Justin Lucas on Post-Spawn Crankin’

Post-spawn bass can be tricky.  The bass are recovering from the spawn and in a negative mood.  One of the best techniques during this time of year is crankbait fishing. 

Since the fish often move deep after the spawn, deep crankbaits are a great tool to both find and catch them. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Justin Lucas shares some tips on how he selects a crankbait, how he retrieves it and what he looks for before he gets cranking.

Post-Spawn Bass Locations

For Lucas, post-spawn crankbait fishing is all about finding the right bottom composition.  “The biggest thing to look for is hard spots,” he said. “It could be shell beds, rock, road beds or brush.” 

When it comes to depth, he said it will vary based on how much time it has been since the fish spawned.  He will the same types of structure – deeper and deeper as it gets closer to the summer.

Finding these hard bottoms can be challenging, but Lucas searches for them with his electronics and will spend time behind the wheel of his boat looking at his Lowrance units.

“During practice for a tournament, I will spend more time idling than I will actually be fishing,” he said. “This time of year the fish will be all structure related and you have to find the hard cover, the bass and the baitfish or you will be wasting your time.”

When setting up his Lowrance SideScan, he varies the setting between 60- and 120-ft and that will be determined by how shallow his boat is. 

“The shallower you are the less distance you can scan either way, but the new StructureScan 3D makes it much easier to see further out even when you are shallow,” he added.

Lure and Color Selection for Post Spawn Crankbaits

Early in the post-spawn, when Lucas is targeting water less than 8-ft, he goes for a Berkley Digger 8.5 crankbait.  When fishing deeper he wants a crankbait that will dive to 12-ft and another that will dive to 20-ft or more. He prefers the new Berkley Dredger Series that will be released at this year’s ICAST. This series of crankbaits has a smaller profile than others but will cover different diving depths from 10 ½- to 25 1/2-ft.

Color selection is fairly simple and almost all shad related according to Lucas.  “If the water is clear, I’ll use a natural shad color and if it is stained, I’ll use a brighter shad pattern,” he said. “Another thing to keep in mind is the time of day and the sun. I’ll use much brighter colored crankbaits in low light conditions and will always switch my crankbait colors during the day because of the light penetration.”

Cranking Gear

The rod, reel and line Lucas uses for post-spawn cranking depends on the lure he is using as well as the depth he is fishing. 

For water less than 15-ft deep, he prefers a 7’6” Abu Garcia Veracity Winch cranking rod and 5.4:1 gear ratio Revo Winch with 10- to 12-lb Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon.  He will at times use a higher speed Revo Premier in the 6.4:1 gear ratio, if he wants to crank the bait faster.

For deeper water, he will use the same reel and line as he does in shallower water, but opts for a bigger rod. The 7'10", MH Abu Garcia "Ike" Delay Series rod is his choice. He likes the added length and power of the rod for longer casts.

Crankbait Retrieves Matter with Post Spawn Bass

Typically, post-spawn cranking is a way to fish quickly. Covering water, bouncing off of the bottom and triggering reaction strikes is the way to go according to Lucas. 

“I crank it as hard and fast as I can and then stop it periodically for a split second,” said the Alabama pro. “I’ll also sweep my rod once in awhile just to give it a little different look.”

Another trick he has learned over the years relates to the wind and his boat position.  “You want to pay attention to which way the wind is blowing and line up to your spot in a way that the wind will be to your back, so you can get a longer cast,” he explained. Having the wind get you out a little further will make sure that you can get your bait all the way to the bottom faster and will stay there for more of your retrieve.”

As he sees structure and bass on his Lowrance screen, he will make a very long cast directly behind the boat. “If I have an idea of where that structure or fish are, I’ll cast way past it and then start cranking it down to what I saw on the screen,” he said.

Post-spawn cranking is a great way to catch both numbers of fish and have a chance at big fish.  As the fish move to deeper water and are recovering from the spawn, the crankbait is one of the best ways to catch them.