As Gerald Swindle attests, skipping a jig or some sort of soft plastic are top ways to catch bass off docks, but leaving cranks off the list would be an oversight. Anglers can burn up water while contacting cover with minimal fouling and they flat out catch ’em off every cover type including docks.
Swindle shares his approach to cranking docks starting with the when and why. Sometimes it’s a practice scenario where the goal is to fish fast and determine which docks hold fish. Other times it’s mid-tournament and the jig bite fizzles; time to crank a squarebill and pound posts for a reaction bite.
Select a buoyant and durable bait that holds up to bashing against metal and wood. When it comes to casting, don’t overthrow the lure – get in the habit of measured and methodical roll casts parallel to and underneath overhead cover. Lastly, make sure to step up your line pound test to prevent big bass from taking charge and breaking you off.
