Pumping Life Into a Crankbait

Most anglers use a steady retrieve when casting or trolling crankbaits. You can add a lot of zest to your bait by pumping it. As you're reeling in the bait, gently pump the rod tip to improve your lure's action. The break in cadence and slight stop-and-go action is an effective trigger to a following predator. When the bait looks like it's trying to escape, the instinctive response of the predator is to strike. Use the pumping motion as the lure approaches weedy cover, fallen trees and other fish-holding cover. Get ready for strikes as fish dart out of cover to slam the bait.