Go Crankbait Crazy This Fall

Despite the surging popularity of Rapala’s CrushCity fishing soft plastics, we thought it timely to shift the spotlight for a moment to hard baits. More specifically crankbaits, due to the fact they are some of the best lures for catching bass, walleye, pike and other fish in autumn.

Squarebills excel at covering water. With running depths typically ranging between 3 to 6 feet, these lures are outstanding for catching smallmouth and largemouth relating to shallow habitat in the fall autumn.

The unique, squared diving lip allow these diving lures to deflect off of cover and avoid snags.

A byproduct of this characteristic is the erratic, ricocheting movement following impact is very effective at triggering strikes. When possible, it’s good to bump a squarebill into logs, dock pilings, riprap, sand bottoms and other obstructions during the retrieve. This applies when fishing a silent, balsa bait, like the Rocco 5 and ICAST 2024 release Big Rocco 6.

Tip: Learn about choosing the best rod, reel and fishing line for squarebills and other cranks in this blog.

Even devoted soft-plastic enthusiasts need at least one crankbait rod rigged and ready in the fall. Here’s one example why.

When fishing a large flat, a common approach for many anglers is making multiple passes through productive water until the fish stop biting. The first pass typically sees the most active fish bite.

Subsequent passes may see the same lure to continue catching fish. Yet, switching to a different presentation to elicit bites from fish that may have snubbed the first offering is also an effective strategy. One option is to alternate between a crankbait (e.g., Shad Rap, DT06, the squarebills noted above) and a jig and swimbait (e.g., Heavy Hitter, The Suspect).

It’s also worthwhile for those sharing the boat to fish a mix of hard baits and soft plastics. This helps identify the best performing baits and big fish preferences.

On many waterbodies these days, bass and walleye are seeing plenty of subtle, slow-moving finesse presentations. Natural baits are potent, and have their time and place, but there’s a compelling argument for using aggressive fishing techniques in autumn.

Take high-speed cranking for instance. Casting and quickly retrieving a Rippin’ Rap or Rattlin’ Rapala with a fast, 7.3:1 baitcaster is a deadly reaction-triggering presentation for bass, walleye, pike and other predators. A lipless crankbait’s vibration and speed also makes it very effective fished with a lift-fall jigging retrieve this time of year.

Tip: Able to be fished similar to a rattling lipless crankbait, a Rippin’ Blade bladebait produces distinct vibrations and a different action, giving anglers more choices for catering to fish preferences and maximizing bites.

The Shad Rap series represents a collection of outstanding lures for catching walleye, bass, panfish and other fish from weed edges in autumn. A natural baitfish profile, wounded-minnow action and an ability to flawlessly perform between ultra-slow to super fast speeds are a few reasons these lures consistently catch fish this time of year.

Anglers looking to refresh their tackle box with the latest in balsa-crankbait innovation need to pick up the Shad Rap Elite. A modernized version of the original, the Elite features outstanding durability, long-casting properties and premium, high-definition colour patterns. Nothing wrong with the original Shad Rap, of course, which sees several new custom colours added to its lineup.

The DT08 is another must-have crankbait for fishing weed edges. Diving fast to 8 feet and staying at depth, it delivers the ultimate side-to-side crankbait action and is perfect for catching bass from deep weed edges. Having the DT06 and DT10 also is worthwhile, as it allows for targeting different feeding depths.

Tip: Learn more deep crankbait tips for catching fish in the fall in this blog.

Every fall anglers catch trophy walleye, pike, bass and other top-tier predators trolling crankbaits, like the Shad Rap, Shad Rap Elite, Down Deep Husky Jerk and Deep Tail Dancer. The best bites typically unfold where there are schools of baitfish around offshore structure, deep weed edges or river channel ledges. This bite only gets better the later it gets in autumn.

Tip: Don’t have a boat, or put yours away early? Try shore fishing at night for walleye. Focus on long casts and slow retrieves with a wide-wobbling crankbait over flats, points and current breaks near deep water.

From the first hint of fall to ice-up, crankbaits are some of the best lures for catching fish during the final phase of the open-water season. Give cranks plenty of water time this fall and you’re guaranteed to reap the big-fish rewards that come from casting and trolling these reliable, diving lures.