Catching Spotted Bass This Summer at Lake Oroville

July 3, 2018 by Mark Lassagne

By Mark Lassagne

Lake Oroville State Recration Area can be fun or frustrating, depending on your goals.

If you’re looking for a nice lake – clean water, camping, boating and fishing – that also has a ton of fish, then Oroville is a fun and enjoyable place to be.

However, if you’re looking for an easier shot at quality fish, then you might want to head to Clear Lake, Berryessa, or the Delta.

Lake Oroville sits at 900 feet of elevation and is approximately 25 miles long, end-to-end, with about 150 miles of shoreline. Located an hour north of Sacramento, Oroville is a relatively short drive from just about anywhere in the greater Bay Area.

There are four river arms, or forks as they’re called here: South Fork, Middle Fork, North Fork, and Lime Saddle. The South Fork and Lime Saddle are where many of the elusive largemouth tend to be found. The North Fork and Middle Fork generally have cooler inflowing water, and on warm days you may find a refreshing breeze in the North Fork.

Spotted bass is the predominant species in Oroville, but the lake also holds trout, sturgeon, salmon, and catfish, along with crappie and bluegill. The forage base consists of pond smelt, threadfin shad, crawfish, and whatever else might be unfortunate enough to slip into the water that the bass can get a hold of. There are a few smallmouth and largemouth, but don’t expect to catch many of them.

As summer begins, the spotted bass have just finished spawning and are working to fatten up. More often than not they are fairly easy to catch. However, the average fish is a skinny 10- to 12-inches long. There are a number of quality bass at Oroville, and at times they may reveal themselves, but I believe the lake conditions compel many of the bigger fish to suspend offshore, making them difficult to locate and catch.

This time of year, the fish seem to scatter and can be caught on a variety of cover. The river arms are usually a good place to start; this past week we averaged 40 fish a day from the North and Middle Forks. The South Fork and Lime Saddle had fewer fish of similar quality.

THE COVER

Points leading into creeks and coves are generally a good bet almost any time of year. Lately the pockets have been holding more bass, however. Choose any of the river arms and begin a mile or two toward the back. Start by targeting pockets or coves that show noticeable signs of recent water having washed into the lake from above. During the early morning hours focus on pockets on the eastern bank providing the most shade. Most of the river arms have plenty of small pockets in which one can travel down the bank, hitting the points in between, and then the sides leading into and out of the pockets. Once the sun gets high don’t be afraid to fish in direct sunlight and up shallow.

After fishing down a bank for a bit you should have an idea where the fish are located. Spots usually bite pretty quickly, so if you’re not getting bit, move. Move down the bank, to the other side, or to a deeper pocket or small creek channel.

HOW DEEP

This time of year, the fish are in mere inches down to thirty feet. Spotted bass move frequently, so don’t get fixated on one depth; they can move at any time.

WHAT TO THROW

If you want a lot of action, dropshot a small 2- to 4-inch worm in a shad or green pumpkin color. This combo will yield a lot of small fish and an occasional good one – but be prepared to go through a lot of worms. Moving up the food chain to target better fish, a weighted wacky 5-inch Yamamoto Senko in green pumpkin, cinnamon, or clear is a good choice. A shakey head with a 6-inch worm, rigged weedless to come through debris, works well for tossing right in the middle of the cuts. A football jig with a Yamamoto Spider Grub is another good choice for keeping the little ones away – this is also a good choice to see if the fish have moved deeper. Small Keitech swimbaits and Yamamoto twin tail grubs rigged on a darter or ball head jig produce fish here.

TOPWATER

There’s generally a good topwater bite in the mornings. A River2Sea Bubble Pop, Zara Spook, small Whopper Plopper will all work. If you’re targeting big bass the spook or larger Whopper Plopper are viable options.

REACTION BAITS

Reaction baits work well on Oroville early and late in the day, if there’s a mud line, cloud cover or wind. And … sometimes for no reason these spotted bass go shallow and bite. Spinnerbaits like a 1/2-ounce Revenge Deep Runner in shad with gold and silver willow blades work on almost any day. Additionally, a white Revenge Deep Runner spinnerbait with white blades works well on cloudy or windy days.

Crankbaits also produce good numbers of fish. I like the DUO Realis M11A in a crawfish or shad pattern. It dives to about seven feet and easily deflects off of bottom cover.

Ripbaits and jerkbaits play here, too. The DUO Realis 110SP in ghost minnow or Threadfin Shad are productive choices for me.

WORKING THE BAITS

Considering that the spots may be anywhere from shallow to deep, I’ll start right on the bank and work out deep. In the early hours I’m generally focusing on only the top ten feet before going deeper as the sun gets up. Also, when targeting the bank, I’m generally working at a 45-degree angle until I find the right depth, then adjust as I go.

Dropshotting: Toss your bait to the bank and work it out, giving a little shake as it slides out deeper. Remember to manipulate your line to keep the bait on the bottom as you work it into deeper water.

Wacky Senko: Cast to the bank then lift and drop your rod, leaving a bow in your line. Pay close attention to the line as the bait shimmies to the bottom. Once it hits bottom, lift and drop again, working the bait out to 10, 20, and even 30 feet.

Football head: Cast the jig to the bank, hop it up a few feet and let it fall to the bottom. Repeat. If you’re one who prefers a faster pace, this is a fun technique as the fish are biting the jig on the fall. Another way to work the football jig is to drag it. Try hopping it down to 5 or 10 feet or so, then drag it – this will let you know if the fish want it on the bottom or not.

Shakey Head: You’ll toss this to the bank then drag it, shake it, moving it out deep. Try twitching the bait without moving it too far just by shaking the slack in the line. The shakey head, since it’s rigged weedless, is a good option when fished around underwater trees or debris.

Yamamoto grub or Keitech: I like these baits on a small 1/16- to 1/18-ounce ball head jig, which I’ll cast shallow and then swim back with a steady retrieve through the middle water column of 5- to 20-feet.

Topwater: With walking type baits like a Zara Spook, cast it close to the bank, let it sit for a few seconds, then twitch the slack in the line to sashay the bait back and forth, varying the starts and stops.

Retrieving the Plopper is straightforward: Cast to the bank and retrieve at a steady pace, keeping the bait on the surface and the tail rudder chugging.

A Popper I’ll cast close to the bank, giving it a short twitch, causing the lure to produce its signature pop and spurt of water. Then I’ll let it sit for a brief moment and repeat, varying the time I pause and pop the bait.

Spinnerbaits: Similar to other baits, I’ll cast it to the bank at a 45-degree angle, bringing it back with a slow and steady retrieve. When getting bit during the retrieve you may feel a strike, but don’t set until you feel the weight of the fish. Spots tend to slap at the bait several times before getting hooked.

