Paul Elias
Digging Deep With Crankbaits

Photo: ESPN Outdoors Paul Elias has made a nice living by mastering the use of crankbaits around deep-water structure.

Using deep-diving crankbaits has been a staple of Paul Elias' repertoire for years – he even offers 1- and 2-day lessons on the technique – and it was one of the reasons he was able to catch a record-setting 132-08 over 4 days at the Lake Falcon Elite Series in early April.

"It's my favorite way to fish," said the Laurel, Miss. pro. "A lot of people do (overlook it). They don't want to work that hard to catch fish. But it's probably the best way to trigger a school of fish in deeper water."

BassFan asked the 1982 Bassmaster Classic champion to share some of the basics when it comes to triggering deep-water bass with a big-lipped plug.

Don't Be Bashful

The No. 1 thing that many people misunderstand about deep-diving cranks, Elias said, is that they're just as effective in shallow water. In fact, he encourages it, especially around any type of structure that may hold fish.

"A lot of people think that when they see a Mann's 20-Plus, it means they have to use it in 20 feet of water," he said. "That's a misconception.

"You want to overpower the water you're fishing the majority of the time. If it dives to 15 or 16 feet, throw it up to 8. You want it to dig deep and quick."

Plain and simple, the faster the bait can generate contact with the bottom, the more commotion it'll cause and likely catch the attention of a fish in the area.

His well-known technique of kneeling and reeling also helps when trying to get the baits down deeper.

"This is prime time to start using it," he said of the time of year.

Pay Attention

While the particular makeup of the structure won't determine whether a deep crank will be effective, Elias recommends taking note of the forage and current around the area.

"Pay close attention to the baitfish," he noted. "You're usually working a creek mouth or a river ledge or an underwater road bed or an old house foundation – stuff that fish would use as their house.

"Current comes into play, especially on southern reservoirs that are used to generate power. The fish tend to feed better when they're generating."

The speed of retrieve will be determined by the fish. If the bait's banging off structure down deep, don't hurry it back to the boat.

"You have to let the fish dictate the way you retrieve it," he said. "They'll determine it by how they want to bite it. Most of the time, I'll use medium retrieve and when it hits something, hesitate slightly, then speed up to simulate it trying to get away."

His favored areas to use this technique are near mid-depth ledges adjacent to steep breaks.

"Most of my cranking goes on in 20 to 30 feet or deeper and throwing it up on ledges that are 8 to 15 feet on top," he said. "Normally, there's real deep water near the ledges you're going to be fishing. Just sit in the channel and throw it into the shallow ledge.

"Depending on the depth on top, normally fish will bite up on the ledge," he said. "If you're noticing you're getting bites closer to the boat, that means the fish are deeper and you want to back off because you may be too close to the fish."

Gear Up

Elias favors the 7 1/2-foot medium-light Quantum rod that bears his name for deep cranking.

"The cranking action is an action that needs a loose tip, but you need plenty of backbone to throw a big, diving bait," he said.

He recommends a reel with a ratio in the 5.1:1 range – he uses the Quantum Energy PT 750.

"You want a lower gear ratio so you're not working as hard to crank the bait back in," he noted.

To pull the baits off the ledges and around bottom structure, he favors 12-pound Berkley 100% fluorocarbon line.

"It's one of the most exhausting ways to fish," he said. "Usually it's hot out and it takes a lot out of you, but it's very rewarding."

Notable

> Elias isn't a huge fan of Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville, Tenn., the next stop on the Elite Series calendar. "It can get pretty crowded," he said.