Shallow Crank Baiting

These are a few of the situations that you can throw these shallow running baits in and also tell what line, reels and type of rods you can use and why.

        Spring:   Every tournament angler knows to throw these over shallow grass and flats during the spring.  The baits run very close to the surface so they don't snag grass and other structure when fishing them. But you will hear almost every pro say to throw the ones that have a tight wiggle to them but also the wide wobbling lures such as Mann’s Baby 1- and Minus 1 will also catch a ton of bass during this time of year.  Always start throwing around shallow cover in early spring when everyone else is back out a little farther throwing tight action cranks that go a little too deep.  Throw these lures on 15lb CXX P-Line, it keeps the bait from running any deeper than  8" or less.  So you can throw them where the bass have not seen anything but jigs, spinner baits and plastics.  Deliberately crash the cranks into stumps and wood cover.  Some days it will draw a strike on the first cast, others it may take a few times before the cold-water bass will eat it, but they will.

    Also stay with bright colors where most anglers are throwing crawfish colors.  The water is often very muddy or stained from high winds and rain so on these days, but many have landed huge bass after huge bass on a blaze orange w/tiger stripes baby-1.  That is a tip that will work in muddy water most every time.  Two other colors are fire shad and gray ghost.  Fire shad is a good first choice.  Grey Ghost and blaze orange work well also since the water isn't that muddy too often.  Stained water for Fire shad, light to clear water gray ghost and very dirty to muddy blaze orange.

        Summer:  Throwing these anywhere you can fish a top water bait or spinner bait is a good choice.  A big summer pattern with these lures is pitching them into open pockets in the thick grass where everyone else is tossing Texas rigged plastics and jigs.  You might not get but 4 or 5 cranks before dragging it out of the grass, but it WILL produce big bass.  It is possible that because they never see this type of lure in that thick stuff.  Yes, it does get aggravating pulling grass off of the lure, but when you catch a big bass you start to realize it is worth the time.  One bit of advice that will help keep grass of your hooks is to cut off tiny chunks of plastic off of a clear worm and push it down onto each point of the treble hooks covering up the barbs. It will not change the action enough to hurt the reaction bites that you draw in these areas.  Also, throw the lures along the grass line in the main channel where everyone else is fishing deep with jigs, spinner baits and deep divers.  Another technique is to pitch the full size minus one under boat docks, around the thickest wood cover or flip it.  Its weight will get it out there as far as you need it to.  Burn it back out as soon as it hits the waters surface.  You'll catch more fish by fishing a bait that runs above them than by fishing under them.  Often bass suspend on docks and lay downs and where a jig or worm falls past them and gives one shot at a reaction bite, the cranks will hit everything and make a commotion that will draw aggravated strikes.

       Fall:   Throw these anywhere you would normally throw a spinner bait or buzz bait.  Along thinned out grass beds, back in creeks and over flats. Try with colors like the gray ghost or any other shallow crank with pearl or white sides and a gray or black back.  As the water temp drops the bass will still crush a shallow crank burned under the surface or a burn and stop retrieve back to the boat.  If you really want to keep the lure close to the surface, throw a Bandit Footloose on the 15lb test.  It will run shallower than a baby-1 and can get over the grass that a baby can’t.  Also work these lures in fall like you would a jerk bait.  They will have a different action when you snap the rod.  The whole bait will turn sideways and puts off a lot of flash.  Continue fishing it this way back to the boat.  It is a very erratic action that is also a slower presentation so you can get a reaction bite from less aggressive cold-water bass as it will keep the bait in one place longer.

        Use all high-speed reels with 26" per turn.  You can slow the bait or burn it with ease. Throw these shallow cranks on a  6'6 crank bait series rod.  The 6'6 length allows for accurate presentations and a silent drop when using a roll cast.

        First of all, you shouldn't lose any shallow cranks unless get wild for a moment and wrap around a tree limb.  They won't run more than 1' and with the 15 lb test line they stay at 8" or less.  Never change the hook sizes on these shallow running baits.  They are so small that it will kill their action.  Plus, once you practice with them enough, you will be able to work them in and over thick cover.  Use the rod tip and let them float up and such to keep them where you want them.

        A secret weapon that can be thrown in the spring is a Rebel Teeny R shallow crank.  Not the newer ones with the square lip that you can often find, but the old, old ones with a round lip. That tiny lure has no. 8 trebles and have been known to pull out some rather large bass on it.  You just have to have a very limber crank bait series rod.  You can also use a few Bandit Footloose cranks for a different action and different structure.  The bandit will run 4-6" on 15 lb test line and get top water type explosions on that bait as it runs so shallow.  Use them when you want a different action or the grass is closer to the top than when you can use a Baby 1- over.  But do not throw them around wood cover, just Baby 1's for that.  They cast like a rock so you can put them anywhere you want them.  Also when throwing shallow runners, roll cast them so there is no splash when they hit the water and burn them the first couple of cranks.  It surprises them and they slam it out of reaction.

        Here is an honest suggestion to you on stocking up on shallow cranks.  Buy at least 2 of each of these: Mann's baby 1- in gray ghost, fire shad and the blaze orange with the same pattern stripes as the fire shad.  Then get a few Bandit Footloose series in pearl/black back. You may have to go to Ebay right now and search under Teeny R, since these are the old Rebel crank baits mentioned earlier. They are not the old, old ones that are magic lures but the only difference it that they have square lips instead of round.  They are still well worth the "buy it now" price.  Those are slim to none and the bass just tear them up.