Crankbaits: I like casting cranks up shallow, keeping the boat fairly close to the bank. This way the bait can hit bottom or strike other shallow cover with a medium slow retrieve, all while staying in the strike zone longer.

SPECIFICS

Dropshot: Use a 3/16-ounce cylinder-style weight, and a 12- to 20-inch drop leader with a #1 or #2 Gamakatsu dropshot hook.

Senko: I like a 1/0 Gamakatsu dropshot hook for 5-inch Senkos with a 1/16- to 1/8- ounce nail weight pushed flush into the flat end of the Senko.

Shakey head: A 3/16- to 1/4-ounce Frenzy Baits Nail jighead with a 6-inch Robo worm rigged weedless.

I hope this article helps you put a few more fish in the boat and have good time getting there.

About Mark

Mark Lassagne, a professional tournament angler and guide, is the creator of the popular quarterly publication BASS ANGLER Magazine. To book a trip Click here

Lassagne Wins State Championship

April 11, 2016 by Mark Lassagne Leave a Comment

Wire-to-Wire Victory for Lassagne at the B.A.S.S. State Championship

Weighing limits of 13-10, 11-10 and 12-4 at the B.A.S.S. Nation Regional Championship, Mark Lassagne from San Ramon, Calif. On the final day edged out Rod Brown and Jason Hemminger as the California State Boater champion advancing to the B.A.S.S. Nation Nationals. Lassagne also earned the A.R.E. Top Angler award of $250 as the top-finisher, using the brand’s truck caps.

Lassagne stated he had one goal this week, which was to win his state and advance to the Nationals for a shot to compete at the 2017 Bassmaster Classic. He added that he was very proud of his travel partner Michael Coleman who earned the non-boater championship for California. They will both be traveling back to the national event together.

“The practice session at Lake Mead started out tough,” said Lassagne. “I only landed a few fish each day, but those few fish gave me the confidence to expand on what little I found.”

The key was fishing into the fish rather than what’s happening right now. So many times we fish the fish that are biting right now, but are moving away from that pattern. Lassagne figured with the nice weather the fish would be on the move to spawn, but he knew most anglers would be targeting the usual spawning places. With that in mind he decided to look for the out of the way spots, those subtle places that others wouldn’t look. Each day after boating a limit, he had to search for new water for the next day as each of his spots only held a fish or two.

“I found all of my spots using my 1040XS Garmin,” he stated. “The depth shading option on the Garmin was the key. Since the lake was over a 100 ft down, the normal mapping would show the coves going way back but with the depth shading you could see exactly where each cove ended.”

Lassagne’s fish were caught in less than 2 ft of water on a 5 inch, green pumpkin Yamamoto Senko.

The western pro had his plastic wacky-rigged on a Gamakatsu #2 dropshot hook with 10 lb braid married to 8 lb Sunline fluorocarbon spooled on a 7 ft, medium-action Okuma Helios spinning rod and a 2500 Helios spinning reel.

“The Helios set up played an important role in my success as I needed a sensitive rod and a reel that could make a long cast,” added Lassagne. “I would position the boat about 30 yds. from the back of a cove and cast the open-hook Senko on to the bank. I would drag it in the water to about a foot deep, wait for about 30 seconds, make another cast and then head to the next cove.”

Follow Mark Lassagne on Facebook www.facebook.com/marklassagnefishing or at www.marklassagne.com

Marine Bass Angler – Mark Lassagne, from San Ramon, California is a popular pro bass angler, former US Marine, outdoor writer, guide, promoter and top competitor. In addition Mark is the editor-in-chief of Bass Angler Magazine

The Amazing Bladed Vibrating Jig

May 24, 2015 by Mark Lassagne Leave a Comment

May 2015 Mark got these along with others on a Sprayed Grass colored Revenge Vibrator topped with a 5.5 swimming Senko — May 2015 Mark got these along with other on a Sprayed Grass colored Revenge Vibrator topped with a 5.5 swimming Senko

By Mark Lassagne

At the Bassmasters Classic many years ago Guy Eaker was telling me about a small plate he put in front of his worm to make it shake back and forth (the Eaker Shaker). The bait looked great in the demo tank but to me it was just another lure. Guy was telling me about all the big fish he had caught on it. But if you’re around fishermen and sports shows you see it all and get calloused to many of the new things. It is just another lure, right? Now I wish I’d done more experimenting.

Fast forward a few years, Alton Jones (Classic Champion) told me how he had won a lot of money recently swimming a jig and that I needed to try it out in the west. Put these two baits together and what do you get?

Early last year I was struggling just to get a bite so I got on the horn and called Randy Pringle. He is “The Fishing Instructor” as well as a long time friend and a fellow guide. Randy tells me he is catching huge bags of fish on a Strike King Pure Poison (similar to a Chatterbait). Later, I saw Randy on the water and he was nice enough to give me a few of these new baits.

My skeptical side was thinking… just another bait, right? But I’ll give it a try and see what happens. After fishing for about an hour with no bites I started to lose any confidence that I may have had, when all of a sudden a ten-pound bass crushed the bait right at the boat. Wow that was cool… but was it was right at the boat maybe it was a fluke? So on down the bank I went and I get a five-pounder… cool, then another five-plus and a few more nice fish. I was by myself and had caught a five fish limit weighing close to 30 pounds.

I was thinking this really is a great bait. The day was not done yet, I decided to try a dead-end slough where the water warms first. While I’m going down the bank repetitively casting the lure just inches from the rip rap; I get a bite and the fish heads instantly for deep water. I thought this must be a Striper it’s too big to be a black bass and with those thoughts I horsed the fish to the boat get it up alongside the boat “Oh My God” it’s was a giant bass, it could have eaten those five-pounders I had caught earlier. After a few minutes that seemed like hours I lipped this monster into the boat. No scale, no camera I’d really feel bad if it died so I let her go right away. It’s the biggest bass I ever caught but without a scale I estimate it was between twelve and fifteen pounds. Ok now we’re looking at a 40-pound bag for the day, talk about gaining confidence in a lure.

By the end of the spring I had this bait down and even weighed 60 pounds in the FLW Stren a three-day event using the bait. I did lose three big fish during that event or I would have had much more. We saw Bret Hite win back-to-back FLW events with this bait and on the California Delta where he caught well over 25 pounds a day. Over the last few years this bait has taken off with many stories similar to mine. We come to find out this is not just another bait but a combination of baits that really work.

The Chatterbait was originally brought to market by ZMAN and they hold the registered patent on the product. Since ZMAN marketed the Chatterbait a number of companies have begun to produce similar baits with some differences. You can purchase the blades and jigs and assemble them yourself. I’ve use a number of these style baits including the original.

