3 Keys to Summer Crankin'

The dog days of summer are soon to be arriving.

To me, summertime fishing kicks off as the water temperature gets somewhere over 74 degrees.

Some anglers thrive in these conditions and some flat out struggle.

A key lure to summertime success is a crankbait.

Crankbait fishing can be extremely challenging; however, when everything goes right, a crankbait can be the deadliest weapon in your boat. Being successful in the summer with a crankbait in your hand comes down to three important factors:

  1. your ability to read electronics
  2. position your boat
  3. select the right tackle

RELATING TO COVER

Your ability to read your graph when fishing crankbaits is crucial.

You can improve your rate of success by simply learning to identify how the fish are relating to cover. When looking for fish during the summer months, I am looking for fish relating to cover and structure. If the fish are suspended and not relating to an object under the water, I do not hesitate to continue scanning other spots without even marking a waypoint. When fish do not have cover or structure, we anglers have no way to effectively target them. Find fish local to cover or structure, and you find stability and recurrent success.

PATTERNING

Boat position can make or break your chances of catching fish on a spot. Follow these steps to position your boat on a spot:

Step 1: Troll over the fish you have found on your graph. Throw a buoy out of your boat after you stop marking fish. Ensure not to drop this buoy right on top of your school of fish.

Step 2: Move your boat away from the buoy far enough to where you can cast past it by about 10 yards. Here is where you will begin fishing. Cover the area with different boat angles and cast angles until you catch a fish.

Step 3: Drop a second buoy, known as the boat buoy, right where the boat was when you caught the fish. Also, remember where your cast was in relation to the first buoy when you caught the first fish.

Step 4: Replicate that same cast and boat position until the fish stop biting.

FISH DEPTH

When selecting a lure, I find the crankbait that will slightly exceed the depth at which my fish are in. I do this to knock the bait off of whatever cover or structure those fish are hiding near, which creates a reaction strike.

The gear used for crankin’ is rather simple.

I have two rod combos to cover any crankin’ that I may do.

The first of those rods is a Cashion 7’6”, MH moderate-fast action rod paired with a Lew's BB1 5.1:1 ratio reel.

The second, is a Cashion 7’11” heavy, moderate-fast action rod paired with another 5.1:1 Lew’s BB1.

I use these setups because the moderate-action keeps the hooks pinned, while the medium-heavy and heavy actions have enough backbone to throw the baits I plan to use.

The 5.1:1 ratio reels allow me to slow down for proper presentation, not to mention, they cast a mile. For line, I use 10- to 12-lb fluorocarbon, because it sinks.

Crankbait fishing during the summer is a great way to catch fish.

Go to your local lake this summer, find the fish, position your boat, and catch 'em.

Bass fishing is not a very complicated game, so long as you understand key principles.

Make the right presentation in front of a bass and you are guaranteed to be reeling him up onto your boat.