Throwing a crankbait will only work as well as you work it! Here is a great tip to trigger bass into striking with furious authority…SPEED UP! If you find yourself in a situation where you know you are on bass and they are not biting, or perhaps they seem to be smashing Shad all around you but you can’t get one to go…Speed Up. Crank that lure as hard as possible, I mean burn it! You see its simple; don’t give them time to think about it. Let the EBS Sound Technology and speed of your retrieve do the work for you, drawing an instinctual reaction strike that flips the switch for big bites. Especially when those fish have plenty of meal options directly around them this late in the year. This theory can be applied to schooling Bass in the Fall, post-spawn patterns and even some pre-spawn patterns. Speed is good! It can be the difference in transforming a tough day into a great day. Teamed up with the (EBS™) Electronic Baitfish Sound Technology, you have the ultimate one-two punch for creating bites as the leaves begin to change, and the lake begins to cool.
The same principles should be applied to choosing the right equipment for job. Trying to throw a large deep-diving crankbait with a short rod and a standard size reel may start to feel like a work out. When I’m fishing my Livingston Dive Master 20 I’m always going to be throwing it as far away from the boat as I can get it and I’m going to do it on an extra-long heavy action crankbait rod, in the range of 7’6 or 8′. There are many different brands of rods on the market that will let you throw these big crank baits with ease! I prefer using a high speed reel (6.4:1 or 7.1:1 gear ratio) for this application. It allows me to get that bait moving with speed through the strike zone. Casting your bait as far away from the boat is also important because it will allow your bait to be in the strike zone longer.
For smaller crankbaits, like my Primetyme SQ 2.0, CB 1.5 and even the Bassmaster Classic winning Howeller Dream Master Classic, I choose to go a little shorter and find 7′-7’3” medium action rods are a great starting point. I want a softer rod with a parabolic bend (preferably fiberglass) for this because these smaller crankbaits have much smaller treble hooks and I don’t want to rip them out of the mouth by using a rod with too much backbone. I want the rod to absorb the shock of the strike and let the fish take the bait. Remember you are dealing with aggressive reaction style bites and you want as much in your favor as possible. These fish are going to show up in a big way and give you one heck of fight, so be ready! Once you get that big girl on remember to keep your rod tip low or even in the water as you ease her to the boat. You aren’t flipping heavy cover and if she jumps and you get some slack in your line, she can throw the hooks. So keep it low and tight as you try to land that fish of a lifetime.
Remember hooksets are free and always have fun. After all, its fishing!
~Joe Ford
Professional Guide
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