Bass slow down in the winter, that's no secret. They will move to deeper water and can be a challenge to catch but bass must eat during the winter and will move to shallow water during winter seeking warming rays of sunlight and dying shad. Shad will begin to struggle as the water temps fall and bass know that during this time shad become an easy meal. This is a great time for throwing a suspending jerkbait over main lake points where bass like to suspend within the water column but throwing deep running crankbaits like the Strike King Pro Model or the Rapala DT series in shallow water is a great wintertime presentation for catching more bass when the water is cold. The great thing about this presentation is it triggers reaction strikes from bass that aren't seeking a meal.
Using a deep running crankbait in shallow water may seem a little backwards but it is a great way to catch cold water bass in the winter and early spring. You want the crankbait to hit the bottom as quick as possible on the retrieve and a crankbait that runs ten feet will hit the bottom soon after the first turns of the reel handle in four feet of water. Pulling the crankbait down with a long sweeping motion works great too, and allows for a pause as you reel in the slack line. These pauses are important but not as important as maintaining bottom contact with your crankbait.
It is important to get your crankbait down quick, digging into and hitting the structure and cover on the bottom. Long slow pulls provide a built-in pause to the retrieve the slack line but it also helps you feel the bottom. When the crankbait sticks to a rock or stump stop the pull or retrieve. These pauses allow your bait to float up and above the object so you can continue your retrieve. It is the contact, with the objects below, that cause the bass to react and strike at the crankbait and many times the bass will be hooked on the outside of its mouth. This is how you know you are causing the bass to react to your presentation and they are probably not feeding. This will also let you know that you have the right combination to catch a few cold water bass.
The important point of this presentation is maintaining bottom contact. The whole point of this technique is to get a reaction strike from bass that are not necessarily feeding and the more you can get your crankbait to hit something the more chances you have to get a strike from inactive bass. Sometime a fast retrieve works best especially when it glances off rocks and stumps as you retrieve.
The reason for a deep running crankbait in such shallow water is its ability to maintain contact with the bottom, and the angle that it hits the bottom keeps the hooks away from the cover which means fewer hang-ups. The steep angle of a deep running crankbait causes it to hit the bottom with force and it is this powerful contact that creates powerful reactions from sluggish bass. The quick diving angle will also help when the shoreline drops quickly into deeper water. When you pull and pause, the crankbait tends to follow the contour of the bottom and maintain bottom contact further out from the bank therefore obtaining the desired effect of this presentation.
The bass will always tell you what they want as far as color and size but it is the bottom contact and erratic deflection in the crankbait that stimulates a bass into reacting, size and color are actually secondary. A seven foot medium power fast action rod works great for this presentation. A medium to fast retrive reel will work fine. You might be burning the crankbait during this time but the ability to take up line fast comes in handy when the bass makes a sudden run towards the boat with one treble in its lip. Some anglers like the sensativity of fluorocarbon but the way these bass bite, in cold water, I prefer monfiliament. The stretch helps you get those barely hooked wintertime bass in the boat. Winter water tends to clear up on most lakes so light line may be in order and is really determined again by the size of the bass in your body of water. Eight pound test might handle any bass in your lake but in some Texas or Florida lakes eight pound test would be unheard of with any presentation. Eight pound test is probably the lightest you should go no matter what body of water you fish just by virtue of the presentation itself being hard on your line as it contacts the bottom cover and structure.
You can almost always create a reaction bite even when the bass have lock-jaw. Fishing shallow when the water is cold may go against the norm but the bass are there. Give this technique a try and you might have the shallows to yourself and no matter what mood the bass are in, you can catch a few with this method.
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