Crankbait lures are considered one of the most productive lures, especially if you want to catch bass. At first glance, this lure may look pretty simple since you seemingly just have to cast out and reel back to get bites. It is more complicated than that, though, and you’ll have to put in more effort if you want to increase your chances of catching fish.

How fast you reel affects a crankbait’s action, how deep it sits in the water, and if you’ll get fish to bite. You must take things slowly at first and use a steady approach to retrieval. 

A good idea is to count ‘one Mississippi’ for every full circle that you make on your reel. Once you do this automatically after enough practice, you can use it as a baseline and prepare to change up your reel speed.

The Ideal Reel Speed

For a perfect fishing experience, you should aim for a 5.4:1 to 6.4:1 gear ratio. This will give you a moderate retrieval speed, and you’ll be more effective at triggering fish strikes while also having good control and sensitivity. 

Feel free to play around and experiment with your reel speed until you have a good understanding of the best speed depending on different fishing conditions.

Here’s a table with more information on the different types of crankbait and recommended gear ratios:

 

Crankbait Type	Recommended Reel Retrieve Rate	Recommended Gear Ratio
Jerkbaits	24-34	5.4:1 – 7.0:1
Wakebaits	18-26	4.5:1 – 5.6:1
Squarebill Crankbaits	24-32	5.4:1 – 6.4:1
Lipless Crankbaits	24-34	5.4:1 – 7.0:1
Deep Diving Crankbaits	20-28	4.7:1 – 5.8:1
Medium Diving Crankbaits	22-30	5.1:1 – 6.2:1
Shallow Diving Crankbaits	24-32	5.4:1 – 6.4:1

Difference of Speed Between Lipless and Lipped Crankbait

The type of crankbait you’re using will affect how deep in the water it can go, which means the reel speeds will also differ.

A lipless crankbait will run more shallowly if you reel it faster, and if you don’t reel, it will sink deeper. On the other hand, a lipped crankbait will go down deeper the faster you reel since it floats naturally.

Lipless crankbait is meant for fishing closer to the bottom of the water, so it should be able to sink deeper. You need to reel it just enough so it swings side to side but remains a bit off the bottom. You should cast it out, let it sink for a second or two, and slowly reel it in. If you suspect you’re dragging the bottom, speed up your reel a bit.

Reeling in lipped crankbait requires an opposite approach although they’re also suitable for fishing near the bottom of a body of water. Lipped crankbait floats and can only go as deep as it’s rated at. 

For example, no matter how fast or slow you reel it, you’ll only get four feet if that’s the depth it’s rated at. Ideally, you should reel this crankbait fast enough to get it to its maximum depth and nothing beyond that. Once you’ve reached the depth you want, you can begin a slow retrieve and maintain that depth.

Using crankbaits takes a while to get used to, and once you know how to use them, you’ll understand why they’re so popular. You may be like many other fishermen who use nothing else!