Pro Tips Weekly: Mike Surman

Wiggling or wobbling crankbaits?

I don’t know why it is exactly, but I’ve proved to my satisfaction that fish will very definitely change preferences as far as the action of a crankbait goes. For some reason, it seems that the colder the water, the tighter the wobble of the crankbait needs to be to draw strikes. Conversely, the warmer the water, the wider the wobble needs to be.

I suppose it has something to do with water displacement and the way shad register to bass as they swim through the water at different times of the year. If I’m not sure what they’re going to want because it’s fall or spring, I’ll start off throwing a Yo-Zuri Sashimi Shad, which has a nice in-between action. If that doesn’t work, I’ll go to a crankbait that has a tighter or wider wobble and try to hone in on what the fish want at that particular time.

—- Castrol pro Mike Surman, Boca Raton, Fla.