Shallow Running - Crafk Baits - Bass Lures - Minnows

When & Where to Fish 'Em Super-Shallow Crank Baits..........

Special Note in Using Crank Baits

As to crank baits each bait has a different wobble speed to them and in cold water use crank baits with a slower wobble and when the water is warmer, around 80 degree, the use of a faster wobble action bait that dives deep. Remember fish are more active in warmer water especially the bass.

When & Where to Fish 'Em Super-shallow crank baits, bass lurer, minnows and plugs can be used in an amazing number of common bass fishing scenarios. Here's where you should be fishing 'em, plus some inside tips guaranteed to increase your strike percentage.

Warm runoff -- When warm, murky water enters a reservoir system via runoff from creeks and ditches in early spring, a super-shallow crank is your ticket to the lunkers. Head up a tributary arm to the source of incoming water -- a quick check of your boat's surface temperature gauge often reveals the muddy runoff to be 5 to 10 degrees warmer than the rest of the creek arm. Cast the plug around stumps, logs and rocks. Bass, having limited visibility in stained water, will hold tight to these objects; most strikes will occur the instant the bait bumps cover. Runoff from warm spring rains can trigger a mass emergence of crayfish. Root a craw-patterned shallow diver slowly around bass-holding cover.

Brush piles --You're probably thinking, "Run a $5 or $6 crank bait through a brush pile? No way!" But a properly-presented super-shallow diver is a deadly alternative to a jig or spinner bait in this snag cover. Working close to your target, use a short underhand pitch to deliver the lure just past the brush pile, then reel s-l-o-w-l-y until you feel the bait contact the cover. The instant it hits wood, pause, allowing the bait to float upward just enough to clear the obstruction, then resume the retrieve. Clipping the leading hook from each set of trebles will reduce hangups when cranking brush piles.

Submerged weed beds -- Milfoil, hydrilla and coontail beds attract droves of bass in warm weather, and a super-shallow crank is a great alternative to a jig, worm or spinner bait. Gun for the most active bass first by "waking" the lure over the top and along the outer edges of the bed. If this fails to produce, swim it just under the surface with a stop-and-go retrieve. Bass commonly feed on small bluegills in thick weed beds. Try an orange or fire tiger lure to mimic this forage.

River bars -- Gravel and mud bars swept by moving water are perfect places for bass to intercept bait fish schools. Cast a stubby-billed crank in a shad pattern upstream and retrieve it quickly along the bar. Small bass will often chase a school of bait fish on top of a river bar when feeding, but for the big bite, bump the bait against current-breaking stumps or rocks on the downstream portion of the bar, where the structure begins to taper into deep water Flats -- Good places for a quick limit in summer and fall. Grind stubby-lipped lures around scattered stumps in 1 to 3 feet of water. Flats are often criss-crossed by a network of shallow ditches lined with stumps and brush. Root the lure through this cover for a lunker bass.

Mud lines -- In clear lakes, a band of muddy water often forms against a bank buffeted by high winds. This creates an ideal shallow concealment opportunity for bass, which move into the murky zone to feed on crayfish uprooted by wave action and bait fish forced into shallow water by wind currents. Cast a short-lipped crank in a craw or shad pattern right against the bank and retrieve it slowly into clear water -- if it makes it that far without being eaten by a bass. This pattern is most reliable when the wind is out of the south or west.

Man Made Areas or Erosion -- Large chunk rocks deposited along levees and erosion-prone banks provide a haven for crayfish and bait fish. Deep-diving crank baits, Texas-rigged worms and jigs often get trapped between the rocks, but super-shallow cranks ticked over the rocks can produce monumental strikes. Target heavy cover area of ambouse around dams during the initial minutes of current generation. A major forage movement usually takes place when current sweeps down the rocks. Murky water? A fire tiger lure and noisemaking rattles will help bass find the plug.