Great article. Thought I would share...
A proactive approach leads to efficiency:
Eliminating dead water is a major factor in bass fishing. It’s tempting to imagine a big bass sitting on every piece of good-looking cover, but unfortunately that’s not reality. In order to quickly develop a productive pattern, Pipkens uses a crankbait to take matters into his own hands.
Focus on the high-percentage areas:
Although clearwater cranking can be incredibly effective this time of year, it’s still very important to understand when and where to utilize the technique.
Selecting the “correct” crankbait on the water can be a bit overwhelming at times. When you open your tackle boxes and have dozens of different colors, shapes and sizes from which to choose, it’s tough to make up your mind and have confidence in your decision. Fortunately, you don’t need to get too carried away with your selection process when you’re clearwater cranking.
Three primary characteristics in crank baits.
Perhaps the biggest misconception of crankbait fishing—whether you’re in clear or dirty water—is the belief that the lure will do the work for you. Sure, you’ll find some crankbaits that hunt throughout the retrieve or kick to the side after colliding with cover, but it’s imperative to actively use both your rod and reel throughout the entire retrieve.
A proactive approach leads to efficiency:
Eliminating dead water is a major factor in bass fishing. It’s tempting to imagine a big bass sitting on every piece of good-looking cover, but unfortunately that’s not reality. In order to quickly develop a productive pattern, Pipkens uses a crankbait to take matters into his own hands.
Focus on the high-percentage areas:
Although clearwater cranking can be incredibly effective this time of year, it’s still very important to understand when and where to utilize the technique.
- Grass points— “Points and small turns in submerged vegetation are excellent places to start your search,” Pipkens said. “The bass are filling their bellies for the upcoming winter, so they’ll use these irregularities to hide from shad as they move in and out of the creeks. I like to find grass points very close to creek channels because they act as natural stopping points for both the bass and bait.”
- Windblown points— Cranking windblown points in clear water is a safe bet throughout the entire year, but this pattern is often at its best right now. Pipkens starts by picking a large creek and focusing his efforts on primary points adjacent to deep water. If he’s unable to get bit, he’ll move further into the creek and begin dissecting secondary points. Make sure to pay close attention to where you’re getting bites because this can be a very simple pattern to duplicate throughout the entire lake.
- Rock— “The type of rock you need to target will vary depending upon your geographic location,” Pipkens said. “On northern fisheries, you’ll probably have more success cranking larger, broken-up chunk rocks leading into the backs of creeks. If you’re a southern angler who frequents highland reservoirs, I suggest spending some time locating a healthy mix of chunk rock and pea gravel in the same types of areas.”
- Standing timber— We all dream of having access to fisheries with acres upon acres of standing timber and the reason is pretty simple— it’s prime bass habitat. Pipkens believes this type of cover is perfect for clearwater cranking throughout the entire year, but instead of just picking a row of trees and chunking a crankbait he looks for timber fields leading into pockets with a moderate depth change nearby. These areas often act as funnel points for migrating bass and forage, making them high-traffic areas with a solid population of bass, even when the bite gets tough.
Selecting the “correct” crankbait on the water can be a bit overwhelming at times. When you open your tackle boxes and have dozens of different colors, shapes and sizes from which to choose, it’s tough to make up your mind and have confidence in your decision. Fortunately, you don’t need to get too carried away with your selection process when you’re clearwater cranking.
Three primary characteristics in crank baits.
- Runs true— “When I’m cranking in clear water, I’m almost always burning my crankbait,” Pipkens said. “Remember, you’re looking for reaction bites and you also don’t want to give the bass too long to inspect your crankbait and possibly detect any unnatural features. So I want a crankbait that’s going to run straight at high speeds without spinning-out or kicking on its side. If your crankbait looks like a helicopter down there, the bass won’t touch it.”
- Gets there quickly— Pipkens prefers crankbaits that reach their proper operating depths quickly. Because so much of his clearwater strategy revolves around efficiency, he needs his crankbaits to get down to the strike zone without any issues. If a crankbait doesn’t dive quickly, you’ll waste the better part of your cast before the lure reaches the bass.
- Small body— “Smaller bodies are a big deal in this situation,” Pipkens said. “They’re more natural-looking to the bass, but most importantly when you get a reaction strike, the bass is more likely to eat both hooks. The more hooks you have in that bass’ mouth, the better chance you have of getting it into the boat. For this reason, I use the Damiki DC300 with Gamakatsu round bend treble hooks.”
Perhaps the biggest misconception of crankbait fishing—whether you’re in clear or dirty water—is the belief that the lure will do the work for you. Sure, you’ll find some crankbaits that hunt throughout the retrieve or kick to the side after colliding with cover, but it’s imperative to actively use both your rod and reel throughout the entire retrieve.
- Crank, sweep and snap— “The retrieve I most frequently use incorporates erratic movements and changes of your speed and cadence,” Pipkens said. “I’ll make a long cast with fairly light fluorocarbon, such as 12-pound Sunline Sniper Fluorocarbon, and crank the reel handle pretty hard for four or five rotations. Once the crankbait reaches its maximum depth, I’ll sweep my rod tip in an attempt to make the lure deflect off of cover. More times than not, this slight change in cadence and speed will draw the strike. After I hit something, I’ll pause my retrieve and aggressively snap my rod tip upward. Not only does this get the crankbait away from the obstruction, but it also causes a very quick change of direction.”
- Stop-and-go— This is a popular retrieve method for stained-water cranking, but Pipkens has had a lot of success using it in areas with high visability as well. He never wants the lure to do the same thing twice, so he’ll wind it quickly for a few handle turns and suddenly stop it throughout his retrieve. Because clearwater bass are notorious for “following” and being non-committal, the sudden pause can elicit some great bites— even when the bass has no intentions of eating it. Remember, never rely on the cover to make your lure act erratic. Take matters into your own hands.