| One of the most effective ways to catch huge | | | | slight pumping action of the rod as you reel, |
| prespawn bass in lakes and rivers are lipless | | | | keeping contact with the bait. If it hits a |
| crankbaits. These baits are especially | | | | rock, weeds, or other structure, hesitate a |
| effective when the water temperature is | | | | second, and then rip it off quickly, and reel |
| between forty-nine and fifty-eight degrees, | | | | it in with a steady retrieve. You can also |
| especially in stained or muddy water in lakes | | | | yo-yo the bait similar to a spoon or |
| and ponds, but it also works well in the | | | | spinnerbait in deeper water near points and |
| rivers. Some of the techniques outlined below | | | | drop-offs, which can be extremely effective |
| will help you catch bigger bass all over the | | | | in colder water or on inactive fish that are |
| country in the early spring starting in | | | | suspended. Most of the time in water below |
| March, and peaking in April"TYPES OF | | | | fifty-eight degrees they hit very mushy, like |
| BAITSThere are are variety of lipless | | | | grass or leaves, or even like you are snagged |
| crankbaits on the market that catch bass, but | | | | on a small branch, but most of the time it is |
| in the spring, in most lakes and ponds, in | | | | a bass.As they get close to the boat they |
| the Northeast, the Rat-L-Trap by Bill Lewis | | | | will see you and make a dash for the trolling |
| Lures, the Rattlin' Rapala, Lucky Craft, and | | | | motor, and down to deeper water, sometimes |
| the Ambush Stealth Diver, are some of the | | | | even breaking the surface to throw the lure. |
| best. All lipless crankbaits have a different | | | | The bass have to played very carefully as |
| sound. Some are much louder than others, and | | | | lipless crankbaits come out of the bass's |
| will produce bass when some other quieter | | | | mouth much more easily than you might |
| baits won't. At other times, the more quiet | | | | imagine. Most of the bass will be in the |
| rattling baits will produce better. You just | | | | shallower water off the flats, near deeper |
| have to experiment with several baits until | | | | water, rip-raps, if available, or any place |
| you find the ones that are producing best in | | | | where there are baitfish and/or cover near |
| the particular body of water you're fishing. | | | | the north shore or bay, close to food |
| Sometimes the same baits, in the same size, | | | | sources, near their traditional spawning |
| by the same company, make slightly different | | | | areas.EQUIPMENTI like to use spinning gear |
| sounds that can be better than the other, and | | | | for the smaller 1/4 ounce baits, and I use |
| experimentation is the only way to find which | | | | baitcast gear for the larger 1/2 to 1 1/2 |
| bait works the best. Some baits won't run as | | | | ounce baits. I use a 7 foot spinning rod in |
| true at different speeds, and they turn | | | | medium action for the smaller baits, so as |
| sideways a little more than others, so you | | | | not to pull the bait from their mouths, |
| just have to watch them in the water, and | | | | usually a S- Glass rod, a G.Loomis Cranking |
| find the best ones. The hooks should always | | | | Stick, or a "Kistler" rod. In the |
| be changed to a premium hook system such as | | | | baitcasters, I use a 7 foot, medium to med |
| Daiichi or X-Point. There are many other | | | | heavy rod, with a high speed reel, but many |
| great hooks, but I prefer these. Most of your | | | | people prefer a good reel in a 5:0:1 or 5:3:1 |
| lipless crankbaits should be used in a 1/4 to | | | | gear ratio. I always use P-Line or McCoy in |
| 1/2 ounce size, but recently, bigger bass in | | | | ten to twelve pound test, but eight pound |
| the Northeast and in Florida have hit the | | | | test is preferred by many. Stren is also a |
| larger Salt Water Traps in the 3/4 to 1-1/2 | | | | good line for this. Fan cast the baits in as |
| ounce sizes.COLORS OF BAITSThe best colors | | | | many directions as possible in the prime |
| for the spring, especially if you have a lot | | | | areas such as the mouths of the back bays |
| of crawfish in the lake, are red, red/orange, | | | | with creeks, where grasses and riprap are on |
| and other variations of these colors. Some | | | | a harder bottom, and you will start picking |
| have spots on them and these are very | | | | up some of these monsters this spring. A good |
| effective. The standard chrome, and chrome | | | | scent on the baits, such as "Megastrike" |
| with a blue back, and chrome and red, have | | | | can't hurt either.This year we have had a |
| worked especially well for the larger bass. | | | | tremendous amount of success early in the |
| If the water is extremely stained to muddy, | | | | year with the new "Stealth Diver" by Ambush. |
| we forund that the red, and the chartreuse | | | | This is a very innovative design that funnels |
| brown combinations work well in this kind of | | | | water over the face of the bait and into a |
| situation. If you have a lot of bluegill in | | | | hole and out the back. It creates a look and |
| the area, and less crawfish or shad, then the | | | | sound that most bass have not seen before. |
| Bluegill/Suncracker patterns work very well. | | | | All these baits are available in the Delaware |
| The primary forage in the lakes are the best | | | | Tackle store in Wilmington, |
| patterns, unless you know that many anglers | | | | Delaware.Sponsored by: GYCB |
| are aware of this, and are using these colors | | | | (Yamamoto),TTI-Blakemore, Okuma, and Ambush |
| also. Then switching to unconventional | | | | Lures.Steve is the owner of S&K Guide |
| patterns can fool some of the wary bigger | | | | Service, and Co-owner of Delaware Tackle in |
| bass. Again, we switch only the front hook to | | | | Wilmington, Delaware. He also is a tournament |
| a "Bleeding Bait Hook" by TTI-Blakemore, | | | | angler,radio show host and producer, and |
| (Daiichi), and then change the back hook to | | | | freelance outdoor writer. He has over 40 |
| the same brand but in the traditional nickel | | | | years of fishing experience in the Northeast, |
| color.TECHNIQUESMost people just cast the | | | | 5 years exp. in California. He has fished |
| baits out and reel them straight in. While | | | | freshwater and saltwater since 1962, and has |
| this will always catch some bass, there are | | | | devoted to freshwater only since 1989. He has |
| more specialized methods that trigger strikes | | | | fished tournaments from 1990 to the present, |
| from the bigger bass. Cast the Rat-L-Traps | | | | and won the Delaware State Sportfishing |
| out, and depending on the depth of the water, | | | | Tournament multiple times, registered a Chain |
| count them down to the level of the fish | | | | Pickerel in 2000, just a few ounces shy of |
| before starting the retrieve, and if it is a | | | | the State Record and a Largemouth Bass caught |
| sandy and/or gravel/rocky type of bottom, let | | | | in 1999, that was registered in the |
| them sink to the bottom, then slowly raise | | | | Bassmaster Lunker Club at 10.16 pounds, just |
| the tip of the rod till you feel the lure | | | | 5 ounces shy of the Delaware State Record. It |
| vibrating, reeling the slack up slowly, then | | | | also appeared in a feature article by the |
| lower the rod tip, and do it again. Many | | | | "News Journal" (Gannett Publications), and in |
| times they will hit as it is on the bottom, | | | | all of Bass Pro Shops Master catalogs for |
| and first starts to be lifted up. If these | | | | 2003. Steve is also the 1998 Big Bass World |
| techniques don't work in a few hours, use a | | | | Champ/De and in the N.A.F.C. "Hall Of Fame". |