Cranking a big crankbait offshore is a must as the seasons change and they move out to deeper water. If you want to take your deep cranking skills to the #NEXT LEVEL, you have to have the right set up. Take a listen to Mark Davis as he describes his favorite offshore fishing combo.
Catching fish on a deep crankbait can be an awesome way to put weight and numbers in the boat. However, the equipment needed for working a deep crank properly is extremely important. There are many factors that go into making a great deep cranking setup, and Mark Davis shared his perfect setup with us.
The right rod and reel are crucial to this deep diving bait’s technique. Davis’s go to rod is the new Lew’s 6xd Cranking Rod. “It’s super lightweight. It’s so well balanced. It has become my favorite deep cranking rod,” explains Mark. This allows him to be able to work a big bait like a deep crankbait for long periods of time without getting worn down. The rod is 7’6,” so making those long casts is not a problem. Davis also explains that the “rod has some backbone, but it’s still forgiving.” This simply means that it is stiff enough to get a good hookset but has enough tip to fight fish back to the boat without them pulling off. He locks a Lew’s BB1 Pro Reel onto this rod. “It is the perfect spool size for a casting reel. It’s got enough line capacity to make those super long casts, and that’s what it’s all about in cranking,” says Mark. It is a great reel for deep cranking because those long casts are key.
Line size is also important when it comes to putting the crankbait in the right zone of the water column. Davis usually spools up with 12 or 15 pound fluorocarbon. “10 pound test line is as light as I’m going to go,” states Davis. He will drop down to this lighter line when he needs his bait to dive a little deeper. If he needs a crankbait to run shallower then he will beef up the line size.
If you are looking for a new cranking rod, check out the new XD series. Remember that a crankbait presentation is only as good as the equipment that it is rigged up on. With the right tools, the bass don’t stand a chance!
