By Bob Lechel
September 7, 2011
The thought of chunking out a high dollar deep diving crankbait amongst a submerged forest makes many anglers cringe. Some won’t even attempt it for fear of the frustration and the amount of effort involved. Others make a half-hearted/unprepared attempt, get hung up, break the lure off and that is the end of the deep crankbait technique for the day. It isn’t easy and can feel like doing battle at times, but with the right weapons and tactics you might just be surprised how effective it is.
David Fritts I’m not, but I’ve done it enough to learn that there are key techniques and equipment that allow an angler to be more confident while fishing deep crank baits in wood cover. By deep, I mean a bait that will go at least 15 ft deep on a long cast with 10lb test. Fishing a crankbait (like all lures/techniques) will be fruitless unless done with some know-how and confidence in the technique and the appropriate equipment.
Baby Come Back
First and foremost get a lure retriever. There are many makes and models, but do get one. The mental “freedom” of knowing you’ve got a good chance of getting your favorite crankbait back is immeasurable. The weighted lead/metal types with chains and a long cord work fairly well for most snags and are necessary for deeper snags. The only problem with this style of lure retriever is that it will sometimes get hung up on limbs above the snag. I’ve got the one that comes with a line holder/winder which makes it very convenient and keeps the line from tangling on board, although an old reel or even a marker buoy can be used to hold your lure retriever line.
I’ve heard from reputable sources that the telescopic retrievers are good for mid-depth to shallow snags, as they allow you to force the business end of the retriever past the limbs to get to the lure. They are both cheap options especially when you consider that crank baits cost $5-$20 each. I’m amazed at how many boaters are lacking this critical piece of money saving and temper tantrum preventing equipment. A good lure retriever will literally pay for itself many times over in both emotional stability and your wallet.
The key to getting your favorite lure back, no matter which make or model you choose, is to position yourself directly over or just past the snag (the side the lure came into the snag). This will help prevent you from making a bigger mess by dropping the lure retriever around another limb (one that the bait isn’t on) and tying what seems like a surgeons knot with your line and the limbs. You can say “bye bye” to your lure when this happens.
Get it in There
Just the pure weight, size, and resistance of most deep diving cranks turn many folks off of deep cranking. The right equipment is key when it comes to not wearing yourself out throwing these large baits. A long, moderate action cranking rod such as the St. Croix Mojo Glass Crankster series or the St Croix Legend Tournament Big or Mag Cranker series works well for those baits pushing upwards of ¾ oz or more. Sure, you could throw the big crankbait on a stiffer/long rod you use for worms and jigs, but the faster action will not cast the baits as well and will affect your hook up to land ratio. You want a rod that has enough backbone , loads and casts well with heavier cranks, has good sensitivity (but not too much), and you also want the rod to have a soft enough tip to allow the fish to get the bait before setting the hook.
The reel should be a lower geared model. I use a 5:1 gear ratio and I don’t feel like I’m overworked retrieving the Lucky Craft Flat CB D20 crankbaits. If you were to use a higher gear ratio (6:1 or 7:1), it requires a lot more force from YOU instead of letting gearing do the work for you. It’s like the difference between torque and horsepower in a truck. This is a towing job, so opt for the torque and lower the gear ratio. You will thank me.
With the right setup, you will be in for a much more enjoyable day and not be so fatigued doing battle with these baits.
The Lining
One of the most difficult choices in deep cranking is what line to use. You have to figure in the water clarity, the depth of the strike zone, the cover, the crankbait you are using and the size of fish. For instance, at Falcon Lake the water is typically pea soup green (2 ft of visibility) with lots of timber and huge bass. I utilized 30lb braid (8 lb diameter) which allowed the bait to reach maximum depth but when it snagged a tree it was very easy to retrieve. I could position my boat above the snag, tighten down on the line and with a straight pull the bait would pop out. Sure some of the hooks got bent, but those are easy to replace. It also allowed me to be more efficient in retrieving my stuck lure by not having to break out the lure retriever each time I got snagged. This works great and is an option for off color lakes with big fish that can break your heart, and light line, easily.
