Get
Crankin For Fall Bass
Fall
bass action is heating up and crank baits and spinnerbaits are
now drawing the attention of bass
on the fall feeding binge. Anglers on the delta have found crankbaits
to be one of the falls best baits for delta bass. I’ve used
crank baits for a limited amount over the years, now more and
more often I’m going to these baits with success. My biggest
problem is putting down the flippin’ stick long enough to
give the crankbaits a chance. The best fall bass action though,
comes to those who learn to tie the two techniques together. I
haven’t yet become prowess at the combination, but have
seen others bring big sacks to the scales using the cranking flippin’
combo.
Those who aren’t familiar with crankbaits,
the best way to describe them as baits that dive and wiggle when
reeled in. Here on the delta crankbaits need to have a way of
producing noise or vibration to get the attention of Mr. Bass.
The bass use their lateral line to key on these types of baits
making wobble and vibration so very important. Colors are pretty
simple shad and bluegill patterns do get some fish but Crawdad
patterns are tough to beat.
Choosing the type of crankbait for the area your
fishing takes some time. Shallow flats and weedline channels start
to see more activity from baitfish seeking bass. The Luhr Jensen
Speed trap had become a favorite for area pro’s like Dee
Thomas for covering these areas. Lure designer Tom Seward had
really done a good job with the Speed Trap, yet with all industries
technology changes Seward has also made some changes moving to
Worden’s. Seward has really come up with another winner,
Worden’s Timber Tiger.
The Timber Tiger design combines many attributes
that make this lure super on the Delta. Pros from across the country
look to bait with wide bodies and tight wiggles for success. The
Timber Tiger does just that and has more weight to it for easier
casting in the winds of the Delta. Its wide body and unique lip
designs work great. There on target depth control gives you specific
to your needs. With Models that cover from the surface to down
to about 16 feet there is something for all conditions. The DC
5 and DC 8 compare to the popular Speed traps. The unique lip
design and timber guards are great for deflecting the bait of
wood or the top of submerged weeds. The bait can also be burned
through the water without rolling over! I would have to call this
one another hit by Mr. Seward
On The Delta, when the fish seem to hang a bit
deeper the Bomber Model A has been a favorite here for many years.
Again a wide body bait that put out a pretty good thump when cranked
back to the boat. The Model A works well along those Riprap or
weed walls with 6 to 10 feet of water on the outside. Consistantency,
of your retrieve is important working the bait fast enough just
to make occasional contact with the bottom is important to success.
Of course the years of productivity of the Bill
Lewis Rat-L-Trap is hard to forget yet it is still favorite choice
of many anglers. Tight weed lines and current breaks is a favorite
area for many delta anglers to target. Fast working bait like
the noisy Rat-L-Trap proved effective here for years. Although
the Rat-L-Traps don’t create the hard wobble of their rounder
lipped counter parts they are still one of the fall best baits.
Traps are great fish catching baits and very versatile. Try Traps
slowly cranked along the tops of deep weed beds works well once
the water temperature drops.
Spinnerbaits and Buzzbaits shouldn’t be
forgotten either as the fall bite gets going. Just because the
hot summer temperatures have diminished doesn’t mean that
the reaction bite has gone into hibernation. Slowing down buzzbaits
and working blades is a good way to hook up with a quality bass.
White and Pink are the best bets now for spinnerbait anglers.
When fishing buzzbaits I like to either throw white (high sky
days) or blacks and purples with white trailers on overcast days.
There’s no question you will need a follow
up bait when working these faster moving baits. If you get bumped
and don’t hang the fish that Jig ‘n Pork combo can
often trigger a strike. Once you see that swirl or get that bump
follow up by flippin’ a jig and pork and shaken’ it
slowly through the area. I was turned on to this last fall, and
now I know why many pros’ often don’t even finish
reeling in before making that follow up pitch.
Rods
selection is probably as important as the lure you select when
tossing crank baits. For many years as rod technology developed
graphite and boron took over the market place. I did not take
long for the countries top anglers to figure out the these new
faster more sensitive materials were not always the best things
for pulling crank baits as each time the fish hit you were more
likely to pull the bait away.
Enjoy!
Dan
Mathisen
FishDelta.com
- All Species, All Delta
The
Ultimate Resource For California Delta Fishing
Would
you like to use this article to add content to your website or
newsletter?
Send an email to: articlerequest@fishdelta.com
Inlcude your name, your website, and the name of the article you
would like to use.
And we'll respond back to you within 48 hours or less with the
details
