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BASS
COMING OFF THE BEDS
WOO'S
CORNER
SPRING TIME
CRANKIN'
I
can't think of a better time of year to throw a crankbait
than April. Whether you are fishing from the bank or
a boat, a pond, lake, or river it doesn't make any difference.
The bass are coming to the shallows to feed in numbers
and crankbaits are just hard to beat.
I'm
going to be looking at creeks on the north side of the
lake first, because this is where it will warm the fastest.
Big bass will go super shallow this time of year because
of the water temperature. Usually there is rain on and
off, creating rising water, which bring nutrients into
the water and that, encourages baitfish to move shallow
and feed. Also you will have some color to the water
which again will put bass super shallow. When this occurs,
I like to fish big crankbaits like the Bagley BB2 or
BB3 in the shallow lip version. I fish these lures on
a 7'4" Woo Daves' Bass Pro Shop Extreme pitchin'
rod with 20 lbs. Bass Pro Shops' Excel line. The long
rod allows you to reel with rod pointed high, coupled
with the 20 lbs. Bass Pro Shops' Excel test line making
the bait run as shallow as a foot or less. The big slow
wobbling baits are irresistible to big bass. I usually
go to the back of the creeks, especially if they have
a flat in them and start fishing my way out. Always
keep your eye on your Raymarine S600X unit for any ditches
or slight depressions in the area.
Another
key pattern is to look for long sloping points that
the bass can run shad up on. Here I will fish a lure
like the Bagley Shad-A-Lac. If I'm using a steady kind
of slow rolling technique I will use the ¼ oz.
model. My favorite retrieve this time of year is a pump
and drop method. Just rip the lure a couple of feet
and let it settle to the bottom, as this is deadly,
around grass, flats, ditches and points. You have a
lot of shad that die off. This is the perfect lure for
this situation. Look for loons or seagulls and you can
usually find the shad.
Probably
the biggest key to this time of year is the wind. Let
the wind be your friend when it comes to fishing. So
many people want to get out of the wind and this is
a big mistake in April, go to the wind. When the wind
blows it stirs up the bottom creating algae and such
for the baitfish to eat. Also the warmest water is blown
to the windy side, thus baitfish are pushed to this
side. Now is when I want my 36 volt MotorGuide so I
can stay in the wind and fish. Is it easy or comfortable,
no, but yes, it does produce bass. Start running windy
points until you catch fish and then pay attention to
the area where you caught the fish. Was it rocky, stumpy,
sandy, red clay, or pea gravel? Was the water clear,
stained or muddy? Then try to find another point with
the same characteristics and you could be on the winning
pattern.
In
the spring, color can make a big difference because
you have so many different water conditions so keep
several colors with you in chartreuses, shads and crawfishes.
Clearer waters go with shads; stained waters go with
crawfishes, and muddy go with chartreuses. The new Color
Selector can be a valuable tool for you, to help you
select the correct color.
Remember
the fish sometimes can be deeper first thing in the
morning and as the water warms up, they move shallow.
You might start out fishing 5 to 10 ft. running lures
and progress to shallower lures later on. There are
a lot of big bass caught around mid day, so don't give
up if you start out slowly. I can't tell you the times
I've fished till after noon without a fish then catch
numbers of bass late in the day. So stick with it in
the early spring and you will be able to fill your Nitro's
livewell.
Good
luck on your next trip and may God Bless You.
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