Crankbaits remain one of my favorite methods for bass fishing. I enjoy throwing all sizes and styles to target bass. There’s nothing quite like feeling the rod double over when a big bass stops a crankbait dead in its tracks—or trying to keep up when a bass hits the crankbait and charges straight toward the boat. Choosing the right rod and reel combo can make all the difference between landing fish and just casting.

How to Use Crankbait

Understanding Bass Behavior with Crankbaits

In strong currents, especially in rivers, dam tailwaters, or channel mouths, current can cause a crankbait to wash out and lose its action. A reel with an adequate gear ratio allows you to keep the crankbait "cranking" and pulsing. In other cases, the speed can get lethargic or even bedding bass to ambush the bait in reaction mode. Varying your speed until you find what they want is a cast and try method.

There are certain things you can do with a crankbait that will make all the difference in the day. Finding out these differences could be the difference between catching, and just casting. I can remember one day on Lake Lillinonah several years ago. I was fishing smallmouths in an ABA Tournament. The bite had been good, but I was struggling a bit. I was fan casting from the boat to the mouth of a creek. Now we all know bass are ambush feeders and like to lie in wait for an easy meal. They will lie on the downside of rocks, ledges etc. just waiting to make their move. On this day, while making several casts, I noticed that my crank would come up over a ridge, then drop back down. These smallies were lying in that drop, waiting on an easy meal. Once I figured this out, I had eight fish landed in less than one hour and went on to win the event. 

How to Retrieve Crankbait and Line Selection

Changes while cranking can be as simple as retrieve speed, line diameter, or the cadence you impart while retrieving the crankbait. Since large or deep-diving crankbaits create higher water resistance, it can be physically taxing to reel them in quickly. The Royal Legend Pro Crankbait Rod paired with a Megatron 200 Baitcasting Reel (6.4:1 gear ratio) is ideal for these high-resistance baits, providing strong, smooth cranking power while reducing strain. For shallower square-bill or lipless crankbaits, the Megajaws Baitcasting Reel with a 6.5:1 or 7.2:1 gear ratio offers precise control, letting you maintain a slower, more deliberate retrieve that matches the medium rod action. Using this combination ensures the crankbait maintains its intended depth and action while giving the angler more comfort and consistency during long sessions.Make no mistake, different line pound tests will greatly affect how your crankbait works. I remember one bass pro stating he always has three of the exact same rods on his deck, but all three rigged with a different line pound test (which equates to diameter) and the same model crankbait on all there. For example, if I am marking bass deep, but I know they are feeding on smaller profile baits, how do I get my crank down there? A small profile bait can get a lot deeper using 8-pound test line than 15. The same holds true on the opposite end of the spectrum. A larger heavy billed crank fished on 20-pound fluorocarbon will tend to stay a lot higher in the water column simply due to the line diameter.When you are trying to get a crankbait deep, you need to make long casts, then crank hard to get the lure deep, then slow your retrieve to keep it there. 

How to Work a Crankbait: Presentation is Key

"Working" the bait is the last key ingredient. It does not matter whether you are using a square bill, round bill or lipless crankbait, the way you "present" the lure will make the difference in catching or just casting for hours on end.

When I say "work," I am referring to mostly speed and presentation. There is not a piece of anything in the water I will not try and bang a crankbait off. This is also the reason I really love square billed cranks. I feel these deflect off debris best. A crankbait that deflects off a tree limb, up and over a ridge or even snapped through a milfoil filled grass patch will almost always get a look, and most times a bite.

A crankbait is also a great search bait, especially a lipless one. A lipless crankbait imitates a lot of baitfish, and can be cast a mile with ease. Long casts, then a fairly rapid retrieve  will help you search a wide area, and to home in where the bass might be lying. A long cast with a lipless crank, which sinks, and allowing the bait to settle on the bottom then dragging it methodically along imitates a crawfish scurrying about.

Please keep one thing in mind, cranks will get hung up, and will frustrate you. Once you learn the difference between a limb and a bite, you will get hung up less as you will not be setting the hook on the limb, but rather allowing to let the crank bounce right over it. 

Differences Between Square-Bill Crankbait, Lipless Crankbait, and Deep-Diving Crankbait

While all crankbaits are designed to trigger reaction strikes, square-bill, lipless, and deep-diving crankbaits each serve very different purposes based on running depth, cover interaction, and retrieve characteristics. Understanding these differences allows anglers to choose the right crankbait for the situation rather than forcing one lure to do everything.

Square-Bill Crankbait

Square-bill crankbaits are shallow-running lures, typically operating in the upper 3–5 feet of the water column. Their short, wide bills create a wide wobble and, more importantly, allow the bait to deflect aggressively off hard cover such as wood, rocks, and dock pilings without snagging.

