| Careful bass fishermen, those who think about what | | | | seek to make the most underwater noise. On the |
| they are doing and why, know that they can use the | | | | other hand, when vibration isn't too important but |
| lures in their tackle boxes to work for them and that | | | | plenty of flash is, try a willow leaf blade. The most |
| each one has an optimum range of service. | | | | popular sizes of willow leaf blades are No.4 to No.8. |
| Each kind of lure has certain times and places in | | | | Since you'll be fishing a spinnerbait mostly around |
| which it is most effective. Some lures work deep and | | | | heavy cover such as weeds and wood, be sure to |
| some stay on the surface; some baits should be | | | | knock the lure into the cover regularly. That is, bump |
| retrieved slowly and others should be burned along. | | | | a stump or tree trunk with the lure and then let it |
| So when the fish are deep, don't (in most cases) go | | | | settle a foot or so. |
| with a surface lure. And when the bass are lethargic, | | | | Strikes from ambushing bass often will occur just |
| don't make them chase a speeding bait. | | | | after a spinnerbait hits a piece of wood then tumbles |
| Choose The Right Color | | | | down. Too, you can slither the lure over snags that |
| As each lure has a job to do, each color has a | | | | are out of the water and let the lure slip quietly into |
| purpose, too. While some research indicates fish | | | | the water below the tangles to sneak up on lurking |
| respond better to some colors than to others and | | | | bass. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits are generally used |
| that water clarity has a lot to do with what color lure | | | | to cover water quickly. Generally use a spinnerbait if |
| might work best, it ia beyond the realm of most | | | | the water is shallow and a crankbait if the water is |
| fishermen to obtain a device that indicates the best | | | | deep. |
| hues to use. | | | | When To Use Crankbaits |
| So stick with crawfish colored lures when working | | | | Crankbaits are especially productive on active bass |
| close to the bottom around rocks, stumps, and | | | | that are willing to run down a meal. When the |
| willows. Use a fish colored bait, such as one painted | | | | crankbaits are working to their potential, they are |
| chrome or silver or gold or like a shad, when working | | | | digging their big plastic bills into the sand, gravel or |
| around deep points or around schooling baitfish. | | | | rocks on the bottom, deflecting themselves off |
| Try bright colors such as hot pink or chartreuse | | | | objects and bouncing tantalizingly in front of hungry |
| when the water is stained to the point that visibility is | | | | bass. They should be used when you want to quickly |
| less than 18 inches. But chartreuse also works well in | | | | prospect for bass along an underwater hump or reef, |
| water that is fairly clear, and it is an excellent choice | | | | down a steep or tapering point, along the sides of a |
| in spinnerbait skirts. | | | | road bed or around a launch ramp. |
| Some bass anglers prefer chartreuse spinnerbaits | | | | Some expert bass fishermen use crankbaits in heavy |
| around weed beds (and many like black there), while | | | | cover such as trees and stumps, but those are |
| others go with white shirted lures around wood | | | | places where a beginner should take considerable |
| structure. | | | | care. Because they mostly are floaters, crankbaits will |
| When To Use Spinnerbaits | | | | bob back to the surface if you stop retrieving them; |
| These are the most versatile of bass lures. They can | | | | but if a hook is stuck in a branch, the lure will be |
| be worked deep or shallow, slow or fast and in a | | | | stuck and perhaps unretrievable. |
| number of motions. They are generally snagless, | | | | Try a crankbait in heavy wood only after you've had |
| which makes them a top choice around weeds and | | | | lots of practice in walking one along a lake bottom so |
| submerged trees and willows. Use spinnerbaits | | | | you can learn how the lure works. Many fishermen |
| generally this way: | | | | use three color patterns in crankbaits: chartreuse or |
| Try the inline models only in fairly open water, | | | | firetiger, shad or chrome, and crawfish or reddish |
| although they can fished among rocks with only a | | | | orange. These colors will mainly get the job done |
| slight chance of snagging. Stick with the safety pin | | | | whenever a crankbait will do it. |
| spinnerbaits around trees, willows, weeds, of all | | | | Another selection of many anglers is the deep diving |
| varieties, boat docks, stumps, flats, and long tapering | | | | models over shallow runners because the big plastic |
| points. | | | | bills on the deep diggers serve several purposes. |
| A spinnerbait is one of the absolute best baits to use | | | | They deflect off snags and they dig puffs and |
| if the water is very dirty, especially in the summer | | | | furrows as they nose down into the lake bottom. |
| and spring. The blades on the lures send out a lot of | | | | The result is an added attraction that might draw |
| vibration as they rotate through the water and the | | | | attention of a hungry bass. |
| action gives fish something to key on as they seek | | | | Johns website help beginners and advanced bass |
| the disturbance in muddy water. | | | | fishermen to catch a boat load of fish. Please visit |
| Try a big cupped Colorado style blade when you | | | | the site for more info... |