Another example that proves the importance of line selection is Lake Amistad. I typically don’t use braid there due to the water clarity. One technique I have used is to increase the pound test/diameter of the line, such as 14lb or 15lb test fluorocarbon or copolymer. It serves two purposes. First off it gives you much stronger line to do battle with Lake Amistad giants as well as getting baits out of snags. Second, it decreased the depth the deep cranks ran. We were fishing brush 12-15ft down in 20 ft of water. It allowed us to crank those big Lucky Craft Flat CB D20 crank baits through the snaggy huisache bushes and elicit a reaction strike as it banged through the tops. We could be much more aggressive with the retrieve, knowing that we had a little beefier line to do battle with. In more sparse wood, with nominal sized fish and clear water, or if you just got to get down to the maximum depth of the lure, (strike zone/cover), the traditional 10-12lb test works fine.
A Little Bit of Chunk and Wind
Your feel for what is happening under the water is paramount to getting in and out of wood with deep cranks and still getting bit.
You should pay particular attention to the resistance when your bait is coming through open water. The wobble and resistance are pretty distinct. During a retrieve over wood cover, your line drapes over submerged trees while the crank is retrieved to it so the resistance and feel will change. It may feel dead or muffled and the vibration may be harder to detect as the resistance increases. This is where not being in a hurry comes in. Feel the resistance increase and slow your retrieve slightly until you feel the bait contact the limb. Pause the retrieve allowing the bait to float/back out of the limb, raise your rod and slowly crank it through all of the limbs. When you don’t feel any more limbs, drop the rod and continue the normal retrieve. This is also the time to be ready. That crankbait crawling and bouncing off of limbs is often the key to getting bit.
One of the best ways to increase the feel of what is happening down there is using the sweep and crank method. Cast the crankbait out and reel until it reaches the desired/maximum depth, at this point stop reeling and sweep your rod to the side. Bring your rod back to the retrieve position while using your reel to take up the slack (from the sweep), and repeat. You can really feel every wobble of the crankbait using this technique and when it comes in contact with deep wood you have a better feel for what is happening below the surface and are able to adjust the retrieve to “work” it through the cover. It’s also a deadly retrieve for eliciting strikes from bass.
The Weapon of Choice
There are many different brands, models and colors of deep diving crankbaits. They all have their unique actions, diving depths, and rattles that have their time and place. One of my favorite deep crankbaits that has produced well at both Amistad and Falcon is the Lucky Craft Flat CB D20. The bait is 3” long, weighs in at 3/4oz, and is equipped with heavy gauge black nickel VMC #2 hooks. To aid in casting, it has a tungsten ball/weight transfer system that moves to the tail of the bait during a cast, vastly increasing casting distance (especially in windy conditions and it ALWAYS blows at Amistad). This also allows the bait to reach maximum depth during a retrieve.
The design of the bait’s lip and flat profile allows it to dive quickly to the target depth. It has a moderate wobble and a deep sounding rattle. During the retrieve it also has a side to side wander that makes the action of the bait unique; almost a side-to-side searching action. Lucky Craft has marketed these deep diving cranks as “finesse” crank baits designed more for open water, but I’ve found that they aren’t any more prone to snags when fished in the timber as compared to a Norman DD22 or Bomber Fat Free Shad (BD7 series). They are one of my go-to baits at Amistad in the spring.
In fact, this past February the Flat CB D20 in the Ghost Baby Bluegill and Baby Bluegill pattern were deadly on the clear waters of Amistad. The tail of these baits have a translucent bright yellow which looks like a yellow light coming through the clear waters of Amistad. You could actually see the tail wobbling and reflecting a yellow beacon down 15-18ft. During this trip I utilized the heavier line (14 lb test) and cranked the tops of huisache bushes with these baits. I cranked a lot over four days and managed to lose one crank, which I attribute to operator error as it was windy. We were fighting the waves and I got into a tree and set pretty hard. One moment of inattention/cockiness resulted in a recipe for a lost favorite crank.
Deep cranking involves some work and when throwing any crank, shallow, mid or deep. You better plan on having some snags. If you’re not getting hung every now and again, you aren’t fishing them right. I don’t care if it’s a square bill in shallow wood or rock, or a deep crankbait in brush piles they all get hung. Take advantage of the tips above and you’ll be in for a much more productive, enjoyable, and less fatiguing day(s) of deep cranking. On the right day, on the right body of water it is often the best pattern if you are willing to get the right equipment and do the work. You may be rewarded handsomely.
