TacticalBassin's Crankbait Fishing Buyers Guide

Crankbait fishing for bass can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. You can do everything with one crankbait rod and catch a lot of fish or you can fine tune it into a variety of baits, rods, etc... and take it to another level.  In this fishing video we break down the gear and the baits that will let you push your bass fishing to new heights.

The Holiday Buyer's guide has already been a huge success! You requested a video on crankbait gear and we're delivering. If you have other interests please let us know and we'll continue the series. The series is for fisherman but its also for your loved ones to easily find the products you're looking for. Below you'll find a list of the products mentioned in the video. Using the links provided to make your purchases supports Tacticalbassin while simplifying your shopping. 

Lipless Crankbaits...
Lucky Craft LV-500
Strike King Red Eye Shad 2-tap

Squarebill Crankbaits...
Lucky Craft RTO (on sale)
Lucky Craft BDS Series
River2Sea Biggie

Mid-depth Crankbaits...
Norman Deep Little N
6th Sense 300

Deep Diving Crankbaits...
Norman DD22
Strike King 10XD
Strike King 8XD

Crankbait Rod/Reel Combos...

Rod- Dobyns 805CB
Reel- Abu Garcia Orra Winch

Rod-Shimano 7'6" Glass
Reel- Shimano Antares

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Rod- St. Croix Big Cranker (7'8" Medium Heavy)
Reel- Curado 200I

Rod- Dobyns 764 Crankbait
Reel- Curado 200I

Rod- G Loomis CBR 845

Less Expensive E6X Version
Reel - Curado 70

Rod- Dobyns 704CB
Reel- Curado 70

Treble Hook Tricks For Crankbaits

Crankbaits get more expensive every year but the hardware on them seems to be getting worse and worse. Your best bet is to remove the stock hooks from all of your crankbaits immediately. 

You need to upgrade the split rings and hooks but what trebles should you use? Tim explains the benefits of different trebles and gives some key tips on how to align them to increase your bite to hook up ratio. 

The key to belly treble hooks is to turn them so that the hook lays flat against the belly of the crankbait while leaving one point completely exposed. On the back treble the key is to turn the hook so that one point is standing straight up off the back of the bait. This will give you your highest hookup potential. 

In addition to these quick tips Tim explains how to modify diving depth and the rate of rise by choosing different sizes and shapes of trebles. 

Components shown in this video:

-Strike King 6XD
-Lucky Craft RTO
-River2Sea Biggie

-Owner Short Shank Treble
-Gamakatsu EWG Treble
-Aaron Martens Finesse Nano Treble
-Mustad Triple Grip

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-Hyperwire Split Rings (Size 2 or 3)
-Split Ring Pliers

Tim's Deep Crankbait Rod-805CB
Tim's Deep Crankbait Reel-Curado 200

Tim's Squarebill Rod- CBR 845
Tim's Squarebill Reel- Curado 70

Part 3: How to Find and Catch Bass on a New Lake

The final video in the "New Lake" series is here. If you've ever wondered how we go about finding bass quickly in a new lake, this is the series to watch. Matt goes on the water and shows you step by step what he's doing, as well as thinking, to quickly find bass in a body of water he knows nothing about. 

In Part 3 you'll see the same trends showing up that you saw in parts 1 and 2. Quickly identifying prey species and likely fish locations will allow you to load the boat and develop quickly. In the previous videos Matt found his best success with a 3 pronged approach to active fish. When the fish were most active he was able to get bit on a River2Sea Rover topwater. Once the fish began moving out he was able to catch them on a crankbait. He used both a Norman Deep Lil N and a Strike King 5XD. Lastly, he downsized to a small Keitech Fat Swing Impact to catch the remaining aggressive fish as the day warmed up. This bait selection let him continue to catch reaction fish long after the reaction bite had slowed. 

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Now as the sun is warming the air and surface of the water the fish finally go deep. Matt is forced to follow them down and change his approach. He targets them with a Casting Jig and a small dropshot rig. The dropshot rig featured a small Strike King worm on 8 lb fluorocarbon leader to finesse the last of the fish that were still willing to bite. Finesse fishing isn't glamourous but it works when everything else has stopped and can allow you to catch a few extra fish before heading home. 

We hope you're able to take these tips and tricks to a lake near you and quickly develop patterns to catch fish as you break down the lake. Don't let new lakes intimidate you! Make a plan, put it to action, and follow through until you begin catching bass. Good luck out there!

Part 2: How to Find and Catch Bass On a New Lake

Fishing new lakes can be very intimidating. The key is to quickly identify prey species and structure that should hold fish. Of course you also have to balance time of year, water temp, clarity, depth, weather, boat pressure, fishing pressure, etc... No big deal, right? 

With preparation, its really not a big deal. In this week's video Matt continues breaking down a brand new lake and takes you along for the ride.  From catching fish on multiple spots to eliminating water quickly, you'll see the steps and the mindsight behind developing patterns and dialing in the best spots on a new body of water. 

As you'll see in the video the key is to keep your methods simple while still keeping an open mind. Start with reaction and cover water. Stick to your game plan until the lake leads you in a different direction. If you find active fish, repeat the pattern around the lake for the remainder of the day. remember you aren't try to catch every bass in the lake, you can begin fine tuning patterns and locations on subsequent trips. 

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On this Lake Matt found his best success with a 3 pronged approach to active fish. When the fish were most active he was able to get bit on a River2Sea Rover topwater. Once the fish began moving out he was able to catch them on a crankbait. He used both a Norman Deep Lil N and a Strike King 5XD. Lastly, he downsized to a small Keitech Fat Swing Impact to catch the remaining aggressive fish as the day warmed up. This bait selection let him continue to catch reaction fish long after the reaction bite had slowed. 

We hope you're able to take these tips and tricks to a lake near you and quickly develop patterns to catch fish as you break down the lake. Don't let new lakes intimidate you! Make a plan, put it to action, and follow through until you begin catching bass. 

Keep an eye out for Part 3 later this week!