Much of the time smallmouth bass love being on the move and chasing bait...
So it only makes sense that crankbaits in patterns resembling their favorite food like crawdads and baitfish can be highly effective when fishing for feeding smallies!
Take a moment and watch this short video to see what we mean…
Several things to remember…
Select the right crankbait pattern to mimic the bait the smallies are feeding on
Pick the type of diving bill to effectively fish the depths the fish are working
Keep the bait in contact with cover to trigger more strikes
Use the proper rod, reel and line combo for the crankbait being fished
Follow these tips and catch more smallmouths the next time you’re on the water chasing them!
When swimbaits are mentioned to most bass anglers, visions of huge, expensive artificials often spring to mind…
But there is a “subtle” side of fishing swimbaits as Elite Pro Kevin VanDam discusses in this video…
Take a moment to watch and see what I mean
Even though I had fished subtle swimbaits like Mister Twister's Sassy Grubs in the past, I recently started fishing them last season with great success...
As a matter of fact, not only do subtle swimbaits catch bass plus many other species, even the small sizes catch big gals too!
Most bass anglers have a a few jig color patterns they use in different situations including different jig patterns based on changing seasons…
My personal selections tend to be influenced by three major factors:
Type of forage present and active in the area being fished
Water clarity (to some extent)
Season
To me springtime is green time and most baits I throw have some green color in them throughout the spring season…
In this video, touring bass pro Casey Ashley details his preference for spring jig colors, where to fish them and how it differs from other times of the year!
Personally, I like black n blue (anytime color) and a greenish craw pattern are be gotos for spring jigs...
As winter wanes and the warming rays of the spring Sun shine upon your favorite honey holes, one of the best presentations for bass anglers to use is the suspending jerkbait…
After a long winter and chilled metabolism, spring bass are eager to get their proverbial feed bag on and bulk up before it’s time to hit the spawning beds…
Jerkbaits have a number of different features making them one of the primary bass-catching tools of the spring since they mimic most common baitfish and can be fished at a variety of speeds and depths…
Take a few moments and let Bassmaster Elite Series Pro, Mark Menendez explain the ins and outs of using jerkbaits throughout the spring season…
Changing the cadence of your jerkbait retrieve is often the key that determines to your springtime jerkbait fishing success!
Jerk, jerk, jerk ... pause
Jerk, jerk ... pause
What's your favorite springtime jerkbait retrieve cadence?
Fishing jerkbaits for smallmouth bass in the cool to cold water periods can be productive one trip and frustrating the next. I know from personal experience my jerkbait hook-up ratio on smallmouths is usually significantly lower through the winter months.
To be honest, I was never really sure why this was happening but after hearing an explanation from river smallie expert Jeff Little, I not only began to realize why but also how to put the odds back in my favor…
Watch the video below where I’ll explain what I mean and how the solution works…
By adding a little scent, not just as a possible olfactory trigger but more importantly as a lubricant! :D
So you’ve decided to up your bassin’ game and increase your crankbait collection as well as the amount of time you spend fishing them…
Off you go to your local bass tackle shop turning to the crankbait portion of their lure section and poof … your eyes instantly widen and you stop dead in your tracks with the classic “deer in the headlight look”
The color pattern possibilities seem endless!
Even though you’ve already decided on the type of crankbaits that will work best in the waters you fish, the color pattern selection is enough to knock you off your feet…
But does it really have to be that complicated?
Not according to the folks at Wired2Fish!
Just take a moment and watch the following video to see what I mean :D
Although I generally agree with Walker’s color selections, I will add that a slight alternation to color patterns matching predominate bait fish in your area (golden shiner as opposed to shad for example) might be in order…
But always remember … simple is usually better than making things like color selection complicated!
