Capt. Mike Gerry suggests three key practices that will increase your crankbait catches.

With the deep cranking bite in full swing and the fall crank bait bite just around the corner; I thought I would give you some ideas on making a crankbait work. Several people in my boat lately have talked about crankbait fishing but really didn’t understand the factors that make the bait work for you.

Let’s first discuss how using crankbaits help you locate fish big enough to win tournaments. This is the first key to success with crankbaits. It’s something anyone can do, but it requires patience.

Trolling is illegal in a tournament but not during practice. I generally hang a deep-running crankbait over the side and troll the edges and points of the grass lines until I find fish that would win. When I find them I stop trolling, try to find a few more decent fish in the same area, mark the spot on my GPS, and then resume trolling. When I have found about 4 productive spots I move on to another area and do it all again.

Finding fish is one thing; getting them to bite later in a tournament is the trick. Most bass react to a crankbait when the bait deflects or bounces off of structures. A bass is more apt to hit a lure that moves erratically. Therefore, the second key is getting your crankbait down deep enough in the area to cause it to hit the bottom or structure and deflect. Also, by getting your bait to the bottom you are putting the crankbait in the strike zone. The depth is immaterial; whether you find the fish in 10 feet or 25 feet of water, the bait you select must deflect off whatever structure is down there.

Lastly, retrieve angles make a difference. Sometimes you can be cranking a spot without getting a bite, but a little change to the retrieve angle produces strikes. The key you learn from this is, work the area thoroughly from several angles before moving on. The fish could be positioned so you will need to approach them from a different vantage point in order to catch them.

Captain Mike Gerry

Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service

Web: http://www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com

Email: bassguide@comcast.net

(256) 759-2270

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