In professional bass fishing circles, versatility is commonly regarded as the ultimate virtue. The versatile angler is familiar with the full spectrum of lure styles and adept at executing a wide variety of presentations. Consequently, he can catch schooling bass on topwaters, jerk lunkers out of matted vegetation with a punch jig and fool finicky spawning fish into biting shaky head worms. Yet, while versatility is indeed commendable, deep truth lies in the old adage, âJack of all trades, master of none.â Case in point: While there are plenty of great crankbait fishermen on the pro circuit, David Fritts is the one, the only crankbait master. By rejecting the doctrine of angling versatility and instead devoting his entire fishing career to immersing himself in what other pros probably consider the most arcane nuances of a lone lure category, Fritts has become the diving bait shogun, the Yoda of crankbait fishing. Consider yourself fortunate, grasshopper, for you are about to drink from the deep well of the masterâs crankinâ wisdom.
6:40 a.m. We arrive at Lake Râs deserted launch ramp. Fritts, a longtime Ranger pro staff member, is between boats; Iâve arranged to borrow a Triton 21 TrX for our outing. (Bass Pro Shops owns both boat brands.) Fritts pulls a small tacklebag and three of his signature Lewâs Perfect Crank baitcasting rods from his truck; each rod is equipped with a Lewâs BB1 reel spooled with 12-pound Trilene fluorocarbon. âI fish crankbaits on braided line in tournaments, but I forgot to bring any braid with me for this article. With crankbaits, I want the least amount of line stretch possible so I can feel exactly what the lure is doing.â Fritts ties on three of his signature Berkley crankbaits: a lipless vibrating Warpig, a 5/8-ounce Âmedium-diving Dredger 14.5 and a 1/3-ounce Bad Shad 7 shad mimic. What, only three rods!? Most pros start their Day on the Lake with a dozen or more! âHeck, three should be plenty,â Fritts says. 7:05 a.m. We launch the Triton. Fritts checks the lake temp: 52 degrees. âThe water looks clear enough to fish a jerkbait. I brought a couple jerkbaits with me, but Iâd rather crank.â
7 HOURS LEFT7:11 a.m. Fritts makes a short run to Lake Râs dam, which is strewn with riprap. âRock is a prime bass attractor late in the season. I havenât determined yet whether or not this lake has any grass in it, but once the water cools and daylight diminishes, bass will usually vacate grass cover and will head for rock if itâs available.â The boatâs front graph is not working. Many pros would be apoplectic over this malfunction, but Fritts maintains his cool. âHey, it is what it is. The console graph works fine, so maybe you can keep your eye on it and holler out any major depth changes?â 7:12 a.m. Fritts makes his first casts of the day to the dam with the 3/4-ounce Dredger 14.5 in the honey color pattern. I ask him about his reel preferences. âIâve been with Lewâs forever. The BB1 is a slow-speed reel with a 5.1:1 retrieve ratio; it takes up 21 inches of line with each turn of the handle. You donât want a fast-Âcranking reel this time of year; the waterâs cold and the fish tend to be lethargic. The way the BB1 is designed, you can actually feel your lure vibrate through the reel, not just through the rod. I can fish without a graph, but if I canât feel what my lure is doing down there, Iâm lost.â 7:30 a.m. Fritts has cranked the Dredger halfway down the dam; he reverses directions and parallel cranks the plug over 22 feet of water. 7:38 a.m. Still crankinâ riprap. I ask Fritts whether heâs suffered rotator cuff tears, carpal tunnel syndrome or other injuries commonly associated with long-term casting and reeling. âI had to wear a brace on my left arm for a couple months several years back, but nothing beyond that. If I couldnât crank, Iâd probably quit fishing.â