So, your drop-shoting a half of a sniper snub?, or does Faz have other means of catching the spiny yellow fish? Brian ( The Weedwalker)  -How deep were they?-

So that was you over on the other side of the bridge (2 pilings from where the Police Boat usually ties up).  I was the guy fishing all the other sets of pilings.  I wondered what you were fishing for - you never moved - figured it probably wasn't for bass.  

Who was the boat next to you?  We chose not to get too close to him so as not to crowd him.  We went back to the other side after fishing the third set of pilings -and low and behold the guy came over and cut right in front us - less than half a cast away!!!  I was ticked - (26,000 acres, and the guy cuts in and crowds us when night fishing!  I've seen it all now!  I educated him alittle about fishing etiquette (I was steaming actually!) - and all he could say is that anyone who was throwing crankbaits at night didn't know anything about bass fishing!  Can you believe the nerve of that guy?

By the way, we caught 19 bass last night - all on cranks.  Since things were really slow compared to some nights, I guess that wasn't to bad for guys who don't know anything about bass fishing.  Hope he wasn't a friend of yours!  

At least to start - Throw the cranks all around the bridge pilings - remembering they have an 8' footing under the water at differing levels.  Sometimes they're right up against the pilings (especially with current coming through), or sometimes they're out around the edge of the footing. 

Throw way past the piling so that the bait is in the right depth zone when it goes by.  Slow is the key!  And always "stop and go!"  Those fish will follow it all the way back to the boat sometimes and not hit, but if you stop it in their face - bam!  Use smelly jelly or whatever scent you prefer. 

Use a medium diver (Suspending shad rap 6-8 feet) on the shallow pilings near both shores.  Use a deep diver on the deeper pilings (fat free shad or something like it).  Throw one cast close to the piling, and one cast 8 to 10 feet away from them.  Move the boat 90 degrees to the piling - throw again.  (Hence 8 casts around a single piling.) 

It'll take awhile to work all 16 pilings - but after you have - go back and do it again.  You'll be surprized at how many fish are moving up and down on those pilings throughout the night. 

Once you've gained confidence with cranks, and after you've located some large flats not chocked with weeds - moved away from the bridge and expand your horizons.  The bridge should be just a training ground.

If you want to get good at cranks - leave everything else at home!  You've got to gain confidence or you'll keep taking the easy way out and going back to your favorite worm or whatever.

Well Russ, nice to hear you finally caught something!