The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

Gabby’s Fishing Fever

Crank baits are great for catching bass


Many bass anglers are doing good right now and I plan on doing so very soon. This has been a great time this spring for bass fishing, for both largemouth and smallmouth bass.

I have seen all kinds on pictures of big bass and good limits of bass, and local tournaments have had some big weigh-ins. My favorite fishing season for bass is spring and late fall/early winter. This is when I always do my best fishing of the year, and one of the best baits to use is a crank bait. I have used a crank bait all my fishing lifetime, as they are a proven fish catcher. As with anything else, the more you know and understand about this bait the better you can make it work for you and catch more and bigger bass.

Things to know about crank baits include color patterns, sizes of baits and weights and designs of bills. You also need to know about rattling or non-rattling styles, straight or jointed baits, and running depths. Also, most baits are put into two action categories when retrieved. One is a tight fast wiggle and the other brings a wider and slower retrieve.

The faster wiggle is preferred in spring and fall when bass are on feeding sprees and are more active and will bust a bait hard. The faster wiggle gives off a vibration that is designed to let a bass pick up on and find the bait in murky and stained water and at night and in other low light conditions. A rattling bait also does this, which makes it a favorite type bait to use in a lake with stained water.

Crank baits are broken down into three basic running depths — shallow, midrange and deep diving. This time of year a shallow running bait is most common. The baits will typically run from just under the surface to around four to six feet deep.

Color is also important in the spring. A silver and black shad color and a green or chartreuse pattern work well.

During your next fishing trip give the crank bait a try and use some different sizes and colors.

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