[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"learn-card-choosing-a-crankbait":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"applyCta":6,"authorId":9,"body":10,"cardType":82,"description":16,"difficulty":83,"discipline":84,"editorId":9,"extension":86,"glossaryRefs":87,"hook":92,"meta":93,"navigation":94,"path":95,"publishedAt":96,"readingSeconds":97,"regionTags":98,"relatedCards":99,"safetyDisclaimerRequired":102,"seo":103,"status":104,"stem":105,"track":106,"updatedAt":96,"version":83,"__hash__":107},"learn_cards\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fchoosing-a-crankbait.md","Choosing a Crankbait",{"label":7,"action":8},"Find a bass-friendly lake","open_planner",null,{"type":11,"value":12,"toc":78},"minimark",[13,17,24,46,52,72],[14,15,16],"p",{},"A crankbait's job is to dive to a specific depth and stay there on retrieve. That's it. Get the depth wrong and you're fishing empty water; the prettiest finish in the world won't fix a 12-foot crank pulled across a 3-foot flat.",[14,18,19,23],{},[20,21,22],"strong",{},"Match depth to structure."," Three depth bands cover most lakes:",[25,26,27,34,40],"ul",{},[28,29,30,33],"li",{},[20,31,32],{},"Squarebill (2-6 ft)."," Short, blunt-lipped, deflects off cover. Throw at laydowns, rip-rap, and submerged stumps where you're fishing in the shallows.",[28,35,36,39],{},[20,37,38],{},"Medium-diver (6-12 ft)."," Rounded lip, longer. The all-purpose bass crank — works on points, shallow humps, and weed lines.",[28,41,42,45],{},[20,43,44],{},"Deep-diver (12-25+ ft)."," Big spade-shaped lip, long body. Use on offshore humps, channel ledges, and summer fish stacked deep.",[14,47,48,51],{},[20,49,50],{},"Then pick color"," in this order: water clarity beats anything else.",[25,53,54,60,66],{},[28,55,56,59],{},[20,57,58],{},"Clear water:"," natural baitfish (shad, perch, bluegill patterns).",[28,61,62,65],{},[20,63,64],{},"Stained:"," chartreuse, firetiger, or any pattern with a bright belly.",[28,67,68,71],{},[20,69,70],{},"Muddy:"," solid colors — black, red, orange. Vibration matters more than color here.",[14,73,74,77],{},[20,75,76],{},"Size last."," Match the baitfish in the system. 2-2.5\" for tight-lipped fall fish, 3-3.5\" for general use, 4-5\"+ when you're hunting big fish on big water.",{"title":79,"searchDepth":80,"depth":80,"links":81},"",2,[],"gear","1",[85],"spin","md",[88,89,90,91],"crankbait","swimbait","structure","presentation","Pick by depth first, then color, then size. Get those three right and a crankbait fishes itself.",{},true,"\u002Flearn\u002Fcards\u002Fchoosing-a-crankbait","2026-05-18","140",[],[100,101],"reading-bass-structure","the-inline-spinner-retrieve",false,{"title":5,"description":16},"published","learn\u002Fcards\u002Fchoosing-a-crankbait","building","SU-y6ob8Ki-vsQozTlsyH2z_-ICbLDkJzYLv1kYz8RY"]