Story by Ken Duke
In some parts of the country—perhaps most notably Tennessee and North Carolina—the crankbait is practically a religion. Something about the fisheries there really lend themselves to diving, wobbling, deflecting lures that cover a lot of water. It’s certainly why a lot of the innovation and evolution of the lure type has happened in that part of the country.
The crankbait is not a new lure type. It’s been around for well over a century. But before we get into that, let’s define “crankbait” … just to make sure we’re on the same page.
At its core, a crankbait is a lure—usually made of wood or plastic—that imitates a baitfish, crayfish or other forage and has a built-in action that an angler can activate simply by turning the reel handle and winding the bait in. For our purposes, we’ll restrict ourselves to “diving” crankbaits—lures that have a “lip”—typically made of plastic or metal—that causes the lure to dive under the surface and wobble on the retrieve. Most often, these crankbaits float and have action only when retrieved.
There’s another category of crankbaits—lipless crankbaits—that do not have a diving lip and that generally sink. They’re a very different lure type, and it’s unfortunate that they share the “crankbait” nomenclature since the only thing they have in common with diving crankbaits is that you must crank them in to impart action to the lure.
Now that we know what we’re talking about, let’s cover a little history.
The first commercial crankbait was almost certainly the “Wiggler.” It was the first lure produced by the legendary Creek Chub Bait Company (now a subsidiary of PRADCO), and it dates to 1906. It featured a metal diving lip that gave it a “natural, fish-like action.” Creek Chub didn’t apply for a patent on the Wiggler until 1915, and it wasn’t awarded a patent until September 7, 1920. That’s why most of the baits made after that date have “9-7-20” stamped into the lip. Some casual collectors will see that on a lure and mistakenly believe it was the date that individual lure was made, but that’s not true. Creek Chub stamped that date into diving lips from 1920 until 1978.
The Wiggler was so successful that it was the only lure Creek Chub made from 1906 to 1916. The patented diving lip was so revolutionary that it became the foundation of many of the company’s best and most successful lures, including the Pikie Minnow, the Wiggle Fish, the Fintail Shiner and many more.
And although the Creek Chub diving lip has been refined by other designers and manufacturers through the years, it’s still the clear foundation of every diving crankbait ever made and a cornerstone of the lure industry.
Key moments in crankbait history:
1906 Creek Chub Bait Company introduces the Wiggler, the first diving crankbait.
1932 A crankbait—the Creek Chub Fintail Shiner—was allegedly used by George Perry to catch the world record largemouth bass.
1955 A crankbait—the Bomber 609—was trolled by David Hayes to catch the world record smallmouth.
Late 1960s Fred Young develops the first squarebill crankbait—the Big O—and later sells it to Cordell Tackle where it is manufactured in plastic.
Early 1970s Lee Sisson designs and builds the first crankbait that can reach 10 feet deep or more on a conventional cast and retrieve. He later goes to work for Bagley Bait Company and produces the Bagley Divin’ B3 (DB3).
1981 Paul Elias wins the Bassmaster Classic using a technique known as “kneeling and reeling” to submerge his crankbait rod tip and get extra depth from his lures.
1980s-plus Smoother reels, thinner lines, better rods and more aerodynamic lures take crankbaits to greater heights … and depths … than ever before.
6 tried and true, timeless tips for better crankbaiting:
- The lighter your line, the deeper your crankbaits will dive. Conversely, heavy line will cause your baits to run a little shallower.
- A fast retrieve and high-speed reel will not cause your crankbaits to dive their deepest. If you want maximum depth, try light line (8- to 12-pound test), a medium retrieve casting reel (5:1 or so) and a medium speed retrieve.
- A long cast will help you reach deeper depths and keep your bait in the target depth longer.
- Generally, you should choose a crankbait designed to run a few feet deeper than the water you’re fishing so that it will make bottom contact and deflect, helping to trigger reaction strikes. Caroming a crankbait off rocks or other cover is a great way to trigger strikes.
- A long, relatively soft rod will help you to keep hooked up with the bass that strike your crankbaits. Most expert crankers use rods that are at least 7 feet long and have a medium action. Fiberglass or composite rods are popular for cranking because their bend tends to be more “forgiving” than pure graphite.
- You can get extra depth out of your crankbaits by submerging your rod tip in the water during the retrieve. Studies show that for every foot you submerge the tip, you will get an extra foot of depth.
