When East and West Meet, the Possibility Emerges for a Modified Philosophy of Crankbait Fishing
by Chuck Bailey
There are a number of stories and legends explaining why Missouri has been called the "Show-Me" state. Regardless of how the slogan originated, it has evolved to indicate that Missourian’s are not naive nor gullible, and if someone wants to proclaim anything as fact, "Well, I'm from Missouri - you'll have to show me."
So it makes many in the fishing community curious when a well
known and highly respected bass tournament angler from Missouri is not
only persuaded to try premium Japanese crankbaits, but is converted to become an enthusiastic spokesman for them.
Ozark Raised
Randy Blaukat, a seasoned veteran among professional bass
fisherman, grew up fishing the Ozark Lakes in the Missouri-Oklahoma
portion of the country: Tamarack, Lake of the Ozarks, Stockton Lake,
Grand Lake, Truman, “…all over the Ozarks,” says Randy.
Reflecting on his earliest experiences with throwing crankbaits,
he recalls “I grew up in Joplin, Missouri which is right in the very
southwest part of the state, and Grand Lake in Oklahoma was just right
across the border which was about 30 miles from my house. So I started
crankbait fishing early on in Grand Lake. When I was in high school I
had a little John boat that I used to pull down there, and initially
that’s where I got all my crankbait experience. Later on I started
applying that experience to the Missouri lakes as I got older.”
There were not a lot of crankbait choices when Randy was young,
so it’s easy for him to remember what models he threw. “It was back in
the late 70’s and early 80’s when I was in high school. Most of the
crankbaits used back then were the Rebel Humpback, the Bomber Model
“A’s”, the Rebel Deep Wee “R’s” – we used to throw them a lot. Those
were state of the art crankbaits at that time, and that’s what I
started out with.”
The Role Of Crankbaits In Tournament Situations
Best know for his flippin’ and pitchin’ expertise, Randy is also
known for his versatility, and crankbaits have played a big part in his
success on the tournament trail. “Oh definitely. With crankbaits
there is such a variety and selection as far as profiles, sizes,
wobbles, colors, and that type of stuff, but they’re just about a
main-stay for myself and everybody on the tour.”
“There’s very few tournaments that you can’t catch a few fish on
crankbaits. And in some tournaments that’s the primary pattern; as to
whether it's shallow, mid-depth, or deep cranking - that just depends
on where we’re at.”
How does Randy use crankbaits in a bass tournament? “Well, a lot
of it depends on the time of the year. Some times of the year I will
throw a crankbait all day long. At other times of the year it may be
sparingly. But most of the time, if I’m on a crankbait pattern, I’m
usually backing it up with some other technique at some point. Not
always, but sometimes.”
“The prespawn time of the year is about the only time of the year I would exclusively
throw a crankbait (if that’s the bite they’re on). Other than that,
I’m sort of working an area and ‘milking it’ with both a crankbait and
maybe a slow bait through the same area.”
The Megabass Connection
Randy’s connection to Japanese crankbaits is not a recent
phenomenon. “Well, Megabass is one of my oldest sponsors. I’ve been
with Megabass since 1992, and I’ve helped them develop a lot of the
stuff they have right now. They’re primarily the crankbaits I use.”
“They
didn’t used to have the selection they do now, but in the last five
years they’ve developed a selection that almost meets every need an
angler requires (as far as depth ranges, profiles, wobbles, and that
type of stuff). So they’ve really got a lot of variety to choose from
right now, so I use them almost extensively.”
Megabass may appear to many anglers in the USA to be a
relatively new comer on the scene, but that’s not the case – and
especially not in Japan. “They were the originators of a lot of the
new technology that has been duplicated by other Japanese companies,”
says Randy. “Megabass was one of the true pioneers in the Japanese
market for years. And they are noted for their business model which is
very different; they’re not really concerned about volume as much as
the quality of the bait.”
Playing Hard to Get
Few weekend anglers even know where to purchase Megabass
crankbaits. Randy admits, “And the company makes it a little difficult
to acquire them - on purpose. If you want to use a Megabass
crankbait you have to put a little effort into it - because you can’t
just go down to any tackle store and pick one up. And they do that
for a reason, it’s a part of their business model. They’re sort of a
‘specialty bait’ found exclusively in the high-end tackle stores that
are known for tournament type gear.”
Premium Japanese crankbaits are not inexpensive, and yet they
are catching the attention of many tournament anglers. Naturally this
makes them a target for many American companies who often call them
“designer crankbaits”.
A common argument against the need for Japanese crankbaits is
that bass and other gamefish have brains the size of peas, and are
unable to distinguish the finer details (in terms of finish, pattern
details, etc), of a fast moving crankbait. The conclusion drawn by
this logic is that bass will hit the more economical baits made in the
USA just as well as they will strike the more expensive baits from
Japan.
Blaukat has addressed this issue many times. “Well, it’s
understood that there are times when an active aggressive fish is going
to bite anything. But a tournament angler not only wants those active
aggressive fish, they also want to pick off the ones that are more
passive too. And a lot of times those passive fish can be triggered
into striking because of a unique difference in a profile, wobble, or color in the bait you’re throwing.”
Success is in the Details
Randy belongs to that group of professional anglers that
believes the key to success comes from focusing on the details. “And
the best thing about the Megabass lures (aside from the internal
balancing systems that they have) is the extreme attention to detail;
the subtle details of the coloration of the bait. To me, that makes all
the difference in the world when attempting to get a bite from highly
pressured areas or in maximizing the area that you have, (that is,
getting the most fish out of an area with your lure selection).”
