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B BB B p S ic UL UL kup R R A A the D D N N pa E EI I c N N e S S ’ ’
tarting in the late spring and continuing into
the fall, water temperatures are at their
warmest range of the year. Bass, like all fish,
are cold blooded creatures and it follows that when water temperatures are elevated, so are the metabolism levels of a bass. However, heightened metabolism is not a direct correlation to activity level – meaning that bass are not always active or aggres- sive during this time. Sometimes, you need to pick up the pace to coax neutral or inactive bass into striking.
Finesse techniques are a staple for clear water
Story & Photos
BY MARK FONG
jigs, squarebill cranks and swimbaits, spinnerbaits have become lost in the shuffle and this is just fine by me.
There is something about a fast-moving spinnerbait that bass just can’t seem to resist. Burning a blade is all about invoking a reaction strike. It works best in clear water and begins to lose its effectiveness as water clarity deteriorates.
A few things to keep in mind.
anglers; but there are times, when even finesse can
First, you want the bass to see the bait, but you
fail to deliver, especially when looking for quality bites. don’t want them to get too good a look at it. I like
In situations like this, reaction baits are often the
to keep the bait running just under the surface, so
answer. While there are many baits styles to choose
that it bulges the water. Secondly, by keeping the
from, a spinnerbait ranks atop my list of options.
bait silhouetted against the surface, the fish see the
With all the recent notoriety given movement, but cannot identify the bait as something
to vibrating
that is unnatural.
A straight retrieve will get bit, but you can
generate more
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