Entry 292-3
My Five Best Techniques for Catching Bass with Luke Estel of Illinois
Editor’s Note: Luke Estel of Murphysboro, Illinois, one of Strike King’s regional fishing pros, has been quite successful fishing numerous state and regional tournaments. This week, Estel will tell us his five best techniques for catching bass.
Part 3: Strike King’s Series 5 or Series 6 – It’s All Cranking
Question: Luke, what’s your third-favorite way to fish?
Estel: I prefer the Series 5 and Series 6 Strike King crankbaits. For the last 3 or 4 years, I’ve spent a great deal of time learning to be a better deep-water crankbait fisherman. I like to fish those deep crankbaits over points and down ledges, especially on channel swings. I look for stumps using my electronics. When I find the stumps, I’ll cast to them, bump the crankbait off the stump and wait for the bass to attack. Sometimes I’ll see the fish suspended above the stumps.
If I see the bass holding 2 or 3 feet off the bottom in 12 feet of water, I won’t use a Series 6 to get the bait down to the bottom. Instead, I’ll use a Series 5, so that the bait will pass in the 8 to 9 feet of water where the bass are holding. Or, I’ll retrieve the crankbait over the bass’ head, since the bass are looking up for the bait. When I’m fishing for suspended bass, I prefer to really burn that crankbait. When you give the bait a fast retrieve, the bass won’t have to think about whether or not to eat the bait. They’ll see it and react to it quickly.
I know many fishermen use fluorocarbon line with their crankbaits. I’ve found that I miss more bass using fluorocarbon line, so I prefer to fish with monofilament line. 
I’ll use 10- to 12-pound-test monofilament line, so I can feel the bass sucking the lure in before I set the hook. Because the monofilament line has more stretch than the fluorocarbon line, it presents the bait to the bass better and lets the rod load-up more before I set the hook.
Strike King has many new colors and a wide variety of crankbait styles, including square-billed and custom-shop crankbaits. Of course, Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, has made the Sassy Shad one of the hottest crankbait colors on the market today because it catches bass. As a well-rounded fisherman, I must become better with the crankbait, which is why I’m investing time into learning to fish the crankbait more efficiently. Besides, crankbait fishing is fun fishing.
Next: The Anaconda for Action
Contents:
- Part 1: Bet on the Jig
- Part 2: You’ve Gotta Love a Spit-n-King
- Part 3: Strike King’s Series 5 or Series 6 - It's All Cranking
- Part 4: The Anaconda for Action
- Part 5: The Rage Toad for Me
