Hiya folks,

On a recent “Fish Talk with the Doc” segment (for The Outdoor Journal Radio Show), I was talking about how absolutely phenomenal crankbaits can be, especially in the fall for Walleye, Smallmouth, Northerns, muskies—virtually every species we fish for. And the key is always banging this bait off the bottom, off rocks, logs, stumps; you always want it ricocheting.

Many folks make the mistake of reeling fast—as fast as they can—with the expectation that they’re going to drive their crankbait down deeper. What we’ve actually found, however, is that the faster you reel the crankbait, the higher up it comes. The depth of a crankbait is controlled by its build, not by the speed of the retrieve. And as I say, the faster you retrieve it, the higher up it’s going to come.

So nice and slow or moderate retrieve, bang it into the bottom, and you’re going to catch a lot more fish this year.

Happy Fish’n,Gord “The Doc” Pyzer