Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3722 Oct 12-26 | Page 24
24
Oct 12 - 26, 2018
VOL.37 • ISS. 22
BASS FISHING SPOTLIGHT
C
By Cal Kellogg
Cranking And Ripping For Cold Water Bass
onventional wisdom dictates that when it
comes to pulling black bass out of lakes and
reservoirs during the winter months, skirted jigs and
jigging spoons are the best and perhaps only lures to
use.
As effective as these offering had proven to be
when the water temperature plummets, there are other
options. If you are tired of dragging jigs tipped with
pork and securitizing the screen of your sonar unit to
watch the progress of a jigging spoon darting 40 feet
below the boat continue reading…
During the winter crankbaits and rip baits can both
be reliable bass producers, but to be successful you’ve
got to properly evaluate several factors. First and
foremost for these baits to draw strikes the weather
has to be stable. If the pressure and water temperature
are bouncing up and down. Stick with jigs, plastics or
live baits or be prepared to get skunked.
Assuming the weather has been stable you still have
another factor to consider. What is the water clarity?
For crankbaits and rip baits to do good business during
the winter the water has to be clear enough for the fish
to see them from some distance.
Finally, you’ve got factor in the water temperature.
If the water is really cold, say below 48 degrees, you’ll
really be fighting an uphill battle by tying on a crank or
rip.
Okay we’ve defined the playing field. Let’s say the
weather had been stable, the water temperature around
50 degrees and you’ve found fairly clear water. How do
you go about cranking and ripping cold water fish?
Step number one is selecting conducive structure.
Many of the bass that reside in reservoirs move into
deep water that is well out of the range of the deepest
running crankbaits and rip baits, yet there are always
fish bass holding in the top 15 feet of the water column.
Rocky main lake points, rocky bluffs and submerged
creek channels that feature rock piles and/or standing
timber are all prime locations for the winter bass enthu-
siast to probe with crankbaits and rip baits.
Once you’ve found some areas that feature the proper
structure in the correct depth range, it’s time to start
fishing. Break out a pair of baitcasters rigged with 8 or
10 pound fluorocarbon line. This fine line will allow the
baits to work at the deepest possible depth. Arm one rod
with a suspending deep diving baitfish pattern crankbait.
Tie a thin profile baitfish pattern suspending rip bait on
the other rod.
When using the crank it is critical to reel it down to
its maximum depth and keep it crawling slowly forward
until you feel it make contact with the structure. When
you feel contact stop the bait and do not move it for as
long as possible. As you dead stick the bait keep a close
eye on your line. If it goes slack or jumps, set the hook
without hesitation.
The approach to fishing rip baits is much the same, but
it isn’t as critical to actually hit the structure with them.
With a rip bait reel the lure down to a location were you
believe bass can see it, rip it once and then dead stick it.
The longer you allow the bait to set dead in the water the
more strikes you will get.
Whether you are working a crankbait or a rip bait, slath-
ering your lures with a high quality natural scent such as
those offered by Pro-Cure will o