Fish Conditioning
The emphasis on “attention to details” is fueled by the theory that fish get conditioned
to baits that have been around for a long, long time. Does Randy
agree? “Oh definitely so. Definitely! I think the bass have evolved
tremendously in the past thirty years as far as their ability to make
themselves aware to certain types of actions and noises in regard to
lures and profiles. It’s an evolutionary ‘survival of the species’
thing that allows them to adapt at a rapid rate.”
“For example, back when I started tournament fishing in the
early 80’s and up until the mid 80’s – I threw, (probably 90% of the
time), a half-ounce black and blue jig with a #1 black pork frog. I
could go anywhere around the country and do very well on it with 30
pound test line. And now I can count on one hand how many fish I have
caught on that type of set up in the past ten years. Why? Because the
fish have gotten so conditioned to that big, bulky, dark jig profile -
that they just don’t bite it as well.”
“And the same with someone fishing a 7 A Bomber. You take a
newer Japanese crankbait (whether it be a Megabass or Lucky Craft or
whatever) and go fish side by side with someone throwing a 7 A Bomber
and you will out fish them, sometimes ten to one. So the fish do get
conditioned to traditional wobbles, profiles and colors. Believe that.”
The Basics
But Randy also understands that a crankbait beginner needs to
first focus on the basics. Any novice that stands in a well stocked
tackle store is often overwhelmed with the variety of options
available, and so Blaukat has a few suggestions as to where to begin.
The Major Factors in Selecting Crankbaits
“The first thing a beginner has to do is determine the basic
type of water that they are fishing in their part of the country.
That’s going to give a really good starting point as far as what type
of crankbait they’re going to need. So that being said, there are
several things to consider.”
“Initially, an angler wants three types of crankbaits when it comes to color. That would include some kind of shad pattern, a crawfish pattern, and a bright chartreuse
pattern. Those are the staples, and there are subtleties within each
one of those colors, but you need to have all three to
start out with.” The key to which color is selected (at what time of
the year) is based upon “…water temperatures and water clarity.”
“And then you focus on depth and wobble. You’re going to have to
have crankbaits that cover a range between 1 and 15 feet down. Most
of the cranking I do, and most of the cranking other professionals do,
is going to be between 1 to 6 or 7 feet. Once you get below 8 foot
you’re starting to get more in to a niche summer time pattern. And
obviously the deeper crankbait is going to play the key role then.”
Study the Water You Are Going to Fish
Having presented a general 'skeleton' of selection priorities,
Randy begins to add some ‘flesh’ by explaining “The first thing you’ve
got to do is ask yourself ‘What’s the water clarity in the type of lake
I’m fishing. Is it a natural lake, a manmade lake, is it a rocky
impoundment, is it sandy, or pea-gravelly, or a lot of mud flats on
it?’”
“Those are all indicators about what kind of crankbaits you are
going to need. Because geographically there are certain colors,
wobbles, and profiles that out produce other crankbaits based upon
where you are at. So the best advice I could give is beginners is to
do a little research into what type of crankbaits have a history in
that area you are fishing.”
Modifications: Give Them Something Similar But a Little Different
“Here’s an example,” Randy shares. “In the Ozark’s part of the country, the Wiggle Wart crankbait is a staple here. It’s a well known crawfish imitator that has that big wide wobble, and is a standby lure for all the Ozark Missouri type lakes. It is a crankbait that runs between 5 to 8 feet deep based upon your line test. So knowing that - it’s the primary crankbait an angler can make modifications to. That is, instead of the Wiggle Warts, you can go to the Megabass Deep X 100 or a Megabass Cyclone that gives the bass a little different profile, a little bit different wobble, but still keeps it in that same depth zone.”
“Another example, if you’re Tennessee, the guys in Tennessee
like the flat sided wooden crankbaits, the more shad imitators. We like
the crawfish imitators in Missouri, the Tennessee guys like the shad
imitators more, so that’s when I would go to the Megabass Flap-Slap in
that type of situation.”
“And as you move further east a lot of those guys are into
fishing the mid to deep cranking range. Therefore they throw a lot of
the DD22’s and the DD16’s and the Poe’s 400 and so forth.”
“You can also get into the rattling baits, (the vibrating
lures), as you get further south towards Texas and around the submerged
grass fields, and so forth. So it’s really important to identify the
characteristic of the water you are fishing and what’s produced in the
past. Then you can make modifications on that with the new crankbait
technology and get the most out of it.”
The Affects of Water Clarity, Temperature, and Sunlight on Color Selection
When it comes to selecting crankbait colors, Randy emphasizes
that “Water clarity itself is not enough. You have to combine water
clarity with water temperature. Water temperature, water clarity, and
even sunlight conditions dictate the color I want to use.”
“For example; a lot of people believe that in the prespawn, when
the fish are feeding on crawfish, you need to use a reddish crawfish
crankbait – that’s just a common accepted fact. But it’s not an
accurate conclusion. I have had some excellent days on lakes (that are
considered to be a crawfish pattern lake) with shad pattern crankbaits
based on the water clarity I encounter.”
“If I start out fishing clear water that is cold and I have a
fairly dark sky, then I’ll start out with a darker crawfish pattern.
If, on the next day, it turns partly cloudy and the wind dies down, I
may want to go to a lighter hue of crawfish color, perhaps more or a
translucent color, or something a little bit lighter green or lighter
brown - not quite as dark. And then, if the wind slicks off completely
and I encounter bluebird skies, I might want to go to a shad pattern
crankbait in the same water.”
