Crankbaits vs. The “Others”
By Gunner
A few weeks ago an old friend of mine who I have not seen in over thirty years stopped by. He quit fishing two years ago, as he had been fishing tourneys since the early 1970’s. I wish I would have had the chance to be around him more over the past thirty years to get on the tourney trails he fished, but life has a strange way of dealing with things sometimes and it was not meant to be…
During our visit he paid a visit to my “Fishing Room”. We went through the tackle boxes, rods, reels, and looked at just about everything you can imagine. He does not fish for anything but bass, so a lot of my cat gear and muskie gear just did not interest him…but when we got to the bass gear it all changed!
While going through the literally thousands of baits we started talking fishing styles. Mine has always been crankbaits, while his, during his tourney days, has been pitchin’ in cover. He made a comment that struck me funny and got me to thinking…he said, “Well almost anyone can catch fish on crankbaits…” At the time he said it, it was just part of the conversation, but it struck a chord. It was not until the next day that it really hit me…there is a skill to crankbaits and it takes practice to acquire!
True, sometimes you can just buy the bait, open the box, tie it on, cast it out, reel it in, and you just might catch one that way. However, there are many times where that “open the box” style will not work. You have to be able to “work” the bait, just as you have to learn to work any other bait in your box, which is where I am going to go with this article.
After watching crankbait masters Rick Clunn and David Frits, plus reading every article I could find on crankbaits, I have, over the years, developed a good style that has helped me boat many bass both in tourneys and just for fun!
What I did have to do was force myself to learn to use the “other” baits. It got to the point where I could catch bass on crankbaits every time I went on the water. Now, I am not saying I got 5+ pounders or high numbers of bass each time, but I can honestly say I got at least one every trip…it may not have been a big one, but at least one bass on every outing.
I know a lot of people would say, “Okay, so what is the problem?” Well, think about this…even though I was able to get at least one fish, most times one fish will not win a tourney. So, I had to learn the other baits…now, you have to picture in your mind, I have 823 different crankbaits, so learning something else was not easy.
I started by reading and watching shows, talking to people, and just going to the store and buying different types of baits. However, the hardest part for me was on the water, because I had to take four or five different poles rigged with the different baits and NO crankbaits at all, either in the boat or on a rig. I had to do that to myself because I became accustomed to my confidence bait and technique. Simply knowing I had to do something different was just the start. So, the days on the water seemed long and dragging at times, but I can say now, ten tackle boxes later that are loaded with everything you can think of has made me a better all-around fisherman.
There is an old saying that goes: Change always comes with resistance. Now I know what that truly means, because I resisted as much and as long as one person could do! Although flipping is one of my styles I have learned about fifteen years back, along with every other style, crankbaits along with the others have helped make many more fun-filled days on the water. So if you are stuck in one or even two styles, take my advice and force yourself to learn and use the “other” baits, because it will pay off in the end and make you a better fisherman!
There will be days that one type of bait will not work all day or even at all for you ever. I hope it is not on a tournament day for you! Then, you will wish you had taken the time to try and learn the “other” baits. Now that I am in my 40’s, I have learned two key things…it is never too late to learn something new, and never stop learning! I try to pick up on something each and every time I go fishing with someone. I truly believe that everyone can show you something new, and yes there have been times when I learned how NOT to do something by watching someone else…and I have to admit, sometimes that is the most enjoyable type of lesson.
The meat of this article is simple…if you have a confidence bait that you fish more than fifty percent of the time, take the time to learn a new style, force yourself if you have to. It will be a benefit to you and worth the time and effort you put into it.
Be safe and I really hope to see you out there, Godspeed to all…
Ron “Gunner” Kaluger Jr