Deep Crankbait Setup (Rod/Reel/Line) - Brad Leuthner

Thu, April 27, 2023

Bassmaster Opens pro, Brad Leuthner, swung into the Omnia Fishing warehouse to talk deep diving crankbaits and his preferred rod, reel, and line setup for fishing big plugs offshore. Deep cranking is a great way to trigger deep offshore fish into biting, not necessarily out of hunger, but out of a pure reaction to a fast-moving crankbait that deflects erratically off the bottom. When fishing a deep crankbait, such as the Rapala DT 20, Brad uses an Ark Essence 7'4" Medium-Heavy cranking rod paired with an Ark Gravity 5 in the 6.4:1 gear ratio speed. The longer parabolic rod allows for great casting distance along with the ability to keep fish pinned all the way back to the boat, which is often more challenging with crankbait fishing compared to single-hooked baits. When it comes to line, Brad keeps his cranking setup simple with 12lb Sufix Advance Fluorocarbon.

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