is making contact
with bottom.
Low stretch
super braids are the answer for reading a crankbait to be absolutely certain
the lure is diving deep enough to contact cover. Spectra braids like Maxima’s
eight strand braid are more abrasion resistant than fused lines and the ideal
choice for both casting and trolling crankbaits near cover.
A short three to
four foot leader of fluorocarbon line can be added to create an invisible line
to lure connection.
TELL TALE SIGNS
When fishing
with low stretch braids the rod tip will telegraph exactly what the bait is
doing below the surface. Every time the
lure touches bottom, weeds or any other object in the water, the rod tip will
tell the story. This is precisely why avid crankbait fishermen tend to favor
rods with a light tip and fast action.
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| Crankbaits like this jerk bait fish best when they are in contact with bottom or cover where baitfish and gamefish species like this largemouth bass spend the majority of their time. |
A crankbait
that’s making frequent contact with cover will soon provide another tell tale
sign that the bait is in the strike zone. Closely examine the lip of the lure
to see if the paint is getting worn off the bill or if the bill is getting
sanded down from pounding into rock, sand and gravel. If the bait isn’t getting
marked up, it’s not getting to the strike zone.
Dull treble
hooks are also a sign that the bait is contacting the bottom and fishing
properly. A flat file is the best way to put a quick edge back on any treble
hook that starts to feel a little dull.
TUNING FOR SUCCESS
Crankbaits
achieve their best action and diving depth when they are carefully tuned to
dive straight down in the water. The process of tuning a crankbait is a trial
and error effort that takes both time and patience to accomplish.
When a crankbait
is out of tune it will run either right or left of center when retrieved at a
high rate of speed. To adjust the bait simply use a needle nose pliers to bend
the eye tie attachment on the lip of the lure the opposite direction the bait
is running.
A little goes a
long way when bending the eye tie of a crankbait. Very subtle adjustments
dramatically influence how the lure runs and this is precisely why it takes
patience and determination to get a crankbait perfectly tuned.
The effort
required to tune a crankbait is more than worth it. Getting your mind wrapped
around the importance of hand tuning crankbaits is a good thing because the
process never stops. Not only do most “new out of the package” baits need
tuning, once a bait has caught a few fish chances are it will get knocked out
of tune and need some further adjustment.
MORE TIPS
There are other
ways to get the most from crankbaits. Lure manufacturers vary on the type of
eye tie attachments provided on their lures. Some baits come with nothing other
than a wire sticking out of the nose or lip of the lure. Other baits feature a
split ring on the wire eye tie and still others come with a small snap attached
to the wire eye tie.
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| Note this Mag Lip crankbait is attached to the fishing line using two cross lock style snaps. This rigging configuration allows this wide wobbling bait to achieve maximum action. |
Generally
speaking the best way to attach a crankbait to the fishing line is with a round
coast lock
style snap. A round snap is lightweight and provides the lure ample
freedom of movement. Snaps also make it easy to change out lures quickly and as
needed.
A snap works
great with lures that have split rings and also lures with just a wire loop
sticking out the nose. Most anglers however are reluctant to attach a snap to
their line if the bait already has a snap on it. Attaching a snap to a snap may
seem redundant, but this unique attachment point actually provides the bait
more freedom of movement and additional action.
Certain lures
that are designed to “wander” in the water like the Yakima Mag Lip series are a
good example of a bait that fishes best when a snap is attached to the end of
the fishing line and then attached to the snap that comes supplied on the bait.
Yakima calls
this wandering wiggle a “skip beat action” and there is little doubt that this
irregular darting motion works to catch fish. Other lures also enjoy a more
“open” action when two snaps are used to attach the lure to the fishing line.
In general, the more aggressive the action of the crankbait in the first place,
the more likely it will fish better when two snaps are used.
SUMMING IT UP
Crankbaits are
fish catching machines. When fished in contact with the bottom or cover
crankbaits are at their best. Make sure to use low stretch fishing lines, tune
your lures routinely and insist on round wire snaps to attach all crankbaits to
your fishing line. Sticking with these crankbait fishing fundamentals virtually
guarantees bass and walleye success.
