Summer time means H-O-T weather and H-O-T water temps. It also means that some of the best fishing action is way off shore, away from the bank. To be successful at deep summer cranking, it takes the right equipment and approach. The first two keys to solving the offshore puzzle is a good map and a good depth finder. The depth finder needs to be able to show detail on the bottom.
The map needs to show detail and contour. One needs to be able to locate possible off shore targets first by sitting down going over the lake map. Good starting points are main lake flats that connect to the old river channel, roadbeds, creek bends, and flat points. Once area's are located for probing, I choose two methods to see if fish are present. One is with a depth finder, and the other is with a crankbait. The key here is that the crankbait needs to reach the target depth. It is very important to know the depth that your crankbait will run at one constant line size. I like 10 pound Stren Magna Flex, so all my baits are tested, marked for depth using it. The Magna Flex has little stretch, which helps secure better hook ups at greater depths, plus gives better feel of what the bait is doing.
When using the depth finder, I don't look for fish, I look for structure. Find the structure, and you will find the fish. It could be a rock pile, a set of stumps or a brush pile, but something that will hold the fish. The crankbait will act as an extension of the depth finder and my hands, allowing me to further examine the structure for texture and fish. Now the crankbait really becomes important.
The crankbait should be able to reach the desired target, as fore mentioned, but it needs to run straight. You can make a crankbait run straight by bending the lip line tie, with needle nose pliers, the opposite direction the lure is running. Be sure and do this in small increments, a little goes along way. The crankbait itself can be an important element to success.
Some colors out of the package will work fine, but I like custom painted crankbaits best. In stained water, I like chartruese hues, and most production baits are too bright chartruese or too yellow. I remember David Fritts making the comment that he "liked to place his crankbaits out in the sun to fade the color some". Well, I like the same thinking, just like a more practical way of doing it, a custom paint job. A good friend locally is providing this service, called Custom Lures Unlimited (www.customluresunlimited.com). I have worked with him to match the exact colors that I like in certain situations. He also can provide restoring crankbaits, fixing cracks, and replacing lips, besides custom painting and clearcoats. To me, having a bait that is different, or perhaps something the fish has not seen a zillion times, gives me that edge during a tournament or guide trip that puts fish in the boat.
Once the location to fish is determined, I like to drop a buoy to help line up on the target. It also gives me a reference once a fish is hooked to make the same cast. The rod I use is a custom signature series cranking rod I designed, www.skeetsfishingrods.com, one with a longer padded handle, and fiberglass, not graphite, to help fight the fish up close. I like a line that does not stretch, but a rod that is forgiving. The line helps hook the fish, the rod helps play it. The rod should be atleast 7 foot, which helps cast the crankbait. The greater distance attained in the cast, the quicker the bait gets to the desired depth for coverage. The reel should be atleast 5:1, not slow or too fast. If you crank too slow, the bait will not bounce off the structure, which causes a reaction bite, and if the reel is cranking the bait too fast, it will cause it to roll or not reach its true depth.
This is very important because the bait needs to be hitting something. I very seldom will get bit without having hit something. Once the bait hits a stump, or rockpile, I like to pause it for a second, then continue on. Usually, the fish can't stand this, and will hammer the crankbait. One thing I notice, specially while quiding, is that most people do not hold the rod correctly to maximize depth and limit fatique.
The proper cranking position has the rod and line in one continous straight line, almost pointing at the crankbait. You can tell when this is correct because the rod will actually balance in your hand as you reel. If you have the rod too high or too low, it creates drag or pull, which will strain your wrist. See photo at left. I also like a longer handle with a pad on the end, which can be placed under my arm to help secure the rod. In a day of cranking, or even in a hour, you will feel the difference in your wrist. I hear more people complain that cranking is too much like work. With the right equipment and technique, its not.
Another comment I hear alot is "where do I throw the crankbait"? Well,......anywhere you would throw a carolina rig. The key is having something there to hold the bass. Old roadbeds are a favorite of mine. They usually offer deep water access, and some form of cover. From an old bridge piling to a drainage ditch. I will cast the crankbait till either I feel I have covered the area, or there just not fish present. But I will also change the color crankbait before I leave. The fish will tell you if a different color is better. If the fish are biting the crankbait, but not getting it good, say just on the back hook, then a color change is needed. It doesn't have to be drastic, maybe one with no belly color or no rattles. But some change until the fish has the bait in its mouth.
When choosing a crankbait, you have many styles and colors to choose from. There is flat side, wide wobble, rattles, plastic, wood, and the list goes on and on. I like to narrow it down to a couple determining factors, one of which is water color. Now, I don't like real muddy or stained water, but I do like slightly stained because I feel it puts the fish a shallower depth to feed. A depth that is easier to hit, say 10 to 14 feet. Here, the best choice is a bait that has rattles, like a Fat Free Shad. When fishing clearer water, similiar to Shearon Harris, I like to throw shad colors or some form of blue.
