Bass Crash Course: How to Choose the Right Crankbait for Bass

The basic concept of fishing a crankbait for bass is pretty simple. Cast, retrieve and wait for the strike, right?

Not so fast. Picking the right crankbait to catch bass actually can be more than a little overwhelming, Shane Beilue says.

The host of Game & Fish's "Crash Course" says anglers face a lot of variables in their crankbait selection. Dozens of colors and styles. Wide wobble. Narrow wobble. Loud rattle. No rattle. Beilue has them all.

And while all of that is important to consistently catching bass, none of it is the No. 1 thing to consider.

"It's always going to be the depth [the bait] runs," Beilue says.

Whether you’re in 18 inches or 18 feet of water, your crankbait has to be connecting with the bottom, he says.

A crankbait that bounces erratically off the bottom during the retrieve can trigger strikes, and if you're not feeling the lure hit the bottom, you may not feel any bass strikes either.

Beilue says he chooses crankbaits that run 2 to 5 feet deeper than the maximum depth in a fishing area to ensure the bait gets to the bottom and stays there on the retrieve.

As far as general crankbait variables are concerned, Beilue uses lures that have a tighter, more subtle, wobble when the water temperature is 50 degrees or lower, and a wider wobble when temps warm up and bass are more aggressive in spring and summer. He uses noisy crankbaits with bright colors when the water is muddy, and quieter baits in natural, or translucent colors in clearer water.

Learn more in the video above

See more Crash Course videos here