FISHING
BANK CRANKING FOR SPOTTIES ‘FREIGHT TRAINS OF THE SEA,’ THESE BAY BASS RESPOND WELL TO BAITS PITCHED AROUND THE SHALLOWS By Capt. Bill Schaefer
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ne of the most fun ways to catch spotted bay bass in Southern California is to reel them up with crankbaits. It’s definitely one of my favorite ways to fish. Spotties are hard-fighting fish that when they hit your bait, you feel it all the way to your handle. If you fish freshwater a lot, you may already be in tune with fishing crankbaits for largemouth and smallmouth bass. You can definitely learn new skills or just stay in tune while learning to work cranks around docks, rocks and pilings for these little freight trains of the sea.
CRANKBAIT OPTIONS The choices are endless when it comes to “cranking” baits. Almost any lure with a lip is technically a crankbait. The size of the lip is what sends the bait down to the selected depth you want to fish. After you get good and develop a rhythm, you will be able to “walk” the bait through any depth with great skill. You can even use deeper divers in shallow situations, eliminating some of the in-between size lures. Let me give you an example: If you go on a day when there is a super high tide, many times the bass are right up in the shallows. You can go to a shallow-running crank or use a deeper diver, but walk it out.
Crankbaits are a great option for saltwater anglers hoping to get in on some fantastic spotted bay bass action. Lure designer and custom painter Eric McIntire shows off a nice fish he cranked up on one of his Spotty pattern baits. (FISHHEAD CUSTOM LURES) calsportsmanmag.com | AUGUST 2020 California Sportsman
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