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

Keith Combs' Crankbait Tips

Keith needs no introduction but for those Western anglers who may not follow professional angling as closely as they should, he's won the Texas Big Bass Classic on Lake Fork 3 times, fished the Bassmaster Classic 5 times, and set the record for the heaviest ever tournament weight with a 3-day total of 110 pounds! He's a legend with a crankbait, especially when it comes to Lake Fork, Texas. 

We were thrilled to have the opportunity to fish with Combs last month at the Shimano Content Creator's Conference on none other than the famed water he has made his name on. Watching Combs fish Lake Fork was very rewarding but watching him operate his Humminbird Onyx electronics was mindblowing! When we got back to our rooms we compared notes and were both agreed we were most impressed with how he fine-tuned his electronics, located fish, adapted his baits accordingly, and immediately put the fish on the screen onto the deck of the boat. 

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If you ever have an opportunity to fish with an "Elite" angler, you should take the opportunity. It was a very eye opening experience! 

Tim spent much of his time fishing with the Shimano Antares reel and was blown away by the performance! Its not for the faint of heart with a price tag of $599.99 but to our amazement, its worth the $$$ if you can afford it. However, for those that live within a budget, the Shimano Casitas at $119.99 held up extremely well, even when slinging a giant 10XD Crankbait all day. We'd both overlooked the Casitas in the past but will be taking a better look going forward. 

Combs on the other hand keeps his arsenal very simple. He preferred to use a Shimano Curado in 7:1 gear ratio, even when throwing a 6XD and 10XD. He explained that he can slow it down if need be but when he gets a big bass on he's able to power up that 7:1 reel and really keep control of the fish. 

Epic Battle On Light Line

You know that moment when you set the hook and instantly know you're not in control of the situation? This was one of those times! As soon as the hook was set it was very clear, Matt was in this fight for the long haul.

Its no secret, Matt will pick up a swimbait rod spooled with heavy line over just about anything else in his arsenal. Day in and day out the giant baits on heavy gear produce big bass. Even so, there is a time and a place for everything and on this particular day the bite was tough. A nasty cold front had blown in, bringing with it freezing rain and the threat of snow.

Matt spent the first half of the day probing likely areas with Huddleston and Trash Fish swimbaits to no avail.  After giving up on the big baits (It happens to everyone) he was doing his best to draw a reaction bite before packing it in and heading home.

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Just hoping for any bite and not really expecting a big bite, Matt had abandoned the heavy gear and was throwing a small crank on a light Crankbait rod, spooled with 20 lb braid and 10 lb leader. When the big fish hit she immediately surged away from the boat, the drag screaming as 20+ feet of line flew off the reel on the first run. Matt struggled to loosen the drag in time. Once the drag was backed off, cooler heads prevailed and it was a matter of waiting out the big fish as she burrowed under the boat in the open water.

While this big largemouth bass was unexpected, having the right gear and the patience to play the fish out made all the difference. With light line and little size 4 EWG hooks the fight could easily have ended in disaster. The whole experience just goes to show, its important to be a well rounded angler, willing to adapt to changing conditions. There are so many ways to catch a big bass. Its okay to fish your favorite techniques but when its not working, face the reality, change your presentation, and you might just catch a giant bass on a new technique!

Has this happened to you? Tell us about your most unexpected big bass catch. We'd love to hear about it!