Just wanted to share a bit about a technique that I have been working to improve on the last two years. Its my take only and I am posting what works for me. As with all bass fishing subjects its best to experiement and find what works for you. Here goes:
I have always been a bit of a crankbait fanatic but I seemed to target depths greater than 4' until a few years ago. I was like a lot of other folks that primarily threw a medium diver the majority of the time. I also occasionally cranked deep structure and brushpiles. After seeing guys like George Cochran and other pros rely on the shallow water bite I decided to try and learn as much as I could from them. Initially it was frustrating and semi-productive. Its been a lot of trial and error. Its become one of my favorite techniques now but what I'm discovering is that a lot of these shallow water bass never see a crankbait so its a fresh approach and consequently it can really put fish in the boat. A lot of it is confidence pure and simple but like all techniques there are intricacies that lead to success. Shallow crankin' can work in 6" of water and in the heat of the summer. I have learned not to place too many limits on it. I simply put the trolling motor down and let it rip. Covering lots of water is vital and as many cast as you can make in a day the better.
When I say shallow cranking I am primarily talking 4' or less. I have found that isolated cover, boat docks, laydowns, bushes, rock piles, brush, and junk piles all have catchable bass on them the majority of the time. The key for me is isolating how the fish are relating to them. In addition the presence of baitfish is the X factor. Its almost an absolute that you have to have baitfish nearby to consistently catch fish in these areas. Bass tend to use these areas as ambush points and I personally feel these places hold both resident bass and those that are in the area schooling or feeding. These same areas provide shade and cover for both bait and bass. Most fishermen attack these areas with plastics, spinnerbaits, or jigs so these fish do not get conditioned to crankbaits as easily as other baits. Most people are afraid to put a bait with treble hooks in these places and that is the beauty of fishing this way. I have noticed that this technique can be effective in every season but typically is tougher in wintertime for obvious reasons. Both summer and fall will provide excellent action while shallow crankin'.
To catch fish you have to became proficient in learning your equipment and baits. I suggest trying and using just a few brands of crankbaits and it will be easier to pick up on the subtle bites and nuances that you will encounter from each one. I prefer the Jackall ASKA 60SR or Lucky Craft RC series mostly though the new Academy house brand H20 Express is quickly becoming a favorite. Strike King KVD 1.5 series is another great lineup. I have caught fish over 10lbs on the 1.5 type baits. I also use the 0.5 to the 3.5 sizes in certain situations. I keep it simple and tend to go with natural colors to imitate forage. Honestly throw TN shad, white shad, and citrus most of the time. Another great shallow crankbait is the Jackall MC/60SR and the Lucky Craft BDS series. They are a bit fatter than the RC's and tend to be a little more bouyant. Almost like a balsa bait. The the MC and the BDS have a more curved lip and they will come through wood a bit easier. If you are worried about price the Bandit 100's and the smaller Strike King Series 4S cranks are excellent choices as well. For colder water or when you need a more wobbling action I choose the Jackall Bling 55. The Spro Little John is a good choice as well. Know going into this that you are gonna lose some baits. Just part of it, one thing to consider is that since you are fishing shallow you can usually get your bait back with a bit of effort. I keep a golf club in the boat that has a fire poker style hook on it and its perfect to push or pull a bait free when its hung up.
Line prefernces for me is strictly 14-17lb fluorocarbon or a fluorocarbon blend. I use the Lake Fork Tackle Paralellium FluoroHybrid line in 20lb or 26lb sizes as its equivalent to most 14-17lb lines in diameter but has a higher breaking strength. Again with the shallow fishing you do not have to worry about line size affecting the bait action as much as fishing them in deeper water. It also allows me to be more aggressive in ripping the bait through the trash by using larger diameter line. Also as you will learn this technique will stick some hawgs and they are usually none too happy in being caught. Couple that with the places you catch them and if you are not prepared you will get your heart broke. I like a medium heavy rod in the 6 1/2 to 7ft length and a fast tip. I use the Dobyns Champion Series rod model 684C which I think is perfect for this technique. It is 6' 8" and is perfect for close quarters combat. You want a rod with a little backbone in case you have to horse a fish out of some ugly stuff. I use a fast retrieve reel so that I can catch up to the fish after its hooked and it allows me the chance to burn a bait when the fish want a faster retrieve. I use the Team Daiwa Zillion primarily. I suggest a reel with a VERY smooth retrieve and the ability for long distance casts as you will need that. It is hard to sneak up on them in skinny water. Long casts can become very important. Again these are my choices and please insert your preferences here equipment wise.
