Crankbait Tricks For Winter and Early Spring Bass Fishing!

You've been going to slow! High Speed Burner Reels in Winter? Really? Oh that's just the beginning... Come along for a day on the water with Matt and Tim as they burn crankbaits and draw reaction strikes from bass in 46 degree water. The guys hold nothing back as they teach how to trigger a feeding frenzy with the Tactical DD Crankbait. 

Winter was always considered a slow fishing period. Many anglers Winterize their boats and give up completely. Unbeknownst to the masses some of the best fishing of the entire year exists in the dead of Winter. By experimenting with a new style of fishing we've been able to consistently trigger reaction bites from the coldest of bass under the harshest of conditions. They key is a combination of speed, sound, and action. 

In November of 2019 we released the Tactical DD Crankbait with River2Sea. This crank is designed for these exact cold water conditions. It sold out immediately and has been nearly impossible to find ever since. Today the crankbaits are back in stock so we headed out on the water to teach you exactly how to use them. Don't settle for one bass here or one bass there, its time to trigger a feeding frenzy in cold water!

Below is a breakdown of the baits, colors, equipment, and upgrades we use to maximize our time on the water with the crankbait. 

Our Crankbait... 

-River2Sea Tactical DD 75 Crankbait: http://bit.ly/37dclbX

Today's Colors: Mirrored Minnow, DD Minnow

Other Great Cold Water Crankbaits... 

-Spro RK Crawler 55: http://bit.ly/2NFPA5t

-Megabass Deep Six: http://bit.ly/2A3clKP

-Megabass Deep X 300: http://bit.ly/2sSQHpt

-6th Sense Curve 55: http://bit.ly/37hZ1TD

Favorite Colors by Bait... 

Tactical: Mirrored Minnow, DD Minnow, Glass Minnow, Ghost Minnow

Deep X 300: Stealth Craw, Sexy Ayu, Megabass Sexy Shad

Deep Six: MB Gizzard, Shadow Craw, Ito Wakasagi

RkCrawler: Missouri Craw, Phantom Brown, Red Crawfish

Curve 55: Craw Bomb, Ghost Missouri Craw, Red Claw

Hook And Component Upgrades...

Split Rings- Owner Hyperwire Size 3: http://bit.ly/2v8ArBX

Hooks- Owner ST-56 Size 4: http://bit.ly/2cVg7xW

(These hooks are smaller than "stock" but work extremely well)

Braid Rod/Reel Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 845 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Bantam MGL XG: http://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 20 lb: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 12 lb Maxima Ultragreen: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Fluorocarbon Rod/Reel Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 906 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Chronarch MGL HG: http://bit.ly/2n8DghB

Line- 12 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Budget-Friendly Rod/Reel Combo... 

Rod- St Croix Bass X 7'2" MH Moderate: http://bit.ly/2r0xWAs

Reel- Shimano SLX HG: http://bit.ly/2NfdOnk

Line- Sunline Assassin 12 lb: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G

Bass Attacking Big Swimbaits