“So what I like to do is to adjust to the conditions, and a lot
of times that’s just a matter of experimentation. I can’t give you a
perfect rule for color selection – you just have to experiment until
you find out what the fish want - but these generalities have worked
for me:
Really Cold Water
"
In
really cold water when the water temperature is below 50 degrees, the
shad and crawfish patterns are my two primary colors. And I actually
like the shad patterns in really cold water better than
crawfish. For some reason I just get more bites with the shad patterns
– regardless of the water clarity. Still, I’ll mix it up with the
crawfish pattern to some extent during those same conditions too.”
“But what I try to do - is stay away from what everybody else is
doing. For example, if I go to Table Rock in March, I know that
everyone in the tournament is going to have a crawfish Wiggle Wart tied
on. And so I do whatever I can not to throw a crawfish Wiggle Wart. I’ll try something else. So I’ll experiment with that."
"But generally, shad and crawfish are my two key colors right up until the water temperature gets up to 50 degrees.”
Warming Up
“Once it gets to be in the low to mid 50’s, it seems the bass
really prefer a straight crawfish pattern more – whether it be orange,
green, brown or red, whatever. That’s just something you have to
figure out on your own. And that lasts until up until the water
temperatures gets into the mid 50’s.”
“Once the water temperature get to the mid 50’s, we get into what I think that is the most unproductive
time for crankbaits, (right up until it gets to about 70 to 75
degrees). That’s probably the time I throw crankbaits the least; from
about late March until mid to late May. For some reason the bass just
don’t bite a crankbait that well that time of year. Seems they are
keyed more to striking soft plastics, bottom bouncing lures, and that
type of stuff.”
“Now once that water temperature gets over 70 degrees, (and up
until it starts to get to its maximum, which sometimes goes up to 90
degrees - from late May until late September), that’s the time of year I
put the crawfish away and I go to more of the chartreuses and shad.
Probably I go more to the chartreuses because it resembles the blue gill
and that’s what a lot of the bass feed on in the summer. So that’s my
primary selection at that time of the year.”
“And once that water temperature starts to descend back into the
low 80’s and the 70’s and into the 60’s, that is when I go back to the
shad patterns. And the shad patterns will take me all the way through
the first of the year until I get back into using crawfish the
following spring. So in terms of color selection, these water
temperature and clarity generalizations have been a good starting place
for me – they have been developed over many years.”
It’s important to remember that Randy’s color selection is still
based on the understanding that fish get conditioned to certain
profiles, patterns, and colors over time. He explains, “I keep it
simple, but when I am talking about a shad pattern or a crawfish
pattern or a chartreuse pattern, it’s a little bit different than most
people think it is, because the patterns in the Megabass lures (and a
lot of different Japanese lures out there), are not like the
traditional Tennessee Shad or Brown Crawfish – there are a lot of subtle
differences within those colors. I also have a lot of my crankbaits
custom painted, with different splashes of certain colors on it.”
“So chartreuse, shad, and crawfish are ‘categories’, but I’m really trying to do something different and unique within each one of those categories. And that’s why I like the Japanese crankbaits so much.”
“Take for instance the shad pattern on a Megabass crankbait – it
may have a little splash of chartreuse on the tail on the lure, or some
other color blended in. That’s the good thing about the new
technologies in crankbaits - you can take advantage of those primary
colors and the subtleties within them.”
Japanese Crankbait Colors: Too Extreme or Desirable/Subtle Differences?
Randy’s
attraction to Japanese baits exposes a gap between the weekend
angler’s traditional color "comfort-zone" and the professional
tournament angler’s insatiable hunger to presenting something “just a
little bit different.” Sometimes the Japanese color choices and
patterns are deemed as ‘too far removed’ from what American anglers are
used to, and therefore many anglers tend to shy away from purchasing
them. As far as Randy is concerned, this is a big mistake.
“I think what a lot of average anglers don’t realize is that in
the rod lockers of the pros, you will find very few stock colors. We’re
all using modifications of those traditional color patterns. Most
pros use a lot a Japanese crankbaits because they offer those subtle
color differences in them.”
“For example; take a real common, high-selling crankbait such as
the Lucky Craft 1.5 crankbait – it’s been very popular these last
couple of years. If I am throwing a real popular bait utilizing
traditional colors, then I’ll do something different to it. I may take
red fingernail polish and draw gills on it, or put black scales on it
with a magic marker, or I’ll put a little bit of orange or chartreuse
on the tail.”
“I don’t want to ever throw anything that is stock. I don’t want
to throw what everyone else throws because… while those stock baits
will work to an extent, you cannot maximize an area with stock lures.”
Adjusting to Fishing Pressure
“You have to make adjustments - that’s just a part of my fishing
the FLW tour; we fish these heavily fished lakes that get pounded by
good fishermen every weekend, and there’s a lot of people in our
tournaments. So that’s why I and other pros always strive to do
something a little different.”
It appears that Randy Blaukat and a number of other
professionals who make their living in the challenging world of
tournament fishing, are firmly dedicated to the concept that subtle
differences are the key to gaining “the edge” over the rest of the
competitive field.
This has some interesting implications which fly in the face of
another popular theory that points out that bass and other gamefish have
survived throughout history by knowing what is “real” and what is not
when it comes to food. Proponents of this concept insist that lure
makers, (in order to fool fish), must create a crankbait that imitates
and looks as close to the real forage as possible.
Subtle Differences Trigger Strikes
But, Randy insists that crankbaits that are slightly different from the normal forage increases it’s chance of triggering a strike. Why would a bass be attracted to something it has never seen before?
