Crank Bait Season is Nearby!

As we progress into fall and the summer starts to cool you will find the bass more active, more willing to chase and working a crank bait around the edges of the channel, creek beds and thin grass will have the potential of loading the boat. I know for many this can be frustrating as you seem to hang up a lot in the grass, but nothing will put more fish in your boat in the fall than a crank bait.


Don’t be myopic as it’s not always your traditional crank bait as many times in the fall we see lots of schooling fish and nothing catches fish better than a small ¼ oz. rattle trap when the fish are chasing and feeding. The size this time of year of a rattle bait is extremely important as we seem to get large bait fish hatches week after week in the fall so the bait their feeding on is small-in-size. Matching the hatch size is very important to the feeding process.


I also believe that as the water changes its temperature during the fall quickly and with every passing front; bass seem to follow the bait to the edges of the river channel to find the cooling water. As this occurs the edges of the channel load up with bass and fishing 8 to 10 ft. by running a crank bait at about a 45-degree angle off the edge of the channel can be a deadly presentation. You will hang up on grass some but once you find the correct angle off the edge it won’t be bad at all, just snap through the grass when you hang it; not only will this free the bait but the quick snap movement will cause reaction bites from the fish.


I believe that the fall crank bait bite is much about the wobble of the bait and flat sided crank baits that have a tight wobble is very much the bait of choice. Flat sided crank baits cause more vibration, replicate the natural bait and are easier to size to the hatch than the fat rounded crank baits that many of us are used to. It’s also true that we get less rain in the fall than any other time of year; so, use bright colors.


Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service
www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com
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Email: bassguide@comcast.net
Call: 256 759 2270
Capt. Mike Gerry