This results in a bass ( or several bass ) chasing down your crankbait at full speed and devouring it on the pause .
What always comes to mind when describing or teaching this technique is quickly moving a toy past a lazy cat . Even though the cat might not want to chase or be expecting to chase the toy , the cat is a predator and mentally hardwired to chase and pounce . A bass is a predator and is hardwired the same way . Even when conditions or water temperatures aren ’ t ideal , you can take advantage of a bass ’ predatory instincts . We ’ ve successfully speed cranked bass with water temperatures in the low 30s .
That said , this technique requires very specific crankbaits and gear . To take full advantage of speed cranking this winter , you ’ ll need to be throwing a crankbait that has a tight wobble . I can ’ t emphasize that enough . There are a lot of great crankbaits on the market , but most possess a wide wobble better suited for warmer water .
The best cold-water crankbaits that we ’ ve found are the River2Sea Tactical Crank , Megabass DEEP-X 300 and the SPRO RkCrawler . All three of these crankbaits are mid- to deep-diving plugs and possess the tight wobble needed to optimize this technique . Pair any of these baits with a 7:1 or 8:1 gear ratio reel and crank them as quickly as you can turn the handle .
SPRO RkCrawler Color : phantom watermelon
River2Sea Tactical Crank Color : northern special
Megabass DEEP-X 300 Color : gill
The key with speed cranking is similar to how you might ordinarily fish a squarebill around shallow cover : Any time your crankbait hits or deflects off a piece of cover or structure , pause your bait for a split second . This is when most of your bites will occur .
under the winter umbrella ( rig )
With the quick movement , ability to deflect off cover and the occasional directional change , the crankbait has proven to be the best bait for the job for us , however , understanding the concept of speed cranking might get you thinking about other types of baits that might work well when fished fast in the winter ( after all , a crankbait isn ’ t the only reaction bait that can trigger a bass ’ feeding instincts ). Here ’ s another favorite of ours : the umbrella ( or Alabama ) rig .
The umbrella rig is a lure with several wire arms coming out of the head of the bait . Usually , these rigs have five or six wires in total . Depending on each state ’ s regulations , an A-rig can be
rigged with two to five swimbaits with hooks . If you ’ re fishing in a state that requires limited hooks , use “ teaser ” or “ dummy ” baits as your baits without hooks .
The baits without hooks help make up the illusion of a school of the baitfish . When rigging your A-rig , make sure that your swimbaits with hooks are the largest and the furthest to the rear of the wire arms . Even with several dummy baits on your rig , the proper size and placement of your swimbaits with hooks almost guarantees the bass will eat the right swimbaits . A properly rigged A-rig works all year long , but it works especially well in the winter . The A-rig is best used for mimicking small schools of bait fish . Just like speed cranking , we like to fish an A-rig very fast . Every five or six turns of the reel handle , we add in a pause or twitch to make the A-rig collapse and expand to imitate a small ball of fleeing baitfish .
When fishing the A-rig around hard structure , make sure to add your pauses and twitches as the baits pass the ambush point . More often than not , this is when you ’ ll get bit . In open water , bass will often follow the A-rig just a couple feet behind the bait . If you see evidence of this ( either on forward-facing sonar or as your bait reaches the surface ), add more movement to your rig . As soon as you add extra movement , it sometimes makes those bass feel like they ’ ve been spotted by the bait ball . Those bass now need to commit and eat or miss out on the easy meal .
Just like with speed cranking , there are a couple very specific A-rigs that we like to fish in the winter . There are several options on the market that work well enough , but we like A-rigs that have lighter , thinner wires that will allow the rig to compress and expand with the reel turns and twitches explained above .
Two A-rigs that we ’ ve had a lot of success with are the Hog Farmer BFL Flex Rig and the G Funk Baits Bama Rig . Both of these rigs come with top-notch components , so you won ’ t have to worry about any swivels , snaps or split rings failing , and both have enough flex in the wires to allow for expanding and collapsing as you work your bait .
The next time you ’ re bundled up and dragging around Ned rigs and drop-shots , remember : There are other options available to you that will catch bass . Slow and steady isn ’ t always the best option . Fast and erratic – though maybe a little counterintuitive – may just be your ticket to more and bigger bass this winter .
DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 29