Big Crank Baits Crank in the BIG Pike and Largemouth Bass!

If you want to catch big largemouth bass and northern pike, then you need to use big crank baits in deeper water! I'm not talking about the tiny top water or shallow diver crank baits. I'm talking about the 20 to 30 foot deep divers in 25+ feet of water. And yes, you can use a 30-foot deep diver crank bait in 25 feet of water – it'll dig along the sand floor – which does a nice job of attracting fish!

These large types of crank baits aren't for the inexperienced or impatient. These crank baits can be 4 to 5 inches long, not including the lip! Just reeling these suckers in can feel like you're doing battle with a 2 pound bass, which after about two hours of casting and reeling can get tiring. The large size of these baits also means that you're not likely to catch the smaller fish, so there is likely to be long stretches of no catches. However, if you're a serious fisherman looking for a trophy fish, then you should give the deep diver crank baits a try.

I've found that the best conditions to use these crank baits are in the mid-summer when the temperature is very hot. The big fish are usually driven down to the deeper sections of the lake where it is cooler and the smaller fish are usually back along the shorelines. The big fish feed on the smaller fish, but they aren't very active when it gets that hot, so they need something to swim right by them making a lot of noise – which is where your crank bait comes in.

The color and style of these types of baits can vary radically. You'll have to experiment for your personal favorite. I can say that a light green and black tiger strip crank bait has consistently done the job of landing the lunkers for me over the years. In fact, my largest bass and pike (which are now trophies) were caught using a deep diver crank bait of that very color, which I still have and use. I'm always amused to show people the teeth marks in that crank bait – although they're usually afraid to swim in the lake afterwards!

In conclusion, if you're headed out to the lake give these types of crank baits a try. You may not catch anything as a result, but then again, you may just catch the biggest fish you ever laid your eyes on!