Most bass fishermen in the United States have used medium diving crankbaits in one form or another. They are one of the most popular types of lure and they get great results in a variety of locations at different times of the year. Before graduating to more advanced fishing methods, you should get to grips with crankbaits of all kinds.
A crankbait is an artificial lure made from wood or plastic, designed to mimic the bait fish that bass chase through the water. The lip on the crankbait determines how deep they will sink. This guide will focus on medium diving crankbaits and answer all of your questions about how and when to use them and how to find the right ones.
What Are Medium Diving Crankbaits?
The size of the lip on the crankbait affects how deep it dives and the larger the lip, the lower it will sink. Shallow diving crankbaits reach somewhere between 3 and 10 feet. As the lip sizes increase past 0.5 inches, you move into medium diving crankbaits that are usually 2-3 inches long. A lure with a lip that is 1 inch long will sink to around 5-15 feet while a lure with a 1.5 inch lip will sink to a depth of 10-15 feet.
Medium diving crankbaits with a lip on them connect to the line from the front. Using medium diving crankbaits allows you to adapt your strategy and let your bait sit suspended in the water, waiting for the fish to bite.
Bass fishermen should have a good stock of medium diving crankbaits in their tackle box at all times. Different colors and designs mimic different types of bait fish, so it’s important to find the right style for the area that you are fishing in. Certain colors, particularly bright ones, can be very effective in murky waters.
Best Medium Diving Crankbait Setup
If you want to get the best out of your medium diving crankbaits, you need the right setup. When you are picking a rod, you need something with a relatively slow action. This means that it won’t bend too much when pressure is applied to the top half. Ideally, it should start to bend about halfway down the rod. Slower rods are better for casting out a crankbait, which is weightier than other lures. It also prevents you from ripping the hook out when you catch a big bass.
When it comes to the reel, line capacity is the most important thing. You will be using long casts when fishing with a crankbait, and you need enough line to give yourself the depth. The diameter of the line is important too because it affects the crankbait’s ability to dive. Lines with a smaller diameter will allow the bait to sink faster, so if you’re using a medium diving crankbait, steer towards a light to medium line. 10 or 12 pound test lines are a good option for medium diving crankbaits.
The main thing to look at when selecting a medium diving crankbait is the color. In very murky waters, go for a bright color like orange to make sure that the bass can see it well. During the summer, when minnows and shad are common in the water, silver or chrome are excellent because they mimic these types of bait fish. White crankbaits are good in rainy conditions where visibility is lowered. You should also consider the design and pick something that closely resembles the bait fish that are likely to be in the lake. Many crankbaits also come with built-in rattles to entice more fish and get more bites.
How to Fish Medium Diving Crankbaits
There are a number of techniques you can use when fishing with medium diving crankbaits. Often, bass fishermen use them to touch the bottom of the lake. This can be tricky and you need to know how deep your crankbait will dive. If you can land it on the bottom, it will kick up a lot of silt, attracting some bass.
Bouncing your crankbait off cover is another good strategy. When it hits a rock or a bank and deflects away, it mimics the action of a bait fish taking evasive action. This catches the attention of the bass and gets them chasing your bait. The sinking action of medium diving crankbaits makes them perfect for this, but it takes a bit of practice to get your strike zones right. If you practice casting them in the garden, you can get a feel for it.
When you are reeling your crankbait in, it’s best to take it slowly. Reel it in a little before pausing to let it sit. This gives the bass time to catch up to it and latch on. Alternatively, you can pull the tip of the rod sharply to the side and then reel in the slack. When you repeat this motion a few times, it gives the impression of a fish swimming erratically and makes the bait appear more realistic.
These are all good techniques but you should also experiment with your diving crankbaits. Depending on where you are in the United States and what the water conditions are like, different methods will be more effective. So, try casting it out in a few spots and see what bites.
When To Use Medium Diving Crankbaits
Medium diving crankbaits are good for throwing around vegetation while avoiding tangles. If you can get it to sit just above the vegetation line, you will get a lot of interest from bass lurking in the weeds. When the weather is warm, bass will sink to lower depths to avoid the sun. If you can determine where the penetration line of the sun is, you can use a medium diving crankbait to breach it and get those bass that are hiding from the heat.
Casting in and around structures is another great use for medium diving crankbaits. Often, people will use shallow diving crankbaits nearer to the water’s edge where there are logs and heavy cover. But in deeper waters where there are structures, a medium diving crankbait can help you reach them. Bass tend to gather around these structures, so you will get a lot of interest.
Crankbaits can be effective all year round but, in general, they are best in the Spring when the bait fish are active and the bass are chasing them around. Medium diving crankbaits are also good during this period when bass are in the prespawn stage and the water temperature is at around 40-50 degrees. They will move to deeper banks in the lake to find suitable rocky areas for spawning. You can use your medium diving crankbaits to fish around these structures.
Best Medium Diving Crankbaits
Strike King 5XD
Strike King has a reputation for making some of the best crankbaits on the market and they have years of experience in the industry. Their 5XD is a simple but effective model that comes in a range of lip sizes, including a medium diving option. It has a very realistic moving action to mimic a bait fish and comes in a variety of colors and styles.
Band-it Series 300 Crankbait
The Band-it Series 300 crankbait is an excellent option for hitting the bottom of the lake as it has a weighted lead body that gives a nice thud. The molded lip helps it run true every time, so you can cast and retrieve accurately and track bass through the water easily. If you like to use a technique that relies on hitting the bottom, this is a great crankbait to have in your tackle box.
Storm Wiggle Warts
The Storm Wiggle Wart is one of the most popular medium diving crankbaits among bass fishermen because it’s affordable and incredibly reliable. It has a simple side-to-side action and a great design. The holographic insert and UV bright finish help to reflect more light and catch the attention of any nearby fish. It comes fitted with some VMC black nickel hooks too. This might not be the very best crankbait on the market but it’s very low-cost and it gets great results.
Rapala Dives-To 10 Fishing lure
The Rapala DT10 is another popular choice for bass fishermen in the United States. It’s very well balanced and the painted balsa wood body looks very attractive to bass. This crankbait is brilliant at holding its position after it sinks, so it’s ideal for the patient bass fisherman. If you are trying to fish around structures in slightly deeper waters, you need this in your tackle box.
These are the best medium diving crankbaits on the market right now. Add a few to your kit and you’ll find that they’re incredibly useful in a lot of different situations.
