Shallow humps, extended flat points, and tapered bars outside of spawning pockets are all great target choices when bass are post-spawn in late spring. But here’s the thing: It’s not easy to comb these expansive areas with a search bait that you are confident is going to appeal to bigger fish. Some techniques like dragging Carolina rigs and football head jigs are effective if the fish are concentrated and numerous, but if the big ones are scattered, it’s important to use a bait that covers some ground and deflects off key cover for reactions. Swimbaits are up to the task, but generally speaking, the water has to be clear for them to knock it out of the park. Heavy spinnerbaits work well too, but the bass’s level of aggression has to be pretty high to make a full day out of throwing big spinning blades. Enter the shallow-running giant crankbait. This lure perfectly fits the bill for this late spring scenario, but the thing is, getting these deep-diver to work shallow usually requires some garage mods.
Years ago, I wrote a blog about basic dos and don’t for crank modifying, which you can read here (and I suggest you do before moving on). What’s important to understand before you start shaving the bill of that expensive deep-diver is that the body and bill of a crankbait are often designed to work together to achieve the action…