“I think a lot of it is curiosity,” suggests Blaukat. “I think
fish are opportunistic. I don’t think the fish always strike as a
result of being hungry. I believe most of the feeding that goes on is
at night. In fact, I think that the majority of feeding (all
year long) goes on in the dark hours. Most of the strikes that occur
during daylight hours I believe to be the result of a reaction strike,
or out of some type of curiosity or anger. And that reflex and
curiosity can be triggered at times by things like minor color
differences.”
One or Two More Fish
“And
when I am talking about the subtleties of crankbait fishing, I am
talking about catching one or two more fish per day than somebody
else. In my world of tournament fishing, that makes a huge
difference. If you are a weekend angler and one or two additional fish
is not that big of a deal, you may not want to put that much effort
into it. But ultimately, I think most fishermen go out and want to get
bit. We want to catch fish, and that’s why people pay 20 to 30
dollars for a crankbait …because they want to get bit.”
“And as to the reason a fish hits a lure,” says Randy, “there’s
no absolute to that. No bass pro can give you absolute answers to
anything - it is all based upon their personal experience on the water. But from my
personal experience, those subtle color differences can add up to more
fish at the end of the day. It’s been proven to me year in and year
out. And I take it as fact now.”
“A lot of fishing success is generated through experimentation -
because you won’t figure it out until you try different things. And so
much of it has to do with situational things that come up. Water
clarity, light intensity, wind, and water temperature – they all change
the game as far as the colors and the type of crankbaits you want to
use. And because those conditions can change from hour to hour, it’s
making fine adjustments on the water during those times that pays off.”
Other Adjustments
Besides color adjustments, what other kinds of adjustments can
be made in fine tuning the proper crankbait selection? “Profiles (body
shapes), sizes, that type of stuff,” Randy explains. “For instance,
there are so many different profiles. And although we talk about
wobbles (tight, medium, and wide wobbles) - the wobbles are not really
gigantic in difference.”
“What I am saying is that it’s more of a combination of
the profile of the bait, whether the bait is silent or has rattles in
it, the type of line you’re using on a bait, and so forth. (The line
size has a tremendous difference on the action to some extent but even
more impact on the crankbait’s depth). So it’s a combination of all
those factors together.”
Randy is realistic about crankbait selection, “When you’re
talking about getting the most out of your crankbait fishing, you don’t
really know what that is - because sometimes it can be your line size,
sometimes it can be your retrieve ratio (you know, the action you
impart on the crankbait), the length of your cast, the angle of your
cast, color, the sound of it, the list goes on and on. And ultimately
you don’t know until you catch that first fish, and that’s why that first fish is so important – to give you that clue as to whether you are on the right track or not.”
Crankbait Size
According to our pro, Randy Blaukat, there is strong seasonal
connection to color, however, the seasonal connection is much weaker
when it comes to selecting crankbait size. “As a general rule
I like to use a larger crankbait in the shad pattern during the
prespawn. That’s when the gizzard shad and threadfin shad in the lake
are mature and haven’t hatched out any small ones. So I like to use
those bigger shad patterns at that time of the year.”
“But even that,” cautions Randy, “is changing because of fishing
pressure. Fishing pressure has caused the majority of bass to evolve,
even in terms of the size of baits they want to hit. Take a crankbait
like the old B3 square lip Bagley - it used to be a really productive
bait in the 90’s, but it hasn’t produced much in the 2000’s (the last
10 years). Why? Because it is a bait that really telegraphed itself. It really puts out a lot of information to the fish that they could key in on, and… learn to shy away from. This ‘conditioning’ over time has changed the bait's effectiveness.”
“Ten
years ago you might catch a large bag of fish on a big square lip
Bagley, whereas now the bass want a more diminutive approach. That’s
why a lot of the baits like the Megabass Z Crank, and the 1.5 Lucky
Craft have been so successful - basically they are smaller versions of
the B-3.”
“So to address the topic of size in relationship to seasonal
patterns; the size of the crankbait has a lot to do with the personality
of the fish. The fish have to be fairly aggressive, and you have to
have a rising barometric pressure, and a little bit of wind
(particularly a south wind ) to get a fish to hit a larger crankbait.
Unless those specific conditions exist, I think medium and smaller
crankbaits are better most of the year.”
“In general, I think size selection is more conditional on the
weather conditions and the type of lake you are fishing rather than
seasonal conditions. (Understand, I tend to reference everything to
the tournament world so you have to sort through that).”
“But for example; I may be throwing a larger crankbait during
practice, and catching a few fish on it, and the fish may be hooked
well. But as the practice goes on, and as the tournament unfolds, it’s
very rare to see a large crankbait continue to produce the entire
event. So a lot of times that’s when you have to downsize during that
period.”
“So again, crankbait selection still has to a lot to do with
fish being conditioned to a certain size in a particular body of water.
But over all, larger crankbaits are not as effective as the smaller
ones. It seems to me that the crankbaits that are 1 ½ inch or smaller
are the most consistent producers year round for both numbers and size
of fish. That’s why the smaller half ounce Rat-L-Trap still catches
the biggest fish in the lake and numbers too. And that represents the size that bass prefer to hit in terms of most crankbait makes and styles.”
To Rattle Or Not To Rattle…
Randy has watched the majority of newer baits in the market place
manufactured with internal rattles to increase the bait’s presence
under water, (particularly plastic crankbaits). But our pro is not
convinced this latest trend necessarily leads to greater numbers of fish
being caught.