The concept is for the blade to shake violently back and forth pushing water from one side to the other. This action creates a vibration and an erratic action like no other bait on the market. After using several different brands I’ve noticed they have different vibrations like different crank baits vibrate differently. Over the last few years I have discovered the baits with the most action produce the more strikes during time when the bite is good and ones that vibrate less are better dung a tough bite.

Two baits I utilize most often are the Revenge Viberator and the original Z-Man. The Revenge has a hunting action that thrashes side to side attracting good quality bites. The Z-Man has a more subtle action better for working the bait slow. Note on the Z-Man you’ll want to replace the light wire snap with a heavier one.

This bait is very versatile, it fishes most anywhere a crank bait or spinner bait can go even with an open hook (no weed guard) and it is very snag resistant. Though you can fish them without a trailer they are more effective with a trailer. The baits usually come with a small split tail trailer that works fine. But, anglers have discovered that adding a different trailer and changing the look of the bait can have very productive results.

You can add almost any worm or soft plastic bait you want to the back. Some good choices are: Swimming Senko, Zoom Ultra Vibe speed worm, Berkley power worms, Zoom Flukes, Basstrix hollow body swimbaits and a host of other baits. A craw type trailer will work as well especially if you’re working the bait super slow. I have found the trailer size directly affects the size of the fish you will catch. Using the small trailer that comes with the bait will yield more bass but larger trailers trigger fewer bites but better sized fish. My #1 choice of trailer is a 5.5”Swimming Senko and on a recent trip my partner commented that’s a big as a swimbait. Using the Swimming Senko (full size) makes the bait about 9 inches long. With this combination my average bass has been about four pounds. Just like using swimbaits, starting out, you may want to downsize in order to gain confidence in the bait. Like everything else in bass fishing experimenting is the key to finding success.

Chatterbaits and similar lures come in a wide array of colors and variations of colors. Just like a crankbait or spinner bait you will have your favorites. The season will also dictate what colors work best. In the spring bass are feeding mainly on crawfish indicating dark colors like browns, reds, greens and blacks to be likely as the best choices. Moving into the summer bass are eating their fry, bluegill, crappie, brim, catfish as well as other small bait fish so the lighter colors with lighter green highlights and chartreuse colors work well. In the fall bass feed on shad and other small bait fish making whites and shad colors the dominant colors. These color choices are only a general suggestions since I have found all colors to work in each season. Again, experimenting will help you figure out what works best on your lake.

Chatterbaits have a single hook, which means you can put more pressure on the fish without it coming unbuttoned. My favorite rod for throwing a chatter bait on the Cal Delta and Clear Lake is the Okuma Scott Marten TCS-C-731 7’3” heavy. On lakes where there’s not as much cover I use my Okuma 7’ TCS –C-701MH medium heavy. You want your rod to have a medium light tip so you can accurately cast the bait and then a good solid lock-up point. (Lock-up point is where the rod is very difficult to bend, the hook setting point) Unless you’re fishing open clear water you’ll need a stout rod that can drive a hook home as well as a rod you can wrestle a big fish out of heavy cover. Matched for the Okuma rod is the Okuma Helios reel – I prefer a fast retrieve so the 7.3:1 or 8.0:1 are my choices. Light line is not necessary, 15lb line is the minimum I use and most times 20lb is preferred. I’ve found fluorocarbon works very well with its low stretch great abrasion resistance plus the stuff just doesn’t break. To catch bass on this bait you need to throw into the cover and to get them out you’ll need a good line, don’t skimp here. Strong monofilament will also work fine too.

By now we should have the basics of rod, line and a few trailers covered so we’re ready to fish. With any lure there is a cadence that works best. The cadence changes day to day depending on the mood of the bass so keep changing the retrieval speed until the fish start to bite. I’ve found a slow retrieval is the secret to this bait 90% of the time. A person fishing this bait slowly will entice more bass than the guy mindlessly chucking and winding. Work the bait in the weeds, through the wood, bounce it off the rocks but make sure you put it where the bass are. Bass are structure oriented ambush predators so don’t be afraid of tossing the bait into complex structure where you might not get it back. If you don’t throw the lure where the fish are you could miss the opportunity to catch the biggest bass of your life.

This is the time of year to catch some giant bass on the Chatterbait, go get a few and see how they work for you. Over the last few years I’ve so many big fish the chatter / vibration style bait is always tie on.

Good luck and let me know how a bladed vibrator works for you?

Semper-Fi

Mark

If you like this article pick up a copy of Bass Angler Magazine and many more on bass fishing.

Ask Uncle

January 29, 2015 by Mark Lassagne Leave a Comment

Bass Angler Issue 42 – Ask Uncle – Originally published by The Bass Angler Magazine in South Africa

The Bass Angler February 2015 – Ask Uncle
ASK UNCLE WITH GEORGE ROBEY III We’re happy to report that this feature “Ask Uncle” has found favour with our readers. The BASS ANGLER makes you a more informed and better angler! Find out anything you want to know about bass, bass behaviour, fisheries management, fishing techniques, equipment, tackle, rigging and methods. Quite simply, all you have to do is ask! Free of charge! No Fees attached!

Here is how it works. You, the reader, emails any question about bass fishing and we will ferret out the answers from top experts in the field. You will be getting fresh, cutting edge information from specialists in SA and abroad. Not staff writers. Not generalists. Real experts. There are no questions too basic and no questions too advanced. We will go wherever it takes to get the best answers for you, the reader.
E-Mail questions to: editor@thebassangler.com marked “Uncle”or send them via THE BASS ANGLER Facebook page.
Please sign your question the way you want it to appear in the magazine. You can use initials, first name or full name. Don’t be embarrassed to ask any question, and always tell us your city of residence.

PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO CATCH BASS OUT OF LILY PADS AND HEAVY SURFACE MOSS? EDDIE, NELSPRUIT QUESTION
We all know that summer heat drives big bass to either deep water or heavy, shaded cover. Therefore we presented this month’s question to an American fishing industry and tournament professional, Mark Lassagne, who tells you all you need to know about fishing lily pads and moss beds. The knowledge presented here will benefit bank anglers, boat anglers and tubers.
In “the California Delta” we are over run with Hyacinth, Hydrilla and other types of invasive vegetation. If you’re not getting into the thick vegetation you won’t catch fish. Bass love heavy cover, as protection from the heat/cold and for the unlimited food supply. Thick, matted vegetation has the ability to harbor a good population of bass but not all matted vegetation is good. Fishing matted vegetation can be extremely productive with the right equipment, baits and knowledge.

EQUIPMENT:
Just like you wouldn’t tow your bass boat with a Corolla you can’t fish heavy cover with a finesse outfit. My setup includes an Okuma Matt Daddy 7’11” (TCS-C-7111XH) extra heavy rod with just a little tip action. I match that up with an Okuma Helios 7.3:1 reel, 65 to 80lb braid. Make sure the drag is locked down; if it slips you can easily lose a big one. I use a 6th Sense PEX-X stopper, River2sea 1 or 1.5 ounce Trash Bomb tungsten weight and a Gamakatsu Heavy Wire hook tied with a Snell knot. Each of these items have been carefully chosen for the purpose of fishing heavy cover.

