One method for catching BIG bass is cranking a deep diving crank bait. Bass are always looking for an easy meal and these baits meandering around bottom offer bass just that……. so they think. There are many productive ways for using a deep diving crankbait and a lot of different tricks to maximize success with them. The most valuable tip I can offer is keep these baits in contact with something. That being said let’s “dive” into big bait cranking.
Bait Choice
8.5 lb bass that ate a big mudbug
As with most aspect of bass fishing it is important to use quality tools for what you want to do. You want a crankbait that holds up well to vicious strikes, bouncing off objects, and powerful fighting fish. Look for quality hooks and split rings or plan on swapping them out. My personal favorites are Norman DD 22’s, Luhr Jenson Hot Lips, and the Rapala DT series. There are tons of others that work equally as well although sometimes the fish seem to want a certain type. Remember each crankbait is unique despite tolerances in production and each one may run slightly different. If you find one that seems to catch fish better than others try to hang onto it. When choosing a size crankbait think about the water column you intend to fish and want to cover. I chose a bait that will run deeper than the max depth I intend to fish so it will stay in contact with bottom as much as possible. The Hot Lips seems to be one of the deepest diving crankbaits out there. The DD 22’s run on average down around 14 to 16 feet. The Hot lips dives down to 18 to 24 feet. The DT series dive to the depth they are marked for. For example the DT16 dives down to about 16 feet. Most crankbaits are rated based on using 10 lb test line. I usually use 8 to 12 lb test flourocarbon for deep cranking. The flourocarbon line is abrasive resistant, sinks in the water, and has low stretch.
Where to fish them
Which leads into where to fish these baits. Look for areas close to creek channels such as sloping points or humps that fall off into a creek. Larger fish tend to stay close to deep water and staying close to deeper creeks increases your chances of catching quality fish. The best areas will have some sort of cover for the crankbait to interact with on the edge of the deeper water. I like grass edges and stump fields that fall off into a main creek bend. You have three ways of approaching these areas. One is to throw up into the shallow and crank the bait down the slope. Another is to throw into the deep water and crank up into the shallow water digging your way up the slope. Another which I will usually change to once I find the best break line is to throw parallel to that depth and try to keep the bait in the target zone as long as possible. I can’t tell you which way is best because it changes from one situation to the other. I usually start by cranking down the slope. Then switch to parallel. I usually opt for cranking up the slope under heavy fishing pressure or when the fish are actively feeding. Let’s talk about how to fish these baits for success.
How to fish them
The main method, which works fine in most situations, is a steady cranking retrieve. You want to make long casts to allow the bait more time to reach the optimal depth range. Keep your rod tip close to the surface of the water and start cranking quickly until you think you have hit the deepest it will go. Then slow down the pace to a steady retrieve and just try to slowly bump the bait across cover and really feel it through everything. With some experience you will learn how different types of cover feel like as you crank the bait along. Often grass will feel like a soggy sensation which unfortunately is also what some bites feel like. Brush usually feels like sporadic twitches and ticks. Rock and stumps feel like you bounced the bait on something. You usually feel it as a bounces and then you feel the bait reset. Rock tends to feel sharper than wood. Another approach is to start and stop the bait. Sometimes a bass is following the bait and when it stops suddenly they will commit to eating it. When fishing like this I usually like to incorporate my pauses right after I hit an object. This tends to look like a stunned bait fish and often results in crushing strikes. One less common but equally effective method is what is known as worming a crankbait. This tactic pretty well requires a suspending crankbait like the Hot lips. You crank the bait down hard to get it to the bottom. Then you slowly lift your rod as if you were dragging a worm or Carolina rig across bottom. Lift and reel up the slack, then repeat. Bites can be difficult to detect on this approach sometimes. Speaking of which how do any crankbait bites feel?
The Bite
Well sometimes they simply load the rod with weight. Sometimes they unmistakably jar the fire out of it. Sometimes it seems like you completely loose contact with the bait and are simply reeling in slack line. Sometimes it feels just like it bounced off a stump or rock. You simply have to get acquainted with what everything else feels like and anything else could be fish. When worming a crankbait bites vary from a very light tick that feels like a bluegill peck to a gut wrenching strike that almost snatches the rod from your hands. I would estimate that 95% of your bites on a crankbait come when the bait deflects off of something. You will feel it bounce a rock then as it starts to reset WHAM!!!! That is why you want a bait that dives deeper than you are fishing so that you keep the bait deflecting and bouncing off as much cover as you possible can. When I feel that bait bouncing and bumping along I feel a huge boost of confidence knowing the next thing it ricochets off of could be holding a huge fish.Why do big fish eat these baits so well?
Why they work
There are several reasons big deep diving crankbaits catch so many good fish. First, they go where the big fish are. Big fish tend to move deeper away from dangers of the shallows into areas they feel more comfortable. Second, they are a big meal. Big fish view a big crankbait as a meal that will give them the most bang for their bite. Third, these baits cause reaction strikes as well as feeding strikes. Often the bass are not actively feeding when you catch them on these baits. They are lying around by their favorite log, rock or stump when this bait fish comes by and smashes into their cover. It looks like a bait fish that hit something and then got disoriented creating a prime opportunity to get an easy meal. Big fish don’t get to be big fish by not taking full advantage of an easy meal.
Color Choices
There are so many color choices it can be overwhelming to decide what to use. In stained water and deeper darker water situations I think color choice fairly simple. I stick to basic white with a black back, chartreuse and blue back, and a couple of simple crawfish colors such as red and black. When the water is clean and clear and the sun is bright and high, I like to match the hatch a little bit more and use more realistic colors and patterns. Chrome is an excellent color in cleaner water conditions because it has good flash and reflects the surrounding colors. A clear bait is also an excellent choice because it blends into it’s surroundings. It appears to be food to a fish but they can’t get a definitive read on what the bait is. If I know the forage base then I try to get a bait to match as closely as possible. If I have a certain bait fish I need matched I will often get Sixth Sense Lures to match my crankbaits to give me as much advantage as possible. Sometimes it seems that very small details can make a huge difference in triggering bites.
Bonus Tactics
Here is one more way I catch some good fish with big crankbaits. Think shallow water and a big bait. I often fish my DD22’s in water as shallow as 5 foot deep or less. When I run this bait that shallow I can keep it in contact with the bottom almost the entire retrieve. Imagine a bluegill pattern crankbait rooting around a bedding area in five foot of water. How often do you think a BIG bass will let a bluegill dig, dive and rattle through it’s bed. Not often I can assure you. When you run those baits that shallow it looks like a fish digging along bottom trying to stir up crawfish, worms, and anything else they can find to eat. It also looks like a fish trying to eat eggs in a bed. I have won several big bass checks cranking a big crankbait like a DD22 in water 5 foot deep or shallower. Try a crawfish pattern in 2 to 3 ft of water real slow at night. The drawback with shallow cranking a big bait is you have to fish them where there isn’t alot of grass shallow. They don’t dig through grass real well. I hope these tips get you well on your way to cranking up some big fish. If you have any furthure questions don’t hesitate to ask.