“Myself,
I like silent baits,” he explains. “It’s one of the differences I have
had with Megabass over the years, because a lot of their baits have
rattles in them. But I understand that in Megabass’s situation the
larger rattles are a major part of their “balancer system” –those
rattles are necessary for the way the internal bait works and how it
casts. But over all, I prefer a quiet bait. I believe a crankbait’s
natural wobble is plenty noisy enough to attract the strike.”
Does Megabass produce quiet baits? “Well, their wood cranks,
Z-Cranks, and their Flap-Slaps are all quiet baits. With some of their
other plastic rattling baits… if I happen to be getting poor hook ups
or I’m not getting as many bites as I think I should, I’ve been known
to drill a hole and put a little super glue in it to neutralize the
rattles. But most of the time it’s more efficient to go to a very
different bait that’s completely silent – especially if the fish are
not hitting well.”
Manufacturers and Options
Then Randy makes a blunt statement that is easily recognized as
being both honest and a sign of personal integrity. “See, …when you
talk about creating baits that are either quiet or noisy – it points
out just how impossibly hard it is for a single manufacturer to produce
every possible crankbait option. A lot of times, what the pros want
and what the average consumer or even the manufacturer wants, is
completely different. And that’s why it is impossible for a pro to use
just one company’s baits. There is no one company out there that
produces every type of crankbait to meet every situation. As much as
any sponsored pro claims it, it just can’t be done.”
The Effects of Crankbait Profiles
One of the other design factors that often prevents weekend
anglers from investing in Japanese crankbaits has to do with some of
the unusual "profiles" produced. American anglers who are accustomed
to tradition contours are often uncomfortable buying some of the
"odd-shaped" baits that are coming from overseas. Many feel the designs
do not imitate the natural contours of our American forage species.
And yet, the escalating success of tournament anglers who use these
odd-shaped Japanese crankbaits is making it increasingly and
convincingly clear that they work in our home waters.
Why do they work? Randy explains, “Well, first all –
almost any crankbait will works at some time or another. I don’t care
what it is. If a bait wobbles and it gets down to where the fish are,
you are going to catch some fish on them. But, having said that, there
are some profiles that are undeniably more successful than others.” It
is Randy's belief that many of the odd-shaped Japanese crankbaits are just
different enough to make them 'attractive' to bass conditioned to
traditional shapes. But even he admits that extreme differences in
crankbait profiles will work against the angler.
“It’s always been my contention that it would be wise if a lot
more crankbait manufacturers took those basic profiles and modified them
slightly while staying within those basic profiles. But a
lot of companies won’t do that because they want to separate their
product from everyone else’s in a big way. As a result many are not
nearly as effective as they could be. Naturally this means that every
company out there has crankbaits in their line ups that are just not
that great.”
The Basic Profiles
What’s a good basic profile design? “Take for instance
the Bandit crankbait,” says Randy, “It is one of the cheapest, poorest
quality crankbaits on the market, but there is something about
the profile that makes it a fish-catching bait. And it is a simple
profile; there is nothing fancy about it. But there’s something
unique and basic about it that triggers fish into biting. And a lot of
manufacturers can’t see past that simplicity, which I find odd.”
Crawfish Imitators
So
what are the basic profiles? “I think the basic profile for any bait
depends on the category of forage that you are trying to imitate. The
profile that you want to create for a crawfish imitating bait has to be
fairly short and round for some reason. Obviously crayfish aren’t
short and round, and yet a crawfish imitating bait needs to be short and round to be effective.”
“Do you remember the Bagley Small Fry Series?” asks Randy, “and
the realistic Rebel that looked just like crawfish? You would think the
fish would have devoured those baits - but I could never get a bite
on them. For some reason the fish did not react to that particular
profile. But you take a shorter, rounder Wiggle Wart or a MR-X Griffin
(Megabass ) in the crawfish pattern and the fish eat it up. So round
and short profiles are desirable for the crawfish.”
Perch and Shad Profiles
“And as you get into the perch or shad patterns it seems like
the more elongated, flatter sided profiles attract more strikes.
Profile shape is an interesting study,” confesses Randy, “because we
think we know what bass like to bite, but apparently that’s not always
the case as far as what attracts them to a lure in terms of profile.”
Metallic Finishes
One
of the unique traits of Japanese lures is that many of them are
offered in a wide variety of bright, flashy, metallic finishes. When
asked if he used any of them, Blaukat answered, “That depends on the
situation. The ‘GG’ finishes are the brighter chrome stand-out
finishes – those baits are a lot better in murky water. Very seldom
will those baits be effective in clean water. Once in a while - in
fairly clean water, (say visibility is between 18 inches to 3 foot),
and if the water is extremely cold - it will work.”
Gotta-Have Crankbaits
“But most of the time those baits with metallic finishes are the
most affective in water clarities of 15 inches or less. Once I get
water clarity greater than 15 inches, I want more of a flat
finish. The flat finishes on the Megabass are called the ‘TM’ finishes
and I just get a lot more bites on those in clear water.”
When asked to point out a few crankbaits that a beginning angler
should have in their arsenal Randy replies, “There would probably be 4
or 5. I would have a Megabass Flap-Slap, which is a flat-sided shad
imitating crankbait. I would have the Megabass MR Griffin, which has a
stubby short round profile. I would have the Bandit 300 – which we
talked about earlier. And probably a Wiggle Wart. And of course, a
large crankbait like the Megabass Deep-X 300 or the DD 22 Norman.
And that selection of crankbaits is going to cover a lot of the fishing
situations around the country."