BAITS:
My number one bait by far has been the Yamamoto Flappin Hog, followed by the Reaction Innovations 420 Beaver, Missile D Bomb and Jackall Sasuteki Craw. The best colour for me has been Green Pumpkin with red flake. Green pumpkin is the number one seller for most every plastics company, so the colour choice is not unique. However, every body of water is different. It’s pretty dark under a weed mat so I’m not overly picky on colour – close is ok. I generally have one rod rigged with a punch skirt and one without. Over the last year I’ve had better results without a skirt.

PRESENTATION:
Presenting the bait correctly is fairly simple but does require some practice. Some anglers toss the bait up in the air and have it come crashing down but I’m not a fan of that. I’ll pitch the bait out using a swing type cast causing the bait to fly low. I cast towards a small hole in the lily pads or weed mat. If the bait does not penetrate on the landing I’ll shake it a little and move it small amounts until it drops through. I generally use a 1oz weight. If the bait does not go through, I will switch to a 1.5oz.
The most important part of the cast is the drop through the vegetation. The reel should remain in free spool and once the bait penetrates hold your rod at 10 o’clock and let the line peel off the spool at controlled speed. When the bait hits bottom shake it a few times, pull it half way up, shake it a couple more times,
lastly pull it to just under the mat and shake it again.

BITES:
Most bites come on the initial fall but I’ve caught several bass over 7lb shaking it off the bottom so it’s worth the effort. The bite can be different on any cast and that is why the rod is so important – hence a light but sensitive rod. Sometimes the strike will feel like you hit something hard, other times you may “feel” something… just not right. Often, the line peels off your reel. If you’re real lucky you will feel a noticeable tic. No matter which way they bite make sure you get a good hook set. Reel straight up, causing the bass to flop out on top of the mat then winch him to the boat. With my set up I can flip an 8lber in the boat.

LOCATION:
Not all matted vegetation is the same. I focus on matted vegetation and lily pads covering areas that normally hold bass, such as points, pockets, drops and ledges. I try to stay away from vast areas covered with vegetation. However, don’t overlook a special spot within a vast area. I have one bank that has hyacinth for 300 yards but in the center the depth drops from 3ft to 6ft. That spot most always holds a couple fish. I have found that most big bass are caught in 5 to 10ft of water.

My best results have come from fishing new areas day after day, fishing in the moment and developing patterns. I’ll look for patterns, such as fish on a point in 5ft of water, pockets or drop-offs, always trying to figure out where they are and what presentation they want. Once I get a clue I’ll work to expand on it.
NOTE: I found that picking apart heavy vegetation is not necessary. I’ll generally cast five or more feet apart, then if I catch a fish I’ll return a few minutes later and go over it again.

*Mark Lassagne from San Ramon, California is the Editor-in-Chief of Bass Angler Magazine (BAM) and a professional angler competing in the B.A.S.S. Opens and the FLW/RAYOVAC series. Mark recently won a BASS Federation event in California and over the last six months has earned several top ten finishes in various tournaments using this technique. In addition he has caught 20 tournament fish over 7lbs and 50 over 5lbs. FOLLOW MARK ON: facebook/mark.lassagne or www.ezbass.com

Fishing Rods – The Confusing Difference

January 1, 2015 by Mark Lassagne 1 Comment

The Rod Blank

By Mark Lassagne

Since the beginning of time, anglers have employed some type of rod to entice finned creatures from their watery home. We’ve come along way from the stick and string era to now, when even the savviest angler is confused about what IM rating, guide configuration, grip and reel seats are best for their type of fishing.

Over the next several issues, we will walk you trough an unbiased look at the ever-evolving fishing rod. Starting with the rod itself, the material and the building process, moving into guides and guide configuration, handles and reel seats and then wrapping it up with specific actions that best fit each technique.

THE ROD OR BLANK

Arguably the most important part of a fishing rod is the blank. The blank is the flexible portion between the angler and the lure hopefully with a fish attached. Blanks come in many shapes, sizes and colors, similar to golf clubs they are made with different materials to create a specific action for specific techniques. A few important factor

Cutting the rod pattern

s you will want to know are: the material type, the modulus and weight, then comes the action, power and speed.

ROD MATERIAL

The material used to manufacture fishing rods is called pre-preg. Per-preg, which looks like a thick cloth and consists of resin, scrim plus graphite or fiberglass. Scrim is a very fine (.001”) fiberglass screen that holds the graphite or fiberglass material together, resin a specialized binding agent that when heated bonds the materials together.

There are thousands of combinations of pre-preg where each rod manufacturer configures their own recipe to fit their exact needs of resin, scrim and rod material. The pre-preg arrives to the rod manufacturer in a large roll similar to a large roll of paper you’d see at the craft store. One difference is pre-preg must be stored in the freezer, otherwise the material could start the curing process rendering it useless.

Note: Carbon fiber is graphite

MODULUS OF ELASTICITY

We hear this term often, whether it’s IM6, IM7 or the latest IM9, this one is 60,000,000 modulus or that one is 22,000,000. Does this really matter? What does it mean?

Modulus is a complex measurement describing something’s ability to be temporarily deformed when a force is applied to it. Everything has a modulus, the modulus of a steel rod would be very high where a rubber band is very low.

Besides just a measurement, the modulus gives us an idea of the recovery speed, durability and weight of the blank. In general, a low modulus rod would be more durable and flexible, while a high modulus rod would be stiffer and more sensitive, but not as durable.

Advertised modulus is usually comprised of the base material. This gets tricky as most rods are made up of a blend of different materials rather than just one, so the advertised modulus is that of the main material rather than the combined.

Generally, higher modulus material is more expensive along with being stiffer, thus taking less material to obtain a desired action. The use of less material makes for a lighter rod.

Though modulus is important, it doesn’t mean a low modulus rod will be low priced. There are many reasons for the varied types of materials. Most of the rod value is in the design, build and components, as you will see in this series of articles.

ADVERTISED MODULUS

IM6 = 40 million

IM8= 44 million

E Glass = 9 million

S Glass = 12 million

BUILDING A ROD

The building of the rod is relatively simple, once you get the hang of it. As long as you have a few hundred grand in equipment. This is not something you can do at home.

The process starts with a pattern, the pre-preg is rolled out on to a cutting table where it is trimmed to an exact pattern for the desired action. Once cut the material is taken to another special table where pre-preg is rolled into a rod. Using a hot iron, the edge of the pre-preg is attached to a precision ground steel rod called a mandrel. Then, under pressure this special table rolls the material evenly onto the mandrel. The material now has the shape of a fishing rod and is then taken to a machine that spins the rod, wrapping a special cellophane from tip to butt.

