How to Adjust Rod Angles When Cranking Shallow Water

Bass can’t resist a shallow diving crankbait but getting these lures to fish cleanly through shallow cover presents some challenges. Wired2Fish’s Walker Smith explains how to fish standard shallow diving crankbaits in extremely shallow water simply by adjusting your rod angles — doing so correctly means less snagging and changing baits.

There are some important nuances to doing this correctly. Walker explains how to ‘high stick’ your crankbait so that you’re just lightly pulling the bill and hooks over the bottom rather than grinding them into the bottom. The proper hookset procedure is different here too, with Walker detailing how to deliver reliable hookups through controlled tension. Following this guidance will reduce hangups and time wasted swapping out different running depth crankbaits.