As to each of their strengths, Randy explains, “Ok, let’s start with the Megabass. The Flap-Slap
is going to be really good in clear water or with a little bit of stain
to the water, (like 12 inches of visibility or better). In the
pre-spawn it’s a killer bait in those conditions. It’s also good in
the middle of the summer when it is really hot, especially if you’re
fishing lakes that have stained water and they contain shallow rocks or
rip-rap. That’s when the Flap-Slap is really deadly.”
“The MR Griffin
(Megabass) is going to be really good cranking rocks, and in off
colored water with 15 inches of visibility or less. When fishing rocky
banks, rip-rap banks, or any kind of rock, the MR Griffin is going to
be my number one choice.”
(When Randy won the Bassmaster Alabama Top 150 in Mobile in 2000,
he used the regular Griffin which runs a little shallower.
The MR Griffin uses the same body profile but has a bigger lip and runs
a little deeper.)
“The third bait,” says our pro, “would be the Bandit 300
which is real good on shallow drops, (like if you’re fishing sand bars,
or little channel drops or channel lips that go from 4 to 8 foot). In
those situations it’s a killer bait. It’s also good around boat docks
and particularly effective in stained water. But my preference is to
use the Bandit around flatter drops, main lakes points. (So it's a
really good bait if you’re casting up to main lake points, reeling it
down into 8 foot water, and you think the strike zone is between 5 and 6
feet.)”
“Next comes the Wiggle Wart;
a stand-by for prespawn, clear water. It’s good for just chunkin’ and
winding and covering water - whether it be on gravel banks, bluff
banks, or rocky banks – it’s just really good cold water prespawn
crankbait.”
“And the others ones,” says Randy, indicating the deep-divers, “are either the Megabass Deep-X 300
or the Norman DD22. They are going to be your work horse for the
summer time, (from actually the post spawn to the early fall
deep-cranking main lake points, river ledges, and humps), when you need
to get that bait down to 8 to 15 feet.”
Line
As to line, “Those baits can be thrown with 6 to 20 pound test
fluorocarbon depending on the conditions. For instance, if I am
fishing real clear water with that Wiggle Wart, I may want to get it
down as deep as I can in the clear water and I may throw it on 6 pound
test fluorocarbon. If I’m fishing the Megabass Flap-Slap on real
shallow rocks I may put it on 20 pound test line because I don’t want
it to get but a couple of feet deep as I bounce it off the rocks. So
the line size is dependent on the conditions you are fishing.”
Rods
“I use three different rods when I’m crankbait fishing – all of
them are the Megabass rods. I use the 610 spinning rod, (Aaron
Martens model), for the smaller crankbaits like the MR Griffin or the
Wiggle Wart, (or sometimes the Flap-Slap). I really want to make a long
cast on lighter line with the spinning rod.”
“And for the bigger crankbaits I’ll use the Megabass 711, which
is a 7 1/2 foot baitcasting rod that lets me launch those big crankbaits
a long way. (Probably 25% further than with a normal rod). And the
third rod is the 7 foot Tomahawk fiber glass rod which I use for most
of my crankbait fishing.”
The Controversy of "Give" in Crankbait Rods
There has been a long standing theory concerning crankbait rods
that suggests they should have a little more “give” so as to allow the
fish more time to get the bait down in the mouth cavity before the
hookset occurs. Many professionals believe that today’s graphite rods
are just too sensitive and at the first indication of a strike the
angler tends to rip the bait out of the fish’s mouth before the hooks
have a chance to penetrate.
Many of the proponents of this theory use graphite rods for
almost all other techniques, but switch back to fiberglass rods when
fishing crankbaits. Anglers in this camp believe that these softer,
slower, and less sensitive fiberglass rods permit the fish more time
to get the bait deeper in the mouth cavity before the hook set. Randy
disagrees.
“I don’t agree with the whole theory that you want a soft rod
that ‘gives’ when the fish bites. (The only reason I want a soft tip on a crankbait rod is when a strong fighting fish finally gets near the boat).”
“When I’m crankbait fishing, I point my rod at the bait 90% of
the time – and I’ve learned this from a lot of the expert crankers from
North Carolina, (Gerald Beck, David Fritz, Jeff Coble). By pointing
the rod at the crankbait, 1) you have a lot better feel on the bait,
and 2) when the fish bites it you can get a lot better hookup, because
you don’t have any bend – the only give you have is the stretch of the
line.”
Controlling The Fish With The Rod
“My
goal, (once the fish is hooked), is to reel aggressively with that
fish. I want to penetrate the hook and get control of the fish until I
get it to the boat. And once the fish is to the boat, that’s when I
like a softer tip that will allow me to play that fish out, especially
if the fish is not hooked very well.”
When a stiffer rod is used, the most nervous time for a
tournament pro is when a lunker is at the boat and lunges to the
bottom. Obviously something has to give or the hooks are torn free.
So does Randy rely on his drag during those harrowing moments when a
trophy fish dives for deeper water? Hardly.
Back-reeling and Thumbing the Spool
“That’s when I thumb the spool,” explains Randy. “I never use a
drag on any of my reels. When a fish takes off, I always back-reel (a
spinning reel) or thumb the spool (of a baitcaster).”
“With back-reeling or thumbing you can control the pressure much
better. Understand, until you can see how that fish is hooked, you
don’t know how much pressure you’re allowed to put on the fish. If the
fish is not hooked very well, you can lightly thumb the spool and not
put any pressure on the fish at all. Then again, if the fish is
hooked a lot better, you can be a lot more aggressive with it.”
Down With Drags
“So I tighten my drags down on every reel. I don’t trust drags.