Once wrapped, it heads to the oven for several hours of baking at 350° after the baking is complete, the mandrel is removed with a press and then the cellophane is removed. At this point it is possible to use it as a rod; however, most blank builders sand the rough finish and then coat the exterior with a flexible, light urethane finish.

MANDREL

The mandrel is a precision ground steel rod specific to each rod. Every rod has a different mandrel where manufactures may have to have literally thousands on hand.

ROD FINISH

Rods are finished in an array of colors. They all start out a dark grey to black color. Then, the color is added after the rod has been sanded. Most manufacturers sand the witness marks from the blank, so it’s smooth. From there, it can either be polished or coated. The rod can also remain unfinished without a problem. The resin used in the pre-prig will satisfy as a finish.

A new trend has been to have a finish that looks like a carbon fiber mesh. This is simply a crisscross mesh of graphite added to the outer layer of the rod. The mesh is basically for looks. It may help the rod against being crushed when stepped on, but since the fibers are crossed it doesn’t do much for the action.

SPLINE

The spline of a rod is a slightly thicker area of the rod where the material is overlapped. Since the area is thicker, that portion is slightly stiffer. There are different opinions about using the spline when placing the guides. Since one part of the bank is stiffer, some rod builders say if you don’t use the spline, the rod could roll in your hand under pressure, or may not cast as well. Others say, the difference is so minute that it doesn’t really matter. It could be considered that a rod that is built using the spline would be slightly more contestant than one that doesn’t.

ROD POWER

The power of the rod is it’s lifting ability where as a heavy rod could lift more than a lighter rod. These power ratings are generally referred to as: Extra Heavy, Heavy Medium, Medium, Medium Light and Light.

ROD ACTION

The action is how the rod bends under pressure. A slow action rod will bend in a parabolic shape with the bending focal point near the center of the rod. A fast action will have a focal or bending point closer to the top of the rod. A rod designed for a crankbait would have a slower action where as a rod designed for jig fishing would have a faster action.

THE TIP

The tip is the very top flexible portion of the rod and may also be classified as fast or slow. Though very important, most times the manufacturer build the tip action into the rod, but doesn’t list it separately in the rod action.

Tips are based mostly upon the size of the lure being used and the technique. A rod designed for punching or heavy flipping would have a fast tip. Rods designed to cast a lure would have a slower tip based upon the lure size. If you’ve ever tried to cast a small crankbait with a jig rod you would have a good appreciation for a flexible tip.

We’ve touched on the material, manufacturing process and the basics of rod actions. Coming up, we’ll talk about the guides: micro, titanium, alconite, wire frame, single foot, wrapping, placement and much more.

I’d like to give a special thanks to Wade Cunningham the rod designer at Cousins Rods and Mike Thorson the design engineer at Batson Enterprises for their extensive help with this and future rod articles.

Mark Lassagne is an avid tournament angler and the editor of Bass Angler Magazine.

A Lake for all Seasons

September 29, 2014 by Mark Lassagne Leave a Comment

There’s a reason so many bass anglers consider Clear Lake to be their favorite water no matter the season, because it consistently kicks out quality fish. Its attraction however, goes beyond numbers in the livewell. This is lake, which on any given day, could produce the fish of a lifetime. Springtime is legendary for its swimbait-chewin’ hawgs. The summertime topwater and dropshot bites can be nothing short of phenomenal. Fall can turn into a crankbait/spinnerbait slugfest. And even during the dead of winter, the jig and ripbait bites can turn red-hot.

Clear Lake California

Clear Lake is also a place that, more often than not, will match up with your strong suit. Like to power fish? Swimbaits, crankbaits, ripbaits – they can all shine on this lake. You’re a topwater fanatic? Summer and fall, buzzbaits and Spooks can by dynamite, and the post-spawn frog bite can be, quite literally, explosive. You like the short game of flippin’ and pitchin’? You could spend a season working docks, tulles and wood and never run out of options. There is deep structure for the finesse angler and rock piles for the jig specialist.

Mike Reynolds, the 5-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier from Modesto, CA, has fished all over the country. He still feels that Clear Lake is the #1 bass spot in the nation. “The Delta might be better for big bass, and Guntersville and Champlain are both great lakes. But day in and day out, Clear Lake has more 4-lb’ers than any lake I’ve ever seen.”

If you’re a follower of bass tournaments, you’re already familiar with some of the astonishing results: in March 2005, with a 4-fish limit in effect, Sieg Taylor weighed-in 94 lb 11 oz for 16 bass to win the FLW Everstart event. Then the BASS Elite show rolled into town in late March – early April of 2007 and Steve Kennedy shattered records with 20 fish weighing an eye-popping 122 lbs 14 oz. And although Kennedy’s win came largely on the backs of swimbaits, Taylor won primarily by ripping Lucky Craft LV 500’s off the bottom, highlighting the diversity of presentations that can be rewarded at Clear Lake.

Lake County has maintained a relaxed, rural flavor, and a trip there can take you back to a different time in California. If you want to bring the entire family, there’s plenty for everyone to do. Swimming and water skiing are naturals. Bird watching is also popular with vast numbers of mallards, Western grebes, coots, geese, osprey, plovers, cormorants and mergansers on the lake’s waters and along its shorelines. For the history buff, this is an area that was once the stomping grounds of the stage robber, Black Bart, the scene of a battle with Native Americans at Bloody Island, and a training ground for the old-time pugilist, John L. Sullivan. There’s a water-park near the town of Clearlake-Outrageous Waters, with slides and rafting. And for something completely different, you can take an excursion to nearby Middletown to catch a tour of the Calpine geothermal field known as “The Geysers.”

At over 43,000 acres and with more than 100 miles of shoreline, Clear Lake has a wide variety of water for the bass angler to explore. In fact, many divide it into three, distinct sections: the north end, south end, and Rattlesnake arm. Lakeport is the center of the lake’s north section. There are rock piles, but its main features are tulles, weed mats, docks – and sloughs feeding into the lake renowned for their habit of attracting lunkers during the springtime. Native hitch move into these sloughs to spawn and giant bass are often there to greet them. Hitch seem almost remarkably inept at avoiding predation as they lazily fin along the upper section of the water column on warm spring days. Maybe this ancient species just never bothered to adapt to newcomers, such as the Pomos who appeared around 8,000 years ago and began harvesting them, or in the last century, largemouth bass, who have found them to be protein-rich meals.

The north end sports many of the lake’s most famous community-holes. We’re talking about the mouth of Rodman Slough, Rocky and Long Tule Points, Corinthian Bay with its entrance to Shirley Slough, Quercus Point and nearby State Park, the docks of Nice (neese) and Lucerne and “Swimbait Corner” at the lake’s northwestern extremity.

