Colder Water, Whats Working For You?

[Crestliner2008]

I threw a square lipped shallow crank and had no luck. Also, this whole time i have had yellow power pro braid spooled up. I am wondering if the yellow line is taking part into the not catching of bass..

Dean, it's not your line. I use 30# test PP myself on 3 of my rigs. BUT, not this time of the year. Our ponds here abouts have just freed up. I threw a 4" wacky rigged Senko from shore two days ago and had a 2 1/2 - 3 lb. largemouth pick it up twice! But not enough to set the hook. I watched it as it would pick up one end of the Senko gingerly, then drop it (coated with MegaStrike too!). Never got the hook near it's mouth! Very frustrating to say the least. Water temp was 40 degrees with stained visibility of about 3'.

This time of the year I tend to fish slow with plastics a lot. Drop shotting or Senko rigging. I have a lite action 7' spinning rod spooled with 10# test Fireline Crystal and a 4' fluoro leader. Has worked for me in past seasons quite well. I've also heard that slow rolling a lipless crank is deadly. Have tried it for several spring seasons with very little to show for it. I'm just not convinced that cranks put the odds in your favor at ice out, but I could be wrong.

Probably going to hit the Oxbow tomorrow afternoon - with seabass. Will let you know how we make out.

[CJ From Dinwiddie,VA]

Fishing in Eastern Mass my friends have had alot of luck on shallow crankbaits with rattles and jerkbaits. Stop and go retrieve for both baits.

id actually go with a jerk bait. easy prey and bass cant stand it when it sits there for bout 8 seconds then tried to dart off and stop. reaction strike incoming!

[Big Fish Rice]

I would have to agree with CJ. Fishing the jerkbait with long pauses can be a great method.

During these cold temps, you want to keep your bait in the water for as long as possible.

What I mean by this, is that when you cast the jerkbait, let is sit for 8-10 seconds. Twitch is a couple times, then let it pause again.

If you get bit, it's going to be a thump!

[ChiCityBasser]

I would have to agree with CJ. Fishing the jerkbait with long pauses can be a great method.

During these cold temps, you want to keep your bait in the water for as long as possible.

What I mean by this, is that when you cast the jerkbait, let is sit for 8-10 seconds. Twitch is a couple times, then let it pause again.

If you get bit, it's going to be a thump!

I agree as well with the jerkbait being very successful for me on one of my trips to a small lake/pond.

[von]

Slooowly crawling a jig seems to be working for me.

[Sam]

Crankbaits