Bass fishing legend Mike McClelland dives deep into the when, the place, and the way of crankbait fishing winter bass on highland reservoirs. Though squarely winter when filmed on Desk Rock, this content material is related anytime bass relate to shoreline rock and wooden when water temperatures drop into the decrease 50s and beneath. Whereas typically consolidated in chilly water, you continue to want to search out the bass, and a crankbait is an environment friendly search bait for combing shoreline stretches, factors, and channel swings. Right here’s how.
TACKLE USED (retail hyperlinks)
FINDING THE RIGHT SPOT
McClelland emphasizes the significance of location when pursuing winter bass. Certain, there are considerable alternatives for “scoping” suspended offshore bass on baits like blade baits and damiki rigs, however beating the financial institution with a crankbait might be simply as efficient and HOW you wish to catch them. He begins by exploring areas that supply a mixture of options – from channel swing banks to transitional areas resulting in flatter gravel pockets. This locational flexibility helps you discover and sample bass every day in winter. As McClelland attests, bass stay lively within the winter, so productive spots can shift as circumstances change; suppose baitfish, water temperature, and lightweight and climate variation.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT CRANKBAIT
A key focus of the video is choosing the right crankbait for various circumstances. McClelland has been a longtime fan of the versatile SPRO Rock Crawer lineup (spelled RkCrawler) for its confirmed fish-triggering looking motion and skill to snake by cowl with minimal fowling. It’s additionally accessible in numerous operating depths, colours, and even sizes, so you may modify to the circumstances. On this present day, McClelland opted for the RkCrawler 55, which nailed the 12- to 14-foot zone the bass had been holding. He discusses the importance of matching line dimension to the specified depth and crankbait motion, emphasizing utilizing 10- or 12-pound fluorocarbon or shifting to monofilament when bites are extremely tentative.
EFFECTIVE COLD WATER CRANKING
McClelland demonstrates efficient crankbait methods, equivalent to guaranteeing the bait hits the underside and adjusting your retrieve to set off torpid winter bass. Don’t get into the behavior of casting and winding with out velocity modifications and making deflections! He additionally shares observations on fish habits throughout winter, noting their tendency to feed on crawfish and the impression of water readability and lightweight circumstances on bait choice — these elements make coloration a crucial issue, so maintain an open thoughts and continually experiment.
FISH FINDER & MISC.
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David Appleton
Upriver Productions has been specializing in out of doors TV and media creation since 2009. We all know extra buzz baits than buzzwords and we might quite be zooming in on elk than attending zoom conferences however we are able to do each! We’re completely pleased with our base within the Ozarks of Missouri however we have additionally labored in forty-three states and eight international locations. We are able to make a video in regards to the subsequent nice fish catcher on a shoestring or we are able to ship a full season of award profitable TV to a community with one million greenback price range.