Now that we have the equipment out of the way the next thing I want to talk about is applying the technique. Shallow crankin' is power fishing at its finest. You need to targets specific areas or cover and experiment with the presentation. Often long casts are required as well as repeated casts from many angles and directions. Wind can really improve this bite. I often will leave an area while fishing a different technique when we get a little wind. I hit these shallow areas fishing against the wind and I seem to catch them a little better. Wind can ignite a once dead area quickly. Nice thing is that these baits cast easily in the wind so they are a perfect choice. Vary retrieve as I have found that frequent pauses with a moderate retrieve are effective. Pay attention to how the fish are hooked when you get bites. If they are barely hooked then you may need to have longer pauses or you need to change bait sizes or colors. Try your best to hit and deflect the bait off anything you can. Rip it through vegetataion and brush and basically let the fish know its there. Its not a subtle presentation at all. You will find with experience that little changes will make all the difference in the world. Its important to note how the fish are taking the bait and how they are sitting on the cover. This is also a great way to catch aggressive fish when you see them chasing bait or blowing up in shallow water. If they are inhaling the bait then you have them dialed in. Shallow cranking is one of the most deadly presentations when fish are holding on shallow docks. I love to target metal pole docksand again I just crash the bait into every pole I can until I get bit. Its a game of angles and often you can start to figure out just how the fish are positioning on the docks and really effectively fish them better.
Other important things to remember is to test a baits true running PRIOR to using them in this case. Make sure they run true. I reccommend replacing the front treble with a high quality red treble. There are instances you may be in thick cover and hanging up is unavoidable. I have found that you can either remove the front treble or trim the leading treble bend on both hooks. Just snip it off. That way it glides over cover better. You may lose a fish but this allows you to get a bait in front of more fish so its a good trade for me. Also using a gel or jelly like MegaStrike makes the bait "slick" and it will come through cover easier as well.
It is also very important to keep a good set of pliers handy as these fish will often inhale these smaller crankbaits and taking care to quickly remove the hooks is vital. On the same note these same fish often slash at a bait out of reflex and are barely hooked. Keep a good net with an extension handle ready on the deck. It may save the day.
In closing let me say that you can fill a limit and catch a hawg on the same techniques here. You are fishing in a way most avoid so you are already at an advantage. When conditions are right the action can be furious. Seek out areas that have deeper water nearby or bottom changes. Textbook areas such as channel bends, shallow points etc can be good. The docks on or near points are excellent too.
I have caught many BIG fish the last few year or so using this technique but most importantly it reminds me a lot of the way Shakeyhead fishing can put fish in the boat. This technique simply catches fish year round. I literally NEVER stop throwing shallow crankbaits no matter the time of year. Always have one tied on and ready to go on the deck of the boat. I've won a fair amount of money by shallow canking so its proved its worth to me. Give it a try and I bet you'll like it. If you have any questions shoot me an IM or email and I'd be happy to help. Good luck.
What prompted me to post this is a trip I had today. A buddy and I fished a lake that water temps up to 84 degrees and was light to moderately stained. Air temps were 96 degrees with little to no wind. We had bluebird skies and the lake was turning over. We started at 9:00AM and in about 6 hours we put 40 fish in the boat with 7-8 keepers. Buddy caught a 4 and 5lb bass. We lost two other big fish and our best 5 was pushing 14-15lbs on a lake not really known for big sacks. We did this by shallow cranking