How to Fish a Crank Bait

Crank baits are lures that run under the water and only need to be retrieved with a steady motion to catch fish. Crank baits come in many different forms: floaters, countdowns, shallow running, and deep running are a few examples. Crank baits are versatile and will help you fish a big body of water in a short time. The wide variety of lures allow the fisherman to target fish anywhere in the water column. Keep a wide variety in your tackle box and experiment with different techniques to catch fish. Make use of the vast array of crank baits available and don't hesitate to change lures or your style of fishing that lure.

Instructions

 

1




Fish the crank bait at varying depths. Many factors can affect how deep particular crank baits will run. First off is the lure itself--the bigger the lip, the deeper that plug will run. The rate of retrieve affects depth--a fast rate of retrieve will make the lure go deeper in the column of water. Modern reels with high ratios will give you an advantage because of the greater amount of line that the reel will retrieve with one crank of the handle. Line diameter and rod position also affect crank bait depth. Lighter line and holding the rod tip low will cause the bait to run deeper.
2 Different crank bait retrieval methods will cause a strike. There are many brands and styles of crank baits. All can be fished just by reeling at a steady rate, but it is much more effective to try different techniques. Vary the rate of retrieve, causing the lure to stop and start up again. Cranking the reel and stopping will help to impart more action to the plug.
3 Target a particular depth by using a count down crank bait. These baits sink at a known rate, which the manufacturer will provide. If you suspect fish are at a certain depth, cast your bait and count down the number of seconds to get your plug to that depth. Use trial and error till you find the depth where the fish holding. Once that depth is known, you can repeat the procedure and keep your lure where the fish are.
4 Bump the crank bait off of structure. Crank baits work great when they retrieved rapidly and allowed to bump and bounce off of underwater structure. This will cause the lure to change direction rapidly, which simulates the action of a bait fish that is being pursued by predators. Although you may catch more fish with this method, be aware that you will lose more crank baits to snags. A few lost crank baits are a small price to pay for a stringer full of fish.
5 Troll the crank bait. Trolling is a great way to use crank baits. In addition to the depth control methods mentioned in Step 1, you can vary the speed of the boat to get the depth needed. Trolling lets you cover lots of water in a day and locate fish, which you can then target by casting. Crank baits with extra large lips work well for trolling.

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