I think most fisherman would be better off not using them and learning
to back reel and thumb. You can’t trust a drag. Even the smoothest
drags are not going to be as forgiving as back-reeling as far as taking
the pressure off the fish.”
If this sound like a difficult skill to master for beginners,
Randy assures us it is not. “Back-reeling and thumb spooling is
actually easy to learn. Most of the amateur fisherman I take fishing
want to use the drag. I tell them ‘Tighten the drag down, and just
practice by not using it’. When they hook a fish, I say ‘OK, reel the
fish and when it starts to run, just start back-reeling, (or thumb the
spool).’ And it’s really easy for them to learn that; it’s just a
matter of giving them the confidence to try it.”
To summarize his opinion on the “rod-give” controversy, Randy
says, “The whole thing about the fish inhaling the bait with the flex of
the rod – I think that’s a myth. I think a fish will inhale, bite,
or swipe at a lure and it is your hook size or the type of hooks you’re
using that are far more important than any type of flex that can come
with the rod tip.”
Hook Modifications?
Many
professionals are never satisfied with the hook sharpness of new lures
and will expend time and money to change them out, replacing the
factory hooks with premium hooks. Randy often modifies his crankbaits
through hook replacements, but says “It depends on the species I’m
fishing for, whether it’s Kentucky’s, largemouth, or smallmouth. And
it depends on the type of cover I’m fishing. So there’s a couple of
different variables.”
“But most of the time I do modify my hooks. Sometimes I’ll
either up-size or down-size, or put a different style of hook on, based
upon what I’m fishing for, or the type of cover I’m fishing. If I’m
fishing for larger fish, (that is, I know there are larger fish in the
area, and either I’m short lining them, and the water is a little more
stained), I’ll go with bigger or heavier hooks.”
“On the other hand, if I’m fishing for smallmouth or Kentucky’s
in clearer water - I will actually downsize my hooks. And that's
because I’m more concerned about hooking the fish in a soft area or
around the hinged part of the jaw, (because their mouths are smaller).
If you can get them in the hinge, in the softer part of the jaw with a
small hook, you don’t lose them nearly as many. That's because it is
hard to penetrate a larger diameter hook with a larger barb. This is
especially true if you are fishing smaller baits with lighter line.”
The Line To Crankbait Connection
As to attaching his line to his crankbaits? “Split-ring - all the time.” When Randy was asked why,
he shared, “Well, I don’t like snaps, because they often come
unsnapped. A lot of times you can hit a dock, rock, or a limb and the
snap will come undone and you won’t know it. So I never use snaps. And
I don’t like to tie directly to the eye because it kills the action.
So I use a small o-ring most of the time.”
Adjustments When Losing Fish
When an angler is losing too many bass while cranking, Randy
recognizes that there are times when adjustments can be made to remedy
the problem. But not always. “Most of the time, if you are using good
equipment and have good hooks and you’re doing everything right, you
might simply be losing fish because of the way the fish strike the
lure. Often it’s just the way the fish is taking the bait. So for
someone with the right equipment and approach – if you’re losing fish
you shouldn't over analyze it too much because its often just the way
the fish hit that particular lure.”
“Other times, you can reduce lost fish when crankbait fishing,
if you’re not overly timid with the fish. A lot of people are a little
too soft with fish in terms of how they handle and fight them, and
they’ll lose a lot of bass as a result.”
“I also see a lot of people losing fish by sticking their rods
under water. They try to stop the fish from jumping – that’s the worse
thing you can do. That’s not going to stop a fish from jumping. If a fish wants to jump, sticking the rod under the water is not going to keep that bass from breaking the surface. And when you submerge your rod, you actually create more opportunities for slack to form in your line, and that is the greatest cause for fish to be lost.”
“So if the fish indicates it wants to jump, I have my rod tip at
least stomach level high, because I want to make sure I have control
over the line so as not to have any slack. And naturally your hooks
have to be sharp, and you have to have the right style of
hooks. But being too timid in fighting a fish, sticking the rod in the
water, and dull hooks are some of the common reasons why people lose
fish.”
Toss The Gloss
Perhaps one of the most eyebrow raising modifications Randy
makes to his crankbaits has to do with the bait’s finish. “One of the
first things I’ll do is take some light sandpaper and sand the entire
lure to knock the new shiny finish off of it. I want the gloss gone.”
“So
I’ll take some kind of abrasive material and scuff it up a little
bit. Once you scuff it up it doesn’t really make it look scuffed up
when it is in the water, but it does take that shine off, - which I don’t like to have.”
If you’re curious as to why the gloss must go, Randy
says “Well, I’m always looking for something that looks good in the
water. The test for me, is if I put a bait in the water and it looks
good to me, that gives me confidence in the crankbait. But if I have a
bait in the water and I don’t like the way it looks in terms of the
color or shine – then I try to make it look fishy or edible. And so I
take the shine off it.”
Ironically, most fisherman are actually attracted to a
crankbait’s shiny or slick finish, (a fact not lost on manufacturers).
But Randy believes the gloss detracts from a crankbait’s effectiveness.
“I have people who fish with me all the time who can’t believe
it when I take a file, or sandpaper, or a knife and scratch up the
brand new crankbait. They just can’t believe it. But I catch more
fish off a junky old looking crankbait than I do a new one. So I try
to create that look right off the bat.”
“Now I don’t like to have chunks of paint missing, (you’ve seen
people throw a Rat-L-Trap with half the chrome missing on it. I don’t
like that). I like the paint intact, but I just like it to look really
worn.”
