When most people think of fishing thick submerged vegetation, they automatically picture a spinner bait being pulled just above the weeds, or some sort of worm or jig being pitched methodically into visible holes in the grass. The only treble hooked bait that would normally be considered in this situation is a rattling flat bait of some kind, so why throw a billed lure, when all of these other methods can be so productive? That is a question that I’ve been asked many times recently, especially after my first FLW Tour victory, in March, 2004 on Old Hickory.

Why a crankbait?

The main reason I would choose a crankbait in a weed situation is simply because it is something different than what the bass are used to seeing. Secondly, there is something about the wobbling action and sound, totally different from all the other “normal” weed baits, that triggers violent reaction strikes. A crankbait also resembles a small crappie or bluegill’s actual color, movement and shape better than any other lure. Everything makes perfect sense, until you get to the treble hooks, the bill and of course, weeds.

What type weeds are best?

I look at submerged weeds the same way as I look at the lake’s bottom. Hard weeds are like hard bottom, and slimy, decaying weeds are like a mud bottom, and then there’s everything in between. Under most circumstances, a hard rock bottom will hold fish better than a plain mud one. The same is true with vegetation. Not only do more healthy (hard) weeds hold fish better, but harder weeds are much easier to snap off with a sharp twitch of the rod, and are easier to fish with a crankbait. Not just any type of grass will do. I usually consider a crankbait when facing milfoil, coontail, cabbage, hydrilla, eel grass and curly leaf pond weed. Some are easier to work the bait through than others, but keep in mind, easier does not necessarily mean better. My best day cranking grass yet, was probably the most annoying day I’ve ever spent on the water.

Practice makes perfect

First of all, fishing a crankbait through weeds requires some practice and a lot of patience. It’s like, picking up a Kinami Flash (Senko) and trying to dead-stick it effectively, after having just power-fished all day, not easy at first. You have to really get into the groove of it, just like anything else. That is the most important part of being successful at anything.

I had fished super shallow crankbaits in sparse milfoil before, and ripped a trap through hydrilla on several occasions, but I always wanted to experiment with different baits in other ways that would be over-looked by most other fishermen.

Many years ago, I did what I recommend everyone do, I went out on a small weed-filled lake by my house for five days with nothing but every crankbait I owned. Being the flipping fool that I was at the time, it was not easy to leave the jigs at home, but I’m glad I did. Not only did I catch a ton of fish in some really weird ways, but I added a whole new dimension to the way I looked at crankbaits. Since then, I’ve done a lot of tweaking and I’ve won a fair amount of money cranking.

There’s no doubt that crankbaits are not best designed to be fished in vegetation, but as I learned, once you figure out the right combinations, sometimes there is no better choice.