| Nothing slows bass like cold water, after all bass are | | | | can be caught even on fast moving crankbaits. |
| cold blooded. Bass still have to eat just not as often | | | | Whether a lipless crankbait or a conventional |
| and being in the right place at the right time will | | | | crankbait you can work shoreline cover and |
| convince you of this and probably keep the boat out | | | | underwater structure with the same results in the |
| of storage during those cold water months. Some | | | | winter as any other time. The feeding period will be |
| argue that bass go days without feeding when the | | | | much smaller and you have to be on the water to |
| water temps drop but it seems there is always a | | | | take advantage of this time. Sometime after noon is |
| good bass bite sometime throughout a day of cold | | | | often the best bite for crankbait slingers as water |
| water bass fishing. We all know that it takes weeks | | | | temps rise. Even just 1 or 2 degrees can turn bass |
| for the water to warm in the spring and anglers tend | | | | on and provide a flurry of fish in a short span of |
| to wait for the temps to start rising before dusting | | | | time. |
| off the reels and sharpening hooks but hopefully this | | | | Look for grass as this water will tend to be a bit |
| article will get you out there a little sooner. | | | | warmer already and bass love to hang in there |
| One great presentation for wintertime bass is the | | | | waiting for a shad to swim by or in your case a |
| crankbait. During the winter bass primarily target | | | | crankbait. You need to penetrate the weeds a little, |
| dying shad which can be represented well with a | | | | ripping the crankbait through the grass. Even lethargic |
| crankbait. Crankbaits are so versatile and can be | | | | bass will be jolted with an energy boost by |
| fished slow or fast, deep or shallow. You can pause a | | | | something ripping by them and you can cover lots of |
| crankbait to not only allow the lethargic bass to catch | | | | water this way in search of active bass. |
| the crankbait but it will also trigger a bite as bass | | | | Rocks and solid cover can be great places to fling a |
| know that the energy gained from the food he | | | | crankbait. Locate cover near deeper water say 12 to |
| consumes has to equal or surpass the energy | | | | 15 feet and you have a great place. Crank your |
| expended to catch that prey. | | | | crankbait fast and ricochet it off the cover causing |
| Wintertime bass go deep. Fact or myth? Well again | | | | the crankbait to swim erratically, changing directions |
| from an anglers perspective many would argue that | | | | sharply. This will trigger the bass the same way |
| lots of bass stay relatively shallow in the winter | | | | ripping the crankbait through the grass will. A good tip |
| moving up to feed in even shallower water when it is | | | | is to pause your crankbait after you feel it hit |
| time. Many would argue that once the water temps | | | | something and hang on as this is oftentimes when |
| are stable bass pretty much resume a normal routine | | | | the bass will engulf your crankbait and quickly |
| you might find in the spring or fall just at a much | | | | attempt to return to the cover in which it came. |
| slower pace. Now, it has been shown many times | | | | Wintertime bass fishing can be tough at times but |
| that bass go deep when water temps fall but there | | | | there are plenty of bass still willing to cooperate in |
| are still shallow bass to be caught. For those, like me, | | | | the winter. Get out there and give a crankbait a try |
| who are still patiently attempting to learn and gain | | | | and experiment with these crankbait tips and you |
| confidence to pursue deep water bass and relinquish | | | | too can enjoy a longer season bass fishing and join |
| the shallow water techniques for those deeper bass, | | | | many other anglers in dispelling the wintertime bass |
| all is not lost, and many anglers are proving that lots | | | | fishing myths. |
| of bass still prowl the shallows in search of prey and | | | | |