Go Out and Fish Relentless

Summer deep cranking is an awesome way to catch numbers and big fish. In this article, I go through baits, techniques, and gear to help you improve your summer deep cranking.

Strike King 6XD in Chartreuse Sexy Shad

Speed is Key

There are times when being slow is great but nine times out of ten fish want a faster retrieve. First, crank down on the reel handle as fast as you can until you hit bottom, then pause the bait. Then proceed to perform a series of stop and goes. This causes fish to react even if they are not in a feeding mood. The only thing to experiment with is whether they want a tight or wide wobbling crankbait. Typically as fish get more pressured they prefer a tight wobbling model.

Run the Points and make Long Casts

In summer it is very important to cover water when fishing a crankbait. Make sure to fish as many points as you can in the time you have to fish. Instead of fishing three points in an hour fish ten points. Normally if there are fish willing to bite you will know that within the first few minutes. The key is not to force fish to bite when they won’t, but to run points until you find fish that are willing to bite. It is also important to have a long rod so you are able to make long casts and cover water effectively. Typically a good rod length is anywhere from 7’6” to 7’10”.

Gear

Gear is simple. Go with a 6.2:1 or 6.6:1 gear ratio reel and a 7’6” to 7’10” composite rod. The low gear ratio reel makes it easier to crank on bigger crankbaits and gives you more leverage over fish. I’ve had big spotted bass completely lock up reels while fishing crankbaits. The longer rods also as stated above help improve casting distance which is key when covering water. Make sure your rod is a composite rod or glass rod because this bait has treble hooks which are easier for a bass to throw. This is where crankbait rods come into play. Get a composite rod that has a large parabolic bend which keeps the fish pinned, and unable to use the weight of the bait to throw the hook.

This spotted bass only weighed three pounds, but it still easily locked up my reel.

Line

There are certain situations such as fishing rocky rivers or very muddy water where braided line is ok to use, but the best line for crankbaits is fluorocarbon. It allows more stretch when fighting fish and more stealth because the line is nearly invisible.

Big Crankbaits

When fishing for bass that are over three pounds it can be beneficial to throw a bigger crankbait such as a Strike King 10XD or 8XD. I don’t tend to use an 8XD because it is so similar to a 10XD, but it is a good option if your looking to really dial in your crankbait fishing. They pull very hard but get really big bites. They shine in the post-spawn but they continue to work through the entirety of the summer.

Hooks

It is so important to change out hooks on crankbaits because of the ability for a fish to throw the hook. I change out the hooks on most of my crankbaits to Gamakatsu EWG hooks, but for the bigger crankbaits like the 10XD and 8XD I use Owner ST-36 treble hooks. I also change out the split rings to Owner hyperwire split rings.

Rods, Line, and Reels

7’10” Abu Garcia Ike Series Delay Rod– https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Abu_Garcia_IKE_Delay_Series_Casting_Rods/descpage-CISR.html

Abu Garcia REVO IKE Casting Reel 6.6:1– https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Abu_Garcia_REVO_IKE_Casting_Reel/descpage-RVC4.html

Sunline Super FC Sniper Fluorocarbon 16lb– https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Sunline_Super_FC_Sniper_Fluorocarbon/descpage-SLFCS.html

Baits

6th Sense Cloud 9 C25 and C20– https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/6th_Sense_Cloud_9_Series_Crankbaits/descpage-6SC10.html

Favorite Colors- Blue-Treuse Shad, Sexified Chartreuse Shad

Strike King 6XD– https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_Pro_Model_6XD_Crankbaits/descpage-SK6XD.html

Favorites Colors- Powder Blue/Chartreuse, Chartreuse Sexy Shad

Strike King 10XD– https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_10XD_Crankbait/descpage-SK10XD.html

Favorite Colors-Sexy Blue Back Herring, Powder Blue Back Chart

River2Sea Tactical Bassin’ DD Crankbait– https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/River2Sea_Tactical_Bassin_DD_Crankbait/descpage-RTTC.html