Legendary angler Paul Elias is a huge proponent of using crankbaits designed to be fished deeper than the depth of water being fished – he refers to this as overpowering the bottom. This forces the crankbait into more bottom contact which increases deflections and reaction strikes from bass.
Concerning rod and reel mechanics, a super long cast is key to keeping the bait in the strike zone longer, and Paul relies on a wide spool reel to achieve the furthest possible casts. He recommends pointing the rod directly at the bait to get the best possible feel for walking the crankbait over cover while reduce snagging at the same time.
