Crankbaits in the Grass by Craig B. Nels

That's right, pulling these big lipped plugs in, around, and through
weed lines is one of the greatest ways to consistently score limits of big
bass. While pulling bits of weeds off of your plug after nearly every cast
may seem to be a bit of a nuisance, I feel, along with many other
successful anglers, that the benefits far outweigh the costs. What is truly
neat about this technique is how it works from coast to coast, north to
south. Anywhere there is an edge of grass; there are bass to be caught
on crankbaits.

When bass move out from the flats and the banks in mid summer, they
relate to things that offer cover to ambush prey, and stable water
conditions. This is often the edge of weed growth far away from shore.
These fish can be targeted with precise applications like flipping jigs or
soft plastics to individual weed points and pockets, but when these bass
become more active, it is much more efficient to target them with a lure
such as a crankbait. Salt City Bassmasters angler Craig Terpening, who
has enjoyed much success in competition at the club and the state level,
utilizes crankbaits around weed lines often. Terpening turns to his
crankbaits in certain situations.

"When the water is mucked-up a little bit, is when the crankbait really
shines, especially in the clear water places we fish a lot."
When the clear water lakes found in the northeast get churned up either
due to a storm, wind, boat traffic, or a lot of runoff, bass will turn to senses
other than their eyes for finding food. Sometimes, these bass will step up
their feeding a notch especially around storms. Bass will move from their
specific points and pockets in the weed line and be willing to go after food
more aggressively. This situation also lends itself to the style crankbait
that one utilizes. Terpening prefers specific crankbaits for this situation.

"I utilize Norman crankbaits for their versatility, and I always use rattles."

Some may argue that always using rattles isn't the best way to go, and I
agree, in some cases. But the northeast, where I do my fishing, has
waters that are not nearly as pressured as some southern impoundments.
The bass up here are not as accustomed to hard bait noises like in other
regions of the country. And during water conditions that are most
productive for cranking, they are also most conducive to rattles.

Gearing up for crankbaiting weed lines requires tackle that will move the
fish out away from the thick grass, yet won't inhibit the action of the lure.
Personally, I match a smooth baitcasting reel with a rod that is half
graphite and half fiberglass. The glass gives with the thrust of a fish, so
the trebles don't tear free, as well as giving the lure a more natural action.
Sensitivity is not totally lost however, due to the graphite that is
incorporated into the pole. I use a small diameter line, in 12 or 14 lb. test.
Line much lighter wont' allow large fish to be moved out away from weeds.
Line much heavier wont' let the lure dive to desired depths. The Central
New York tournament angler, Terpening, rigs up the same for all his
crankbaits.

"I use a 7 ft. med. heavy action Lightning Rod, a Shimano Curado
baitcasting reel (5.3-1 gear ratio), and 12 lb. test line."

Retrieve speeds, and cadences can change daily, even hourly. Starting
with a slow crank and stop retrieve is a good place to start. When the lure
is off of the weeds, the fish will generally grab the lure when it is stopped.
When a floating crankbait isn't being retrieved it will back up as it rises,
which can draw many strikes. Sometimes, the bass want more of a
consistent retrieve, and sometimes they want longer pauses. The key for
all retrieves is that the lure stays in contact with something, generally the
weeds. Away from the weed edge, contact with the bottom is also
important. Terpening agrees with this in saying,

"Contact with anything; on top of the weeds, on the edges, or on the
bottom when retrieving parallel to the weed edge is essential."

When the crankbait contacts the weeds, ripping it free with a quick jerk of
the rod is extremely effective in producing strikes. The small explosion of
weeds that happens as the lure pops loose causes reaction strikes as
well as feeding strikes. If you are already cranking around weed lines
during your fishing outings, and aren't ripping the lure free when hung up,
then you can make a quick improvement right away. That single motion
produces amazing results.

Utilizing electronics can be important in staying near the weed lines that
you will be targeting. Some weed lines can be seen by eye, but
sometimes a graph will help you make the most of the technique.
Quartering your casts is often a good way to start as far as casting
angles. After catching a bass or two, and making note of where they took
the lure will allow you to cover the water more efficiently. Paralleling the
edge is often the most effective when the bass are aggressive, and
cruising the edges. A casting angle perpendicular to the edge is often
needed if the bass are buried up in the weeds more. Like any technique
though, let the fish tell you what they want.

Colors are a matter of personal choice and preference. I basically use a
couple different colors. Firetiger and Shad colored lures do the bulk of the
work. If fish though are only barely being hooked, or being hooked on the
outside of the face, I will try some different patterns until the fish start
engulfing the lure deeper into their mouth. When the bass are sucking the
lure way down into their mouths, you know that you have gotten the color,
sound and retrieve right..hold on.