with the right conditions, he will surely have a crankbait in his hand. His bait of choice is a rapala dt-6. He will adjust the colors based on the lake he is fishing and the water temperature. “if the water is really clear and the fish are keying on shad, the Blue Back Herring color is what i will use. if the water is a little off color or dingy, i’ll use a color called Carribean Shad, especially if there is any grass around,” shared Palaniuk. Both of these crankbait colors are part of the ike’s Custom ink line that rapala released earlier this year. He will rig his crankbaits on 10 or 12-lb-test Berkley 100% fluorocarbon and will go as light as he can get away with. For a rod and reel, the abu Garcia Winch series rounds out his perfect setup, “a 7’6” MH Veritas Winch rod and revo Winch reel is perfect for this crankbait and also for traps and any other medium running crankbait,” mentioned the elite Series pro.
one tried and true way to coax big winter bass is by using a swimbait. the West Coast has been the undisputed champion for years on this topic and it has allowed for some innovation in both design and technique. Palaniuk is a big fan of swimbaits anytime the water is cool because the big fish will eat it. He has a different approach during the winter and will slow everything down to a crawl, “i like to fish my swimbaits on the bottom really slow, almost like i am fishing a jig. i will bounce it off the bottom and just move it a little at a time,” added Palaniuk.
JIG A SWImBAIT
Photo credit B.A.S.S. Seigo Saito
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Photo credit B.A.S.S. Seig o Saito
This approach has worked for him on countless occasions as long as he has the right type of bait, “i use a few different swimbait models and the key is the type that fall horizontal, they just glide along the bottom and look so much better and more natural,” shared Palaniuk. While the majority of the fish during winter are going to be caught on the tried and true jig and soft plastics routine, don’t overlook some other possibilities. remember, according to Brandon Palaniuk, reaction baits can be used right alongside the most commonly used baits.