This deflection is what triggers strikes. When a square-bill ricochets off cover and changes direction abruptly, it mimics a fleeing baitfish and forces bass to react. Square-bill crankbaits excel in shallow water, around shoreline cover, and in stained or muddy conditions where bass rely more on vibration than sight.

Lipless Crankbait

Lipless crankbaits have no diving bill and instead rely on body shape and internal weighting to create vibration. They sink on their own and can be fished at virtually any depth depending on retrieve speed and cadence.

One of the biggest advantages of a lipless crankbait is versatility. It can be burned just under the surface, slow-rolled along the bottom, or fished with a lift-and-drop "yo-yo" retrieve that imitates a wounded baitfish. Lipless crankbaits are outstanding search baits, allowing anglers to cover large areas quickly and locate active bass, especially over open water.

Deep-Diving Crankbait

Deep-diving crankbaits are designed to reach bass holding offshore, often at depths exceeding 10 feet and, in many cases, 15 feet or more. Their long bills allow the lure to dig into the water and reach depth, but this also creates significant water resistance during the retrieve.

Because of this resistance, deep-diving crankbaits demand more from both the angler and the gear. A reel with strong cranking power and a controlled gear ratio helps maintain consistent lure action, while a medium-action rod absorbs load and reduces fatigue. Deep-diving crankbaits are most effective along ledges, points, humps, and channel edges where bass position to ambush bait moving along depth changes.

Crankbait Rod and Reel Combos

A crankbait's higher water resistance can make retrieval physically demanding, so matching the bait with an appropriate reel and rod is key to keeping control and landing fish efficiently.

• Deep-Diving Crankbait: Royale Legend Pro Deep Crankin Rod 7'5"+ Megatron 200 Baitcasting Reel

For deep-diving crankbaits, I highly recommend the Megatron 200 Baitcasting Reel paired with the Royale Legend Pro Deep Crankin Rod 7'5". This combo is designed to handle large, deep-diving lures that reach beyond 13 feet (4 meters). The Megatron 200's 6.4:1 gear ratio and 105mm extended, powerful handle provides strong cranking power, making it easier to reel in baits that push against heavy water resistance.

• Shallow Square-Bill/Lipless Crankbait: Royale Legend Pro Crankbait Rod 7'0" + Megajaws Baitcasting Reel

For shallower square-bill or lipless crankbaits, the Megajaws Baitcasting Reel paired with the Royale Legend Pro Crankbait Rod 7'0" is ideal. The reel offers multiple gear ratio options—7.2:1 for lipless cranks or 6.5:1 for medium-sized cranks. The rod's medium action provides balanced control and power, helping anglers fish effectively without tiring during long sessions.

Crankbait Fishing FAQ

What Is a Crankbait?

A crankbait is a hard-bodied fishing lure designed to imitate baitfish or crawfish through vibration, wobble, and deflection. Crankbaits feature a plastic or metal diving bill that determines how deep the lure runs and how aggressively it moves through the water. Depending on the bill shape and size, crankbaits can be fished shallow, mid-depth, or as deep-diving lures targeting bass holding offshore or along structure.

When to Use a Crankbait?

Crankbaits are most effective when bass are actively feeding and willing to chase moving baits. They excel during:

• Pre-spawn and post-spawn periods when bass are roaming

• Warmer water temperatures when reaction strikes dominate

• Situations where you need to cover water efficiently

• Fishing around structure such as rocks, ledges, grass edges, and creek channels

Deep-diving crankbaits are ideal for targeting bass holding deeper than 10–15 feet, while square-bill and lipless crankbaits shine in shallow water, around cover, or when bass are feeding higher in the water column.

How Do Crankbaits Work?

Crankbaits work by triggering reaction strikes rather than relying on finesse. As the lure is retrieved, the bill forces it to dive and wobble, creating vibration and flash that mimics fleeing prey. When a crankbait contacts cover—such as rocks, wood, or grass—it deflects unpredictably, often causing bass to strike instinctively.

Because crankbaits create significant water resistance, proper retrieve speed, rod action, and reel torque are critical. A controlled retrieve paired with a medium-action rod allows the bait to work naturally while reducing angler fatigue and helping keep fish pinned during the fight.

Crankbaits, Jerkbaits, Lipless Crankbaits, What's The Difference?

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The bottom line is crankbaits flat out catch fish! There will be subtle changes you can make on any given day like change the line diameter, or bang the bait off that tree limb, but believe me when I say nothing beats a bass savagely striking a crankbait, virtually trying to rip the rod right out of your hands!