Lots of huge fish are caught and many tournaments are won, on the north end. Yet a substantial number of anglers, the afore-mentioned Mike Reynolds among them, still favor the south end. It’s focus of activity is the town of Clearlake and the launch ramp at Redbud. From there, you can quickly venture to the nearby steep, rocky shorelines that have produced so many winning fish. Places like Jago Bay, Fraser Point, Bass Alley, “The Pipeline,” and the Boatworks are all well worth the visit. And if flipping is your game, a short hop into Cache Creek can set your heart racing with its lay downs and thick, shoreline brush.

Last but far from least is the Rattlesnake arm of the lake, so termed for one of its most prominent features, Rattlesnake Island. Rock piles are often the name of the game here, and the skilled dropshot or jig angler can many times enjoy a field day in these environs. On the western side, opposite this arm, are other famed locales including Henderson Point, Shag Rock and Soda Bay.

These are a smattering of the many hotspots to be found on this body of water, one of the oldest in North America but still one of its most productive. It also has hospitable places to stay, hotels, rental homes, condos, and campgrounds, many with berths for your boat. Some that are worth checking out include Lake Haven Place in Clear Lake Oaks 800-998-0106, the Mallard House, Skylark Shores and Konocti Vista Casino Resort and Marina near Lakeport, the Best Western and Travel Lodge in the town of Clearlake and the Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa along the lake’s mid-section. If you prefer camping, Clear Lake State Park offers clean, spacious RV parking and tent locations, hot showers, and Wi-Fi service within 150-200 feet of its Visitor Center. You can read more about lodging and restaurants at www.lakecounty.com.

Another attractive feature of Clear Lake is that despite its status as one of the nation’s premier bass fisheries, it is still quite accessible from major cities. From San Francisco, it takes about 2 ½ hours to get to the 6th Street launch ramp in Lakeport. Go north on Highway 101, then travel east on either 20 (a better call if you’re towing a boat) or 175. From Sacramento, it takes about 2 hours to reach the Redbud launch ramp by heading north on I-5, then going west on 20.

No discussion of Clear Lake would be complete without mention of the incredible summer bite that has been happening over the last several years. If you’ve ever wanted to introduce a child or non-fishing friend to the excitement of bass fishing, this is about as close to a “sure thing” as you’re ever going to find outside of farm ponds or pay lakes. Drop- or split-shotting the shallows off points or along shady docks, especially from the midlake section south, can produce one bass after another.

If you want to chat with some local experts, stop by Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 or Clear Lake Outdoors in Lakeport (707) 262-5852. All these shops have terrific selections of popular baits and knowledgeable staffs that will help you pick gear that best matches your style of fishing.

Bass Angler Magazine Editor-in-Chief Takes to the Water for ProPatterns Film Contest

August 10, 2014 by Mark Lassagne Leave a Comment

Bass Angler Magazine Editor-in-Chief Takes to the Water for ProPatterns Film Contest

VOTE 4 MARK – CLICK HERE

As the ProPatterns Exposed Eligible? film contest enters its final month, Mark Lassagne, Editor-in-Chief of the popular quarterly Bass Angler Magazine, set out on the water with camera to capture a day of fishing that will soon serve as his entry into the Exposed Eligible? film contest. This was an chance for the industry editor to be on the other side of the story sharing his industry knowledge, in this one of a kind video opportunity being hosted at http://www.propatterns.com.

Mark Lassagne

Being able to get in the boat with these guys helped me open my eyes to what other people were doing.

Yankton, SD (PRWEB) August 06, 2014

Lassagne as a tournament angler brings not only his experience on the water, but also twenty years of industry expertise, having founded Bass Angler Magazine two decades ago and, since then, building the periodical into the premier “how-to” magazine it is today. Each issue features over two-dozen articles that profile top professional anglers who offer the insight that has led to their success.

Lassagne took a few minutes to speak with ProPatterns after a successful day of filming to discuss what a contest like Exposed Eligible? could mean for those who take the chance at becoming “exposed.”

The contest, which has been running since June, offers fans of all levels of experience the chance to create and upload a three-to-five minute video that focuses on education about angling practices as they relate to specific patterns, bodies of water, use of equipment, creation of techniques or equipment, tournament practices, ethics or other topics pertaining to fundamental learning for use by other anglers. The contest offers the entrants the opportunity to showcase their skills not only for thousands of fans, but also for a panel of Exposed pros who will be judging the top ten entrants.

Lassagne, hot off the water, discussed the challenges professional anglers face and the opportunity a contest like Exposed Eligible? could offer unknowns. “A lot of things come into play when anglers set out to become professionals,” Lassagne told ProPatterns. “Being able to fish isn’t enough. You have to be able to find and keep sponsors, and you have to be able to speak in public. Public speaking was a hurdle for me when I started out, but once I gained that skill, that helped me with sponsors.”

Lassagne also discussed how his role as Editor-in-Chief of BAM helped him gain access to many of the best anglers in the world. “Being able to get in the boat with these guys helped me open my eyes to what other people were doing.” Lassagne, who has had “the chance to fish with some of the best in the world,” recommends those starting out “go fish in some opens, see how other anglers are doing it.” Doing this, he says, “increased my learning curve.”

Lassagne adds that “contests like Exposed Eligible? are wonderful. Even though not everybody can win, these videos are getting out to thousands of people, and that’s what it’s all about.” Lassagne went on to discuss why he was throwing his hat into the ring. “A contest like this is a great opportunity to ‘expose’ myself to a whole bunch of anglers and promote my own sponsors. Plus, I might have the opportunity to fish with Timmy.”

The grand-prize winner of the Exposed Eligible? film contest will win a travel package that takes them onto the water with Elite pro and television personality Timmy Horton. The day of fishing will be filmed and become part of the next season of Exposed.

Exposed Eligible? contest submission guidelines can be found at http://www.ProPatterns.com or fans may visit the Exposed Eligible? Facebook page to view and vote for their favorite videos.

Fishing enthusiasts can find Bass Angler Magazine nationwide at Tackle Warehouse, Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, Gander Mountain, Walmart and better tackle shops everywhere. The magazine also is available in print, Mobile App or eBook versions. As part of the http://www.ProPatterns.com subscription package, members of the online service receive a complimentary eBook edition of the most current issue of the magazine.

More About ProPatterns, Inc. and Exposed:

ProPatterns, Inc. is a leader of angling education by sharing professional fishing tips, industry information and member services online. In addition, ProPatterns offers prize filled competitions, sharing of information among peers, and connections to industry professionals and media through means available nowhere else.

Information is gathered from various sources and disseminated with members in a variety of ways. The Exposed video series, for example, gains all of its integrity from an alignment with the biggest names in the bass fishing industry including professionals who fish with BASS, FLW, and PAA. Cooperation from the anglers and their willingness to share is the catalyst for the growth of this series.

