Besides the square-billed crankbait, another lure that some fishermen may not be aware of its uses is a flat-sided crankbait. The flat-sided crankbait is really one of my favorite lures to use in stained stained water. Instead of having a round side like most crankbaits do, the sides of a flat-sided crankbait are as described – flat. The flat-sided crankbait has a much tighter wobble than the round-sided crankbait does. It gives off a different vibration than the round-bodied crankbait does, a fact that can be extremely important when you’re fishing in dirty water.
Bass have a way of sensing their prey, according to the vibrations that prey species gives off. A bass uses its lateral line to detect those vibrations. During the winter and the times of year when the water’s stained, often the bait fish will be swimming faster, since they can’t see in stained water either. I really enjoy fishing the flat-sided crankbaits under these conditions. Although all lures tagged as crankbaits may look similar, there’s a reason that they’re shaped the way they are and swim the way they do.
Another great time to use the flat-sided crankbaits is in the early spring, as the water starts to warm up, and the baitfish are very active. Also in the early fall when bass are chasing bait and feeding up for the spawn, and even during the winter, is a productive time to fish the flat-sided crankbait, since it resembles the bait fish on which the bass are feeding. Although the flat-sided crankbait has a faster wiggle than a round-bodied crankbait, you don’t have to reel the flat-sided crankbait any faster. Once you determine that the bass are feeding aggressively, that’s the time to reach in your tackle box and take out that flat-sided crankbait, as well as when bass are schooling on top. Too, once the bass stop feeding on bait on the surface, you can cast that flat-bodied crankbait where the bass have been schooling on top and catch one or two bass once the school moves deeper.
