Crankin’ From the Banks

by gunner

I have received a few emails asking about using crankbaits from the bank.  I have to apologize, because I completely overlooked this situation.  It seems that most everyone who has a boat forgets where they “came from” when they started bass fishing.

I remember as a kid going to the local store and buying that all-important crankbait I had seen on TV.  You know the one…the one that caught everything when the pro cast it from his rod tip!  Yes, that is it…that one.

But one thing I did not look at…at that time I was standing on the sides of the Ohio River and various lakes, while he was in his boat casting to the shore.  So, needless to say, as a kid I lost a good number of lures to Ohio waters.

But to get back to the questions…yes, you can fish with crankbaits from the bank if you do a few things differently and just use some common sense.  First thing is…do NOT pick a deep runner crankbait.  That is a sure snag and loss of lure almost every time!  You want to stay with shallow runners, with maybe a 5-foot runner as the deepest.  You can cast it straight out and reel it in, but that is the opposite of what the boat guys are doing…remember, they throw to the bank and reel back out which has the bait running the contours of the lake bottom, not the other way around. 

The best thing you can do is to walk the bank and find some cover in the water, such as lily pads or some other form of emergent vegetation.  Then, you need to cast along the side of it and run the bait past the sides or front of it if you can.  Hold the rod tip high, because this will help keep the bait from diving and snagging.  Work it slow and let it “bump” off the underwater cover, but stay focused.  Sometimes, you can cast a heavier bait from the banks to some standing timber you see in a cove…and again, the best thing you can do is hold the rod tip high.

Hold the rod tip at about the one or two o’clock position, and learn to “feel” the bait work.  Don’t just set the hook every time you get a bump.  That is the biggest mistake made by bank anglers.  They get the baits, but they have not had the chance to fish from a boat much or at all, so they really don’t know how the bait feels and works.  And it is this inexperience that will cost you money and time.

Now, you are going to lose a few baits this way…but if you are careful, the fish you catch will more than make up for the few baits lost.

Just remember:

• NO deep running crankbaits

• Work it slow and let it bump some

• Hold the tip of the rod high

This technique takes time to learn, so don’t rush it.  Always try to learn something new about your baits every time you go fishing.  Knowing how a bait works, feels and runs is a very valuable tool for any fisherman, boater or non-boater.

When you catch some of these bankside beauties, send a few photos in to us here and we will post them on the site!

Good luck and see you out there!!!

gunner