For #exposedeligible contest information and rules, the Exposed video series, and all other ProPatterns offerings, and to become an ELITE or Social ProPatterns member, please visit http://www.ProPatterns.com.

A Summer Day on the Delta

July 10, 2014 by Mark Lassagne

It was Wednesday, July 9th we launch at 5:15 AM. Since, it was still dark out we got on the trolling motor instead of using our usual run. I choose to use a noisy bait that the fish could find. We both had a River2Sea Whopper Plopper tied on, same bait in the same color, Monkey But. I casted #1 across the point and nothing happened. Not being able to see in the darkness I made my 2^nd cast too close to the shore line and a three and a half pound bass clobbers it. I thought it was a seven pounder by the way it hit but I was still happy to have a quality fish before the sun even comes up.

Continuing down the bank we get blown upon but we were still unable to land any fish, they seem smaller here anyway. Switching up to a white frog I land a pound and half bass. My partner lands a small one on the Plopper. The sun starts to come up and we land a couple more bass but they are all small.

We switch spots to an area with a lot of current. The tide is about half way out at this point. Fishing down the bank we land a few more bass but they are also small, like one pounders. So were on the move again.

I just wanted to mention that I was practicing for a tournament coming up in a couple days.

This next spot is a rocky point with good moving water where we landed a couple more bass but still no size.

Since I’m pre fishing for the tournament I won’t stay in an area unless there are quality bass. If I find a spot with quality bass I will leave before catching too many. Spot five is a tulle lined bank with rock, tulles, weeds and current which has many places to cast a moving bait so I switch up to a rattling bait in baby bass color. I use this color this time of year because there are many small bass and big bass eat small bass. This might sound bad but they do. Casting in and around the targets in spot five I feel good about it but still fail to land a fish over two pounds.

Spot six, is similar to spot five but I caught good ones there a week ago, it has a few fish but still no good ones. At this point we have caught about 15 – 20 bass and only one over three pounds.

About two hours into the day we reached Spot seven we go shallow and break out the punching gear. A flippin stick, 65lb braid, 1oz R2S tungsten and a beaver, Flappin Hog style bait in green and brown colors. Three casts later we have a good two and a half and a couple more close to that. We head down that bank fishing fast and trying not to hit every spot, we get a four pounder and a couple more decent bass. We leave this area not wanting to burn it up before the tournament.

Things are looking up, we were pretty much biding our time until the sun came up, thinking the fish would move under the thick weeds and Hyacinth.

Spots eight through twelve were all punching places but the bite seemed to have died once we left the prime area. The tide is now pretty low and I’m thinking maybe the fish moved out of those shallow matted areas so we headed over to a rock bank with a little depth and I tried out my white Chatter bait with a white Swimming Senko. With the Third cast I caught a nice two and half pounder, then I caught another two and another two, wow here they are. Not giants but pretty good quality.

We fished a few more similar spots like this and got some more bass but nothing over the two pond range.

Heading to the next spot I notice a Hyacinth mat sticking out from the bank, one flip in and I see it has two feet of water, second flip and I land a four pounder, I mark that spot and try to find more like it. Since I’m practicing I found a couple more and mark them but I don’t fish. If I catch a big one today for sure I won’t catch him later.

It’s now low tide slack to coming in a little; we hit several spot but no luck. When the tide is low I try to find major intersections, so we headed to the main river. Just then a big ship comes by sucking the water out of all the local backwaters making everything there a muddy mess. We fish a few spots but nothing and we head off the main river for some cleaner water.

We find a tulle bank with some deep water and Hyacinth where we land a few more bass close to two pounds but nothing to write home about. From there we hop around trying different spots mostly punching. At this point we are landing a bass about every 15 minutes but still not the quality I’m looking for.

It’s getting close to two o’clock now and we’re making our way back to the ramp still trying new spots but now with the higher water we are fishing a variety of baits, the chatter bait, rattling bait, Whopper Plopper and punching.

The last spot we hit had wooden poles off the bank so I’m using the chatter bait and my partner is using the Plopper. The water explodes right at the boat, four pounder just crushed the Whopper Plopper, he lands it, we fish a few quick spots and head in.

All in all a good day we had 30 something bass for the day, three four pounders and other good ones for about 18 pounds plus. We left the good areas alone. If this holds up it will be a good weekend but it’s fishing and you just never know.

Thanks for hanging out.

Until next time Mark Lassagne

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Until next time

Mark Lassagne, Publisher Bass Angler Magazine

Pardee Media Day 2014 – Lucky or Good?

April 17, 2014 by Mark Lassagne Leave a Comment

Bass fishing is all about decisions, make the right one and you’re a hero, the wrong one a zero.

Tony making sure his boat is clean and dry

What was the decision you made last time you went fishing? Was it right, wrong or somewhere in between? Most importantly what did you learn from your outing?

On April 13th Ultimate Bass Radio / Kent Brown put on a media event at Pardee Lake in Northern California. The event started at the coffee shop with a nice breakfast and cool bag of goodies provided by Strike King.

The event this year was a who’s – who with anglers like the legend Dave Gliebe, Jimmy Reese, Greg Gutierrez, Ken Mah, Jason Borfka and several other great pros.

Every media event is different and this is one where the media people get to fish (the best kind). There are two segments where a media person goes with one angler for a few hours, comes back shoots images, has a snack then switches to another pro for the second half.

These events, as media you’re at the mercy of the pro to get some nice bass and pictures to use for your magazine or website.

My first segment was with an old friend and great angler Tony Franceschi. We start talking about decisions where to go and what to fish. Tony hadn’t fished Lake Pardee in two years and didn’t have any inside information, only going on what he learned two years ago and his instinct for the time of year and the type of lake.

The water temp was 62 to 64 degrees, the water is very clear with visibility to 10 ft. and this morning was overcast.

Tony said we’re running up the river to check some coves, the water is warm and the fish should be pretty active. Running his new 21ft BassCat near 75 MPH we run up river four or five miles stopping in a cove that receives a lot of sun.

Why is sun important? The lake has just warmed up to the low 60’s and the bass should be in spawn mode where sunny banks are more apt to have a bigger population of spawning bass.

It’s overcast with a little wind so Tony wisely opts for a topwater River2sea Rover walking bait. Using a bait like this will appeal to bass in several stages. Bass that are moving up, spawning bass and post spawn bass will all hit a topwater bait. It’s not like every bass will hit it but it is a high percentage bait for quality fish. I was also throwing a topwater bait at the same time except I was using a Whopper Plopper also by River2sea; we tossed these baits up and down the bank for about an hour with no takers.

What next? Keep going down the bank fishing the same type bank with the same baits. No results means, it is time for change. Change baits or change areas just don’t keep doing what’s not working.

