Reply With QuoteThink about what a crank bait is imitating. A crawfish schooting along the lake bottom. I've been lucky enough to scuba dive in a lot of lakes. I would swim with my face just above the mud bottom on this lake where I use to work as a life guard. I would often see a poof of smoke (mud really but it looks like smoke to me). Then I figured out that what I was seeing was the mud kicked up from a fleeing crawfish. Some were bigger and some were smaller but they all behaved in the same manner. They would flip their tail and propel themselves away from me. Visibility was limited to just a few feet which is why I could not see the crawfish at first. But I started to follow them and watch them swim backwards away.
A crawfish will flip it's tail two to three times and propel itself out of the way. They they will rest for a second and if you follow them they will flip their tail and swim away again. They eventually will get tired and then turn around with their claws facing you and try to defend themselves.
One of the Large mouth basses favorite food is a crawfish.
So make your crank baits act like a crawfish. I will cast out and then pump the bait three times in a row and then let it rest. Repeat this in a quick manner in warmer water and slow it down in colder water. Let the crank bait bump into stumps and deflect off the stump. LM bass tend to hand around the stump's root system when the stump is right on the edge of a creek channel. The biggest bass will often occupy such a stump. If the creek channel is making a bend and the stump in on the ledge and on the outside edge of the creek channel you will find a bass there most times. Now the bass dont' feed all day long and at times they will seek deeper water and be down on the bottom or out over the deepest water suspended. But when the bass are active and feeding (early morning and evening) then the crank bait is one of my favorite baits to use. I grew up fishing KY lake with crank baits. That was all we used. This was back in the 1950's and 1960's and Bomber was the best crank bait made back them. I still use Bomber crank baits today and they still catch lots of bass and crappie when used right. Crappie like it slow and steady.
My best suggestion to new fishermen is to try different retrieves and let the fish tell you what they want. I found my favorite retrieve this way. Plus I figured out that the bass were feeding on crayfish and how the crawfish moved.
Now I try to make sure that when I'm trolling crank baits I get them just deep enough to touch the bottom once in a while to help kick up some mud trails. And White with Black Spots or Brown spots were always my favorite go to Bomber Colors.
Originally Posted by Rob1678
Simple.