First Crankbait Bass

[Captain America]

Caught my first fish on a crankbait tonight. Kind of unexpected. The wind whipped us into this cove and we were ready to call it, but we kind of casted around for a bit. It was a slow enough day to get me to try a crankbait (tried spinnerbait, drop shot, senkos, soft jerkbait). It was not a significant catch whatsoever, but it got me wondering what you guys do to catch fish on crankbaits in weedy lakes? I can never tick the bottom because I just get grass on my first few cranks, and there are hardly any rocks on the lakes I fish. It seems to be all grass and no bass. Thoughts? 

[FCPhil]

A shallow running crankbait can be perfect for weedy lakes. Let's you cover a lot of water quickly and both fast and slow retrieves keep you at roughly the same depth without sinking into the weeds, unless you are using a lipless crankbait. 

[oakeybassin]

I like ripping a lipless crank bait through grass.  That is my go-to crank for weedy, grass-type cover.  I will say that I was using a shallow, square-billed crankbait on the Susquehanna River on Saturday and there were some great transition areas where I went from rock to some grass, and the largemouth absolutely annihilated the crank bait as I ripped it through the weeds.  I generally stick to a lipless crank though in the cover that you describe.  I'd encourage you to keep experimenting and find what works.  Don't be afraid to lose a crank bait here and there, you may be missing out on the bite of a lifetime.  Cranking is my favorite technique!

9 hours ago, Captain America said:

It was not a significant catch whatsoever

I'd also have to argue this statement.  Any time you catch fish on a new technique, even if it is by accident, it is significant.  Pay attention to the conditions, your color, and your presentation.  Document it and it will help you remember what worked when the fishing got tough.  It wasn't huge, but my first bass on a crankbait immediately made me a cranking addict!!

[MIbassyaker]

I have never really gotten the hang of ripping lipless crankbaits through grass, but floating, lipped crankbaits can be worked through and over forests of cabbage, milfoil, coontail, etc. carefully through by pausing when you feel it start to hang for a second or two, then rip through, and resume the retrieve. The trick is to not keep burying it in the weeds when you feel it catch -- it's the lip or the nose that catch first, not the hooks, so the pause releases the crank from the forward pull, lets it float upward and backward slightly and then a quick rip should get it through or over.  The other important thing is to choose a crankbait that will dive the proper depth. You want to keep it near the top of the weeds, not digging way down into them.

[Deleted account]

boat position and depth control Danielson...