Tony heads to a new similar cove, then heading into a small cove he get’s one, a two-pound plus smallie with a bunch of others following close behind. Slowing down there, we toss different baits, a Senko, small hair jig and a drop shot but the followers just didn’t want to bite.

We continued on for another 10 minutes finding a tree had fallen into the water, perfect spot for a bass. I toss a Strike King jerkbait (one we got in the goody bag) to the tree and three bass follow it out, one hits it but doesn’t get hooked. I switch up to a small hair jig and land a little largemouth. A few yards down the bank we find another tree where Tony tosses a Senko and I watch a bass travel 10 feet to eat it, Tony lands that one, little one too. Going past the tree we head down the bank close to the main lake and I get one on the jerkbait, small one in a small cove right across a point.

After a few fish we’re now starting to get a grip to what the fish are doing. Each fish was on a piece of cover or in a small cove.

All of these fish were small so Tony heads across the lake to see if we can expand on what we found and locate some bigger bass. We are looking for areas with a little cut and some cover. Heading down the bank Tony is still using the walking bait and I’ve switch up to a small Senko that I can pull off the cover into slightly deeper water using something totally different.

Tony is looking for quality fish that are willing to commit to the top water, me, my presentation I believe will appeal to all size fish.

Working in and out of several small coves off the main lake Tony get’s a bite and it misses the bait. Working the same area I get a fish, a small one maybe 12 inches. This goes on for the same way for about an hour – they are hitting the top water but not getting hooked.

While continuing down the bank we head around a main lake point, I get three quick fish and I say to Tony “aren’t you going to throw your Senko too”? Tony subsides to the pressure and picks one up too and fishes it for a bit. I toss my Senko behind the boat in 60ft of water and just let it flutter down weightless – about a minute or two later one almost four pounder whacks it. Cool we finally get a decent fish in the boat. Tony turns the boat around and goes over the point again where we both get a couple more fish but no good ones.

It’s almost time to go in but Tony see another spot similar to the main lake point, cranking up the trolling motor he heads over. Tony casts to the edge of the point and wham a giant bass grabs his Rover (top water) and starts pulling hard – looks like it’s well over 5 pounds, fighting it back to the boat it comes off and it’s time to head back.

Bass fishing is a sport where 95% of the time you can’t see what your opponent is doing or if he/she is really there. Even the best anglers won’t catch um every day but whether they do or not they learn and make mental notes to make a change for the next time.

What did we learn today?

Though conditions seemed perfect for the walking top water bait the fish just didn’t commit – if this happened again a smaller popper type bait might have worked.

The fish were eating the Senko but (except for one) they were not a tournament quality fish. I believe the Senko could have played a key roll in catching quality fish and to do it again, running main lake points may have been the key although I think there would be a number of smaller fish caught at the same time.

Stay tuned as we hook up with Dave Gliebe for the second half of the story.

Fall Crankbait Fishing

August 27, 2011 by Mark Lassagne Leave a Comment

Fall Cranking by Mark Lassagne

Arriving at the ramp, the temperature on your truck reads 48, seems like just a few weeks ago it was in the 70’s. It doesn’t matter; you’re here and going fishing anyway. It’s clear and cold so those thermals, helmet and snow suit will come in handy today. The weather has steadily cooled for almost a month — the ride to your first spot is bone chilling. You’re not sure whether to sit there with your gloves on, trying to warm up or to get up and fish. Water temp is down to 52 degrees, there’s a light mist over the water. No more shad busting the surface, no activity, the water all but seems dead. Not so!
You grab your 7 foot medium light action rod rigged with a shallow running crankbait, thinking to yourself, at least if I’m chucking and winding I might stay warm. After about three casts you hook a nice 3 lb bass, wow that was cool, even warmed you up a little. A couple more casts and you get a 4 lber, this is great! It’s not cold anymore. Must be a fluke, thinking to yourself I haven’t cranked any fish like that since… Aaaa… Yea, last November.
It’s cold water cranking time, chuck it out reel it back and hang on, the big ones are up and ready.
Crankbaits are an underrated cold-water lure. If you’re fishing around heavy cover like fallen trees, rocks and stumps, this is a lure can have some amazing results. During a time of the year that seems better suited for dragging a jig along the lake bottom, shallow crankbaits can be an effective tool in the hands of most any fishermen willing to brave the elements. Though an effective search tool most any time of the year, fall through winter can also bring home some big bass.

Looking at the graphs above you can see the catch rate slows a little starting in November (the best cold water month) but the size increases. Instead of catching 20 or 30 fish from 10 inches to 2 lbs you get 5-15 fish in the 2 to 4 lb range or even bigger.
The shallow cold water crank bite starts when the water is in the low 60’s and just gets better until the water reaches about 51 or 52 degrees. Once the water gets below 50 the bite can be tough, they still can be caught it’s just a longer period of time between bites.
The best conditions are steady cold days and nights without much of a weather changes. If a front comes through, the bite will be good until high pressure sets in. Blue bird days in the winter are very tough on crankbait fisherman. We have had several 20lb plus days up to and during a front, but when it clears up the fish get lock-jaw. Those 20lb limits turn into 8lb limits. Don’t give up on the great bite you had the day before, but just know, you may have to abandon the crankbait and work a bait that you can fish slow and methodical.
One quality that convinced me of a crankbait’s cold-water allure is the ability of a crankbait to be finessed around individual pieces of cover. For example, fishing Clear Lake a few years back I got on a great bite catching fish while everyone else was struggling just to get bit. Back in a little slough with fallen trees I would cast a little shallow running crankbait to the base of the trees and work it out through the branches very slowly. Most every tree had a 3 to 4lber just waiting for that little bait. The water was cold, everyone else was worming and tossing jigs not getting bit; I got about 20 fish that day and cashed a good check.
Keep repeating, in the fall fish will stack up, sometimes you can catch 20 fish from one small spot. If I’m fishing along and my bait hits a rock or a piece of structure that is in a good area (Meaning near deep water) I’ll make maybe twenty casts working to hit that structure each time. With a crankbait, you can really work a piece of cover by crawling the lure over it or bouncing it off of the cover repeatedly until you get the right angle, causing the fish to strike. Mix it up during the retrieve, I often times will crank it three to four times then pause for a split second trying to get a fish to react.
During the winter, there are times when you can catch a fish on the first pass but I’ve found most times it takes repetitive casts. Make multiple casts, four or five casts is a minimum to a good spot like a big rock or an unusual log in the winter. Sometimes I’ll spend 10 to 15 minutes cranking a single spot that appears productive. If you’re not getting bit try changing colors or bait types. If the fish are short striking the bait, it means your close. Try a subtle change like slowing down your retrieve or slight color change.
Bundle up and give it a try, I think you’ll be amazed at the results.

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