From cold water species such as trout and salmon, to warm water fish like bass, pike, walleye, perch and panfish , a properly selected crankbait can often be one of the most important lures in an angler’s tackle box.
When should you throw a crankbait?
Late fall and early spring when bass roam the shallows are ideal times to throw a square bill crankbait. The short bill crankbait can be slowly cranked through shallow brush when the water is still cold in the early spring.
How fast should I reel in a crankbait?
The correct speed of any crankbait reel is 21 inches of line pick-up per turn of the reel handle.
Do you use a sinker with a crankbait?
Simply put a crankbait never requires additional tackle like a sinker or weight to be fished properly Instead, just get a good pole and rod, 8
pound test monofilament line
, and tie the crankbait on the end. And go fishing! You can catch fish with just that!.
What’s the difference between crankbait and jerkbait?
A Jerkbait is a narrow shaped hard-body lure with with a shallow lip and 2-3 treble hooks, usually fished in depths of 6 feet or less. A crankbait is a compact shaped hard-body lure, with 1-2 treble hooks and varying lip sizes for shallow, medium or deep water fishing.
Why is it called crankbait?
A crankbait is a fishing lure usually made out of hard plastic or carved from wood. It is formed to mimic the
swimming action
of a baitfish, crayfish or other prey.
What action is best for crankbaits?
A good crankbait rod should have a relatively slow action In other words, the rod should start to bend down about half way down when moderate pressure is applied to the top section. Fast action means that just the top third will bend with the same pressure.
What is the
best color crankbait
?
Whites, silvers, and anything flashy that resembles a shad works wonders when it comes to crankbait fishing. It is always a good idea to have several shad-pattern crankbaits ready to go. Bright shad patterns like white excel in both clear and dirty water, and the more translucent shades are best for ultra-clear water.
Are crankbaits good for bass?
Crankbaits are some of the most powerful bass lures , because anglers can cover a large amount of water in little time. Often, bass anglers use crankbaits to scout unfamiliar waters quickly and find the areas with the most bass.
What line do you use with crankbaits?
Monofilament Fishing Line The best multipurpose line is monofilament. It has been an all-around great bass fishing line for years and is affordable. Monofilament has more stretch than fluorocarbon or braid so it is ideal for running shallow-diving crankbaits through wood or rocks.
Where do you fish crankbaits for bass?
squarebill style baits
work well because thye typically run just above the weeds in average depths of 5 to 10-feet This range is your average bass fishing scenario. Shallow water bass love shallow running squarebills because they match the baitfish and small panfish that inhabit the shoreline.
Can you catch trout on crankbaits?
Another appeal of using crankbaits for trout is that they tend to attract a little larger fish on average than do most flies, jigs or spinners, and they are among the best lures for targeting trophy trout.
Are crankbaits topwater?
The answer is complicated, but to answer it simply – crankbaits are not a topwater bait But some crankbaits do float at first, and others sink immediately. Below I’ll go into all of the details of why crankbaits float, which ones don’t, and how you should use that knowledge to fish them more productively!.
What colors do bass like?
The cellular composition of the largemouth bass’ eye is tuned to respond to two colors: red and green Bass can see these colors well, and make decisions with high selectivity based on these colors.
What lure is best for bass?
Jigs, Crankbaits, Plastic Worms, Spinnerbaits and swimbaits , are all effective bass lures. Most of these are very versatile lures making them practical for largemouth bass fishing in most conditions throughout the year when used effectively.
How do you balance a crankbait?
“The balance point on a crankbait is right by the throat or just forward of the front hook hanger That’s where you want to add the weight. You can use Storm SuspenDots by just sticking them to the bait in that area. The SuspenDots are good when you don’t need to add a lot of weight.
What is spinnerbait good for?
Spinnerbaits are used principally for catching predatory fish such as perch, pike and bass , and are particularly helpful in attracting fish as you begin your day out on the lake.
What does a jerkbait look like?
A jerkbait is a minnow-shaped lure that provides a horizontal presentation A straight retrieve makes a jerkbait swim with a shimmying action. This catches fish, but where a jerk-bait shines is on a snap-pause retrieve, which gives it an erratic, darting action that drives bass wild.
What is a
carolina rig
in fishing?
The Carolina rig is a plastic bait rig similar to the Texas rig, but with the weight fixed above the hook, instead of sliding down to it The Carolina rig is suitable for beginning fishers. This specific rig is designed to help fishermen catch bottom feeding fish, particularly bass fish.
How do you fish crankbaits in weeds?
Cast your bait into these sparser weeds and bring it through them and across the cleaner bottom close to the edge of the weeds If there are rocks near the weeds, always bounce your crankbait through those. Bass will often hit your bait at the far end of your cast in sparser weeds.
Are plugs and crankbaits the same?
Plugs are a popular type of hard-bodied fishing lure. They are widely known by a number of other names depending on the country and region. Such names include crankbait, wobbler, minnow, shallow-diver and deep-diver.
Is a crankbait rod worth it?
The bottom line for anglers using crankbaits is to invest in a crankbait rod. Rods specifically designed to throw crankbaits are well worth the money.
Can you fish crankbaits with a fast action rod?
Medium Heavy Fast will work for crankbaits , and many people prefer that rod for shallow running square bills. I recently got a dedicated crankbait rod that is a medium-heavy moderate action. It really is more suited to crankbait fishing.
Sources
https://vtfishandwildlife.com/fish/fishing-opportunities/fishing-basics/common-lures-and-rigs/mid-depth-lures-and-rigs-crankbaits
https://bassonline.com/how-to-fish-a-crankbait/