When the heat of summer sets in and bass push offshore, few techniques shine like deep cranking. Once the spawn wraps up, big fish slide to main-lake points, humps, and channel ledges where they can feed efficiently on baitfish. The challenge for anglers is simple: most lures can’t consistently reach them. That’s where the Megabass Big-M 7.5 comes in.

Designed to hit depths beyond 20 feet, the Big-M 7.5 opens up a whole new world of offshore opportunities. With the right approach and gear, it lets you grind bottom in places other crankbaits can’t touch and tempt bass that have settled into their deep-water summer and fall homes.

Why Offshore Structure Holds Bass in Summer and Fall

As water temperatures rise, bass vacate shallow spawning grounds and migrate toward offshore structure. The main channel acts as their highway, and features like points, humps, and sharp drops become prime staging areas.

On many reservoirs, silt dominates the bottom composition. Under these conditions, identifying hard-bottom areas becomes crucial to success. Bass gravitate to these spots because they attract baitfish and provide stable holding areas. Electronics, such as side imaging, down imaging, and mapping chips, make it possible to identify these differences and mark waypoints before making a cast.

If you can find a hard-bottom spot sticking out into the main channel, chances are good a school of bass is already there waiting for you.

The Big-M 7.5 Advantage

The Megabass Big-M 7.5 was designed to cover water that other crankbaits simply can’t. Here’s what makes it different:

• Unique thinner bill: This design cuts through water at a steeper angle with less resistance. That means less fatigue during a day of cranking and quicker dives to target depth.
• True deep range: It excels in the 16–22+ foot zone, where many lures lose efficiency. Grinding bottom at these depths is what triggers big bites.
• Refined action: Instead of a wide, exhausting wobble, it delivers a tight shimmy with plenty of flash. That subtle roll mimics a struggling baitfish without wearing out the angler.
• Big presence: Its larger profile mimics gizzard shad and even trout, both of which are prime forage for trophy bass in many fisheries.

This combination of efficiency and presence makes it a crankbait that stands apart for targeting giants offshore.

How to Fish the Big-M 7.5 Offshore

Wind is your ally when it comes to deep cranking. A five to fifteen-mile-per-hour breeze helps position fish, breaks up sunlight penetration, and makes bass more likely to rise on a lure.

Once you’ve identified your spot with electronics, line up with the wind and cast as far as possible. The Big-M 7.5’s design excels when it’s covering maximum distance, giving it time to reach and maintain depth.

Retrieve styles matter:

• Burning the bait through inactive fish often forces a reaction strike, much like crashing a squarebill into cover in shallow water.
• Slow grinding works when bass are actively feeding and following schools of shad.

In either case, bottom contact is key. The deflections and sudden changes in movement are what convince even stubborn bass to commit.

The Ideal Deep-Cranking Setup

Catching bass in 20-plus feet of water requires more than the right crankbait — you need the right gear to maximize its potential.

• Rod: The Orochi XX Launcher (7’11”) is tailor-made for this style. Its length allows ultra-long casts, while its moderate action loads perfectly to keep treble-hooked fish pinned.
• Reel: A 300-size baitcaster provides the line capacity and cranking power needed for this big lure.
• Line: 15-pound fluorocarbon balances depth, abrasion resistance, and sensitivity.
• Boat positioning: Tools like Spot-Lock help you hold your boat in the wind and keep casts perfectly lined up on your targets.

This combination ensures you can launch the Big-M 7.5 to its full potential, grind it across structure, and still have the backbone to land fish from deep water.

Triggering Schools of Offshore Bass

Locating bass offshore is just part of the battle. Getting them to bite is often the real challenge. Many times, schools will suspend and wait for bait to move through. That’s when burning the Big-M 7.5 through them can make all the difference.

Think of it as the offshore version of fishing a squarebill along a bank. You aren’t always feeding fish — you’re provoking them. Contact with the bottom and sudden directional changes from deflection give the lure a natural, erratic look that forces bass to react.

When worked correctly, the Big-M 7.5 can wake up an entire school, turning a slow day into a flurry of bites.

Unlocking the Ultra-Deep Bite

Deep cranking isn’t for the faint of heart, but the rewards can be huge. By targeting offshore structure, grinding bottom with the Megabass Big-M 7.5, and using the Orochi XX Launcher for maximum performance, you put yourself in a position to catch some of the biggest bass in the lake.

The next time you’re staring at your electronics and marking fish in that 20-foot zone, tie on the Big-M 7.5, fire a long cast, and get ready. When that rod loads up and you rotate your hips into a deep-water giant, you’ll know exactly why ultra-deep cranking is worth the grind.