Fishing is a fantastic way to relieve stress and relax after a difficult week. Of course, it can be a bit stressful too, if you don’t know how to fish properly and get frustrated because you’re not catching anything. Enter crankbaits—one of the most popular lures that are bound to make your fishing adventures more successful.
Crankbaits are highly versatile when it comes to fishing situations, and this type of lure can be used to fish from shore with different techniques to choose from. One of the most popular techniques involve simply casting the lure out, letting it sink to the bottom, and then retrieving it using a moderate speed.
Alternatively, a stop-and-go retrieve can work just as well, and you’re free to experiment with different methods until you find the best one for your fishing style and the fishing conditions you prefer. As long as you use top crankbaits, you should have a truly enjoyable fishing experience no matter what technique you use.
With that said, it’s good to know how to fish a crankbait from shore so you can start off doing it the right way.
Location, Location, Location
First, you need to choose the best possible location to fish from the shore. Ideally, you should go for areas with deep water and structure. You can fish from rocks, drop-offs, or submerged logs.
Use the Best Crankbait
For the next step, you must attach a crankbait to your fishing line. It’s recommended that you only use the best crankbaits that are good at mimicking the appearance and swimming movements of small fish. There are many top-quality options to choose from, and they’re not super expensive.
Cast Perfectly (or Imperfectly)
When it’s time to cast your line into the water, take it easy and don’t worry too much about doing it perfectly. Let the crankbait sink to the depth you want, and enjoy your fishing expedition!
Erratic Action
When you’re fishing with crankbait, using different pauses, twitches, rips, and taps to make it look erratic is a winning strategy. Manipulating the lure this way will make it stand out and get noticed by the fish you’re trying to catch.
Cast out your line and start with a straight retrieve. Halfway back on your retrieve, stop cranking and keep still for a few seconds, only twitching a few times. You may find that a fish strikes at this point.
You can also use a sudden burst of speed by cranking your reel fast for a few cranks and then returning to a moderate speed. Being erratic like this attracts fish much easier since it mimics real fish behavior.
Watch Your Line Closely
One of the keys to successfully fishing from the shore is being patient and watching your line like a hawk. Keep an eye out for unusual movement that indicates a bit, and reel in when you can sense the time is right.
Fishing from the shore using crankbaits can be a lot of fun and is a nice way to chill out if you’ve had a stressful week. You may not be the perfect fisherman (or woman!), but enjoying yourself is the main objective so focus more on having fun than how many big fish you can reel in.