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