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Several methods can help you troll crankbaits at specific depths, which can be critical for getting walleye to bite.

Doesn’t take long for it to be clear: crankbait fishing – particularly crankbait trolling – is a depth-control game. Whether you are targeting walleye in the bottom zone or suspending well above bottom, to catch them consistently you want to present your lure in their faces!

Walleye generally aren’t slashing or attacking type predators as much as they are stalkers. They just don’t typically streak away from the depth they are using to smash your crank.  In my circle of friends, we call it a “glom on” bite when they slowly “glom on” as your bait wiggles past. It’s the most common type of walleye bite and results from their reliance on big teeth to hold prey until they swallow. They don’t need to run baitfish down or smash them. They just need to glom on!

Crankbaits have almost become foreign to modern anglers in the pre-spawn in exchange for umbrella rigs, modern jerk baits, or the plethora of soft plastic rigs available now. But the reliable mid depth crankbait is still catching solid bags for anglers that choose to take that route. Bass tend to “hang out” in the 4-10 feet zone this time of year before heading to the pockets to spawn so a crankbait can be a great way to collide with some healthy pre-spawners. In our blog this week I will go over three of the best picks for cranking up some excellent bass fishing during the pre-spawn months.

The Norman Speed N ‘sped’ onto the scene this time a year ago when a few Elite Series anglers used it to success in the super bowl of bass fishing – The Bassmaster’s Classic! There was a ton of factors that went into the design of this crankbait by veteran angler Frank Scalish, but most importantly the timing of the classic played in huge to its success. Everything is timing, certainly with this lure because it might have brought the brand Norman Lures back from the depths.

Learn the secret to catching pre-spawn bass in a broad range of situations.

Early spring can be a daunting time to catch a good limit of bass, but not if you implore the Bandit “system” of crankbaits to probe each section of the water column. The system I speak of is the Bandit 100, 200, and 300 Series crankbaits, which dive anywhere from 2 feet deep all the way out to 12 feet. By having all these models tied on, you have a sure-fire system to find bass in many different pre spawn zones.

In the article below we will go through the three major scenarios/water depths to target for early spring bass fishing so you’re completely in the know the next time you’re on the water.