When
First of all, you need to decide that shallow water crankbait fishing is the best choice for the conditions you are fishing. To me, the optimal times for this pattern are when the bass are chasing baitfish, shad or sunfish, in these shallow areas. I love to fish sunfish pattern crankbaits shallow during the spawn, post-spawn, and early summer, and shad colored shallow cranks in the fall.
From the spawn and into early summer, sunfish patterns work well because that is what the bass are keying on. First to protect their spawning nests from the little egg stealing fish, and then because not to long after the bass spawn, the sunfish will move up into the shallows to spawn and become pretty easy targets for bass. In the fall, bass begin to chase schools of shad up into the backs of creeks, and shallow running shad pattern crankbaits work great. Fishing crankbaits shallow can produce other times of the year as well. Other times that shallow cranking might be your best option include times when crawfish are active and in shallow water and times when frogs might be swimming around these areas.
Where
Crankbait fishing can be done in almost any shallow water. Shallow flats are great during the spring when the bass are moving up to spawn. The shallows in the backs of coves can be productive in the early summer when sunfish move up to spawn, and then again in the fall as bass begin to chase the shad that move up into the mouths of creeks. The shallow water in front of a line of reeds can also be productive with a crankbait.
Pay attention to the cover and structure in the area you area fishing. This will be a big factor on determining what type of crankbait you should fish. If there is a lot of grass that is too thick for you to be able to effectively run a crankbait through, then you will want to choose a crankbait that will run just over the top of the grass. If the area is covered in submerged trees, then a square bill that deflects a little bit better off of them might be a better choice. If there is not much for your crankbait to get hung on, a deeper running crankbait in a crawfish or sunfish pattern that will "dig" into the bottom and create a disturbance can be killer. Don't use this technique if you are scared of getting hung up. If you are not occasionally getting hung up in or on something, then you are not cranking in the right shallow water.
The Tackle
You need to have to proper tackle or you will not catch as many fish. It is as simple as that. The incorrect rod, reel, or line, could lead to you not hooking your fish or breaking off before you get it to the boat. That one fish you miss or lose could be the difference in winning or losing a tournament.
The Rod - For shallow water crankbait fishing I will typically use either a 7'6" or 7' Medium Heavy Power, Moderate Action, graphite blend cranking rod from P. H. Kellner. I will use the 7'6" rod unless I am fishing in tight areas that require me to shorten the rod (if I am fishing under overhanging trees for example.) If the area is very tight and difficult to cast in (like some rivers), I will downsize to a 6'6" or even a 6' rod. Here is a breakdown of my crankbait rod choice: How to Choose a Crankbait Rod
The Reel - For almost all crankbait fishing I want a slow speed reel. Usually I will use a 5 to1 gear ratio. The slower speed prevents me from burning the crankbait back to quick, and also help keep me from pulling the crankbait away from the attacking bass. Sometimes, if I am fishing a lipless crankbait and I really want to burn it just under the surface, I will step up to a 6 or 7 to one. But that is rare. The 5 to 1 gear ratio is best for cranking.
The Line - Ninety percent of the time, I am using fluorocarbon line when I am shallow water cranking. To me, the less visible the line, the more bites you will get. I usually will use 12-20 lb fluorocarbon depending on how thick the cover is in the area. If I am fishing grass all day long, and it is very thick grass, I might use 30-50 lb braid.
Techniques
There are a few techniques that I focus on when fishing a crankbait in shallow water. You can experiment and come up with your own, but here a few quick descriptions of the techniques that tend to be the most productive.
1) Square-bills in the Trees - If you are fishing a shallow flat (typically about 2.5-3 feet of water) that is covered with sunken timber, this can be an excellent area to fish a crankbait. What I do is get a square bill crankbait in the color pattern you need (How to Chose Your Crankbait Color Pattern) in a running depth that will run about 3 feet max. I don't want my crankbait to run on the bottom in this situation. I actually want it to run about 1 or 2 feet down. What you want to do is cast to an area that you know is covered in flooded timber and try to bang that crankbait off of every tree on you way back. I use a square bill crankbait because it tends to deflect off of the trees a little better. You will want to experiment with retrieve speeds and styles to see what works that day. What usually works the best, and what I start with, is a steady medium retrieve and a pause every time I smash into a tree. Often the strike will come right when you start your retrieve again. You will get hung up more than a few times with this technique.
2) Cranking Over the Grass - One of the most productive techniques with crankbaits is to run them over the top of grass, no matter the depth of the water. This can be an extra productive technique when new grass is starting to grow in shallow water. When the grass is 2 feet or less from the top of the water, I will tie on a crankbait that runs just deep enough to nick the top of the grass. I cast, reel the bait down fast until it touches the grass, pause for 2-3 seconds, the crank down until it touches the grass again, pause, and then go. If that retrieve does not trigger strikes, I will use a slow steady retrieve without the pauses, allowing my bait to hit more grass. If your crankbait is not pulling up grass from time to time, it is probably not running deep enough.
3) Mornings in the Summer - The topwater bite in shallow water is often very productive early in the morning during the summer. But this bite can turn off quickly as the sun comes up. What I do at that point is switch to a shallow running crankbait. Something that runs about one foot under the surface and fish the same shallow areas. This bite usually stays pretty hot for another hour or so, and you can pick up some big fish this way. I usually will fish pretty fast with several quick, short, pauses, and try to make my bait change direction by swinging the rod back and fourth. As erratic a retrieve as possible usually works best.
4) Digging in the Shallows - There are times when you are fishing shallow areas that are relatively free of things you can hang up on easily. For example if you are fishing some shallow rocks or gradually sloping shallow banks. These can be great areas to fish a crankbait. If I think the bass feeding on crawfish, I will try and match the crawfish colors with my crankbait, if it is sunfish that the bass are eating I will do the same matching of the hatch. I will select a crankbait that dives to a depth deeper than the area I am fishing. What you want to do is make your crankbait really dig into the bottom, smashing into rocks, and kicking up as much silt as possible. You are trying to imitate a scurrying crawfish or a feeding sunfish. If I am fishing a crawfish crankbait, I will use a relatively steady and slow retrieve with some, but few, pauses. If I am trying to copy a sunfish, I will reel the crankbait quickly to the bottom, drag it on the bottom for about six inches and then pause for as long as possible. A suspending crankbait works best for this. After you have waited, crank it down quickly again, drag, and wait. Just keep repeating that.
Follow those steps and techniques next time you are fishing shallow waters. It might not always be the best technique, but practice and experience will teach you when to try this. When it is the best way to catch bass, you will catch countless fish, and big mamas too!
Related posts:
How to Choose a Crankbait Rod
How to Chose Your Crankbait Color Pattern
The Drop Shot Rig
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