As to other modifications? “Often I’ll paint gills with finger
nail polish on my crankbaits, and as I said, I will make some hook
modifications - but that’s basically all I do. I don’t really tweak my
crankbaits that much.”
Improving Crankbait Skills
If you are one of those anglers who have set a goal to
dramatically improve their crankbait skills in the next year, then Randy
has a few tips to share: “First of all, you need to go to a lake where
a crankbait bite is going on. And that depends on where you
are in the country. But it really doesn’t mater whether you are
fishing in Florida, Texas, or Missouri – there are always lakes in
every state where the fish are hitting crankbaits. So try to go to a
body of water where you know the crankbait bite is on.”
“Then take nothing but crankbaits with you. Don’t take anything else; and this forces you to fish them all day long.”
“And experiment!”, insists Randy. “Tie a crankbait on, and if
you don’t catch a fish, go to a different color or a different
profile. But keep experimenting until you find the bait the fish want.”
“And once you start getting a few bites, then start working on
upgrading the quality of the fish that you are catching. Usually that
comes from adjusting your speed of retrieve, your casting angle, the
length of your cast, … there are a lot of different variables.”
“Whatever you do, don’t get keyed on finding ‘just the
right greenish-orange hue’, or something like that. Pay a lot of
attention to the other things that are surrounding that bite; such as
the speed of retrieve, and the action that you put on the crankbait.”
Retrieve and Line Modifications
“Unfortunately, many beginners cast a crankbait out and bring
it back at a medium-slow retrieve. And sure, there are times when you
can do that and generate a strike or two. But your best bet is to
speed it up, slow it down, and mix it up. An erratic retrieve is best.”
"Experiment with different line sizes too. (Have a variation between 8 and 15 pound tests)."
"The main thing is to find out where the fish are first.
Once you get into an area where you are getting a few bites, and you
are confident that the fish are there – that’s when you can experiment and learn a great deal.”
Location, Location, Location
“Say, for example, that I am fishing points in the early morning
hours, and I’m not doing any good. So I move to the back ends of the
pockets, and yet, I’m still not doing any good. When I move out to a
main lake bluff, I suddenly start to pick up a couple of fish.
(Perhaps I’m getting bit every 15 minutes or so). Now you’re in an area
where you know there’s a group of fish; that’s when
you can go back through that area and experiment. You can make those
modifications with colors and retrieves to find out what the fish
want.”
The Importance of Experimentation ...and Rip-Rap
“And experimentation is really important. That’s probably the
most important thing I can tell beginners; once you get around some
fish, take the time to experiment. (And that’s especially important in
terms of your speed of retrieve and the action you put on that
crankbait).”
“One of the best places to learn how
to crankbait fish, is on rip-rap. Because rip-rap holds fish on about
any lake you go to. If it is the time of year when the fish are using
rip-rap, that’s when you can really expand your crankbait
confidence. Rip-rap allows you to try many different types of
crankbaits, retrieves, and so forth. And it helps you to learn what the
fish want. Having figured that out, you can expand and perfect that
pattern on similar parts of the lake, continuing to adapt as conditions
change throughout the day.”
Last Words of Advice
Randy has helped countless beginning anglers improve their
skills over the years and his parting advice is worth serious
reflection. “I cannot stress ‘experimentation’ enough. The whole key
to crankbait fishing is trying things until you find out what is
working.”
“When you discover what is working, you can improve on that by
making further refinements pertaining to casting angles, retrieves,
line size, color variations - that’s when you get the most out of
crankbait fishing. Just because you are catching a few fish with a
crankbait don’t mean you can’t catch more or bigger ones through
constant adjustments.”
“And finally I would highly suggest trying the Japanese
crankbaits. The quality of the Megabass crankbaits is far superior
to the majority of products we have had available in the United States.
The attention to detail is just unmatched by any of the more well
known American brands. I think that’s a big plus.”
Randy also believes a serious angler should not surprised to
discover that quality and attention to detail is going to cost more.
“There’s a good reason I think anglers today need to be willing to pay
25 bucks for a crankbait – and it all goes back again to the topic of
'fish conditioning'. The main advantage that Japanese lures present, is
that our pressured fish have not been conditioned to their unique
profiles, actions, and details - unlike our traditional baits.”
The All Important “Plug Knocker”
Naturally, Randy understands that beginning anglers hesitate to invest in premium crankbaits because of the nagging fear of losing
them. So he addresses that concern with one last piece of advice:
“You have to get a good plug knocker. If you have a good plug knocker,
95% of the time you will get your bait back. The only time you won’t
get it back is if it’s stuck in an old trout line or in an old gill net
or something like that. But if you have a good plug knocker you'll
bring the vast majority of those crankbaits back to the boat.”
Summary
Obviously Crankbait Central does not endorse one brand or style
of crankbait over another, (Japanese or American), but there is no doubt
that Randy’s constant drive to find something just “a Little bit
different” is worth contemplating. And if the subtle differences found
in Japanese crankbaits in terms of profiles, actions, color, etc., can
add one or two extra fish in the boat, an angler might find it worth
the investment.
After all, if a professional and successful Missourian angler
from the “show me” state could be persuaded that Japanese premium
crankbaits deserve a place among our favorites, then surely it’s worth
investigating.
Article reproduced courtesy of crankbaitcentral.com. For the direct link to the article, please click here: http://crankbaitcentral.com/FeatureArticles/Ozark-Angler-Japanese-Crankbaits-Part-I.html
Back in the early 1980′s, when I was first learning how to fish a jerkbait, the accepted theories around this technique were much different from today.