Recommended Flat-sided Crankbaits for Late Fall
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Basics
- 3. Catch with "Pause" as the Decisive Factor
- 4. Fishing in Muddy Water
- 5. Fishing Shallow
- 6. Summary
1. Introduction
What is a Flat-sided crankbait?
As the name suggests, a "Flat-sided crankbait" is a crankbait with Flat-sided crankbaits. Conventional crankbaits have a round body and are characterized by a pronounced wobbling-based action and strong hydraulic pressure, which are generally said to provide highly attention-grabbing. In contrast, Flat-sided crankbaits have a rolling-based action where the bait falls to the left and right in a patting motion, resulting in a tight and subdued movement. Rather than relying on water displacement, its main draw comes from the flashing effect.
As the water temperature drops in late autumn, bass activity gradually decreases. The aggressive action of round crankbaits that were effective in the fall becomes too aggressive. This is where the subdued action of Flat-sided crankbaits comes into play.
Moreover, as the water becomes clearer in late autumn, the hydraulic pressure of round crankbaits becomes too aggressive. The tight action of Flat-sided crankbaits, which relies mainly on flashing, is just right for these conditions.
Flat-sided crankbaits were born in Tennessee, USA, an area with many open spaces featuring clear water and few obstacles. This environment demanded a somewhat restrained bait action.
Many Flat-sided crankbaits have reduced buoyancy, allowing them to be retrieved slowly at relatively deep depths to target bass holding in lower layers. This is another point that makes them useful in late autumn.
In Japan, there is a bait category called "Shad" that takes the action of Flat-sided crankbaits one step further. Refer to the following article for more details.
In terms of action strength, remember the following order:
Use this as a reference when selecting the right bait.
2. Basics
Flat-sided crankbaits are the go-to choice when crankbaits are too aggresive but shad-baits are too subtle.
When you want to take the action down a notch from crankbaits, start with JACKALL's Soul Flat. This bait can be used even at high speeds, making it suitable for targeting bass that are still energetic enough to chase baits or for quickly searching when the fish are scattered.
If you feel the Soul Flat is still too aggressive, there's also the Soul Shad, which has an even subtler action. Choose according to the progression of the season.
3. Catch with "Pause" as the Decisive Factor
As autumn deepens and bass activity declines, employ a slow retrieve with longer pauses to give the fish time to commit. MEGABASS' Flap Slap excels in this situation. It maintains a steady rolling action even at a slow speed where you can barely feel it in your hand. Use it to repeat a retrieve-and-pause cadence for bass that have lost the will to chase.
Another feature of the Flap Slap is the shaft-like weight positioned slightly off the rolling axis, making it easier to lose balance. This creates an irregular flashing that triggers a reaction from less active bass. The key is to move the bait deliberately while creating irregular flashes. Bass often strike when the bait wobbles as it starts moving after a pause, so stay focused.
MEGABASS also offers the Flap Slap LBO, which features their proprietary LBO weight system. This increases the casting distance by about 20% compared to the original model. The instantaneous weight transfer also enables a instantaneous start after landing. For those who want to fish more efficiently, the Flap Slap LBO is recommended.
4. Fishing in Muddy Water
EVERGREEN's Flat Force is effective in muddy conditions such as after autumn rains. Developed by Morizo Shimizu, who has achieved success in the Bassmaster Elite Series, this Flat-sided crankbait has garnered attention. While top Elite anglers used wooden Flat-sided crankbaits as secret baits, Shimizu succeeded in creating a high-precision plastic Flat-sided plug with the same quality. He eliminates the variability typically associated with wooden lures, ensuring that anyone can consistently use a high-performing Flat-sided crankbait, regardless of the situation.
The Flat Force features a relatively fat body design among Flat-sided crankbaits, allowing it to provide somewhat stronger grabbing attention. This enables it to draw in bass even in murky environments.
Moreover, it can handle a wide range of retrieves from an extremely slow retrieve to fast. The action remains solid even at a speed slow enough to barely feel it in your hand, allowing you to retrieve at a pace that even less active bass in late autumn can chase. When round crankbaits are too aggressive but other Flat-sided crankbaits aren't enough, reach for the Flat Force in tough, low-light conditions after rain.
5. Fishing Shallow
Even as the water cools, bass may move shallow on sunny days when the shallows warm up. And if a bass has the energy to purposely move shallow, there's a good chance it's a big one. The shallows are especially promising from midday to dusk when the water warms. In late autumn, round crankbaits start to have too much action. Downsize to a Flat-sided crankbait to target big bass in the shallows.
IMAKATSU's Gekiasa Flat shines for shallow fishing. While most Flat-sided crankbaits dive deeper than 3 feet, the Gekiasa Flat has a running depth of about 1.5 feet, allowing you to run the bait above the bass in skinny water. Bass that have moved shallow are often focused on feeding, looking upward to corral baitfish. Running the bait above them is crucial.
Another feature is the higher number of flash cycles compared to other Flat-sided crankbaits for the same distance retrieved, providing greater grabbing attention. The bait's swimming posture is horizontal, mimicking the appearance of a real baitfish, enticing bass to chase.
The Gekiasa Shad is the perfect complement to the Gekiasa Flat. It has an action one step subtler than the Gekiasa Flat. Start by gauging the bass' reaction with the Gekiasa Flat. If they don't commit, switch to the Gekiasa Shad. By employing these two options, you can consistently catch finicky late-autumn bass.
6. Summary
Flat-sided crankbaits are effective for catching bass that have become somewhat less active as autumn progresses by taking the action strength down a notch. Furthermore, by selecting the right Flat-sided crankbait based on their unique characteristics for the following four situations, you can approach the bass more delicately.
- Basic: Fish with an action one level lower than round crankbaits
- Declining bass activity: Fish with pauses
- Muddy water: Fish with a flat-side that has slightly stronger action
- Big bass in the shallows: Fish with a flat-sided designed for shallow water
As autumn deepens and you sense the bass activity dropping further, consider downsizing to the "Shad" category of plugs, which have an action another step weaker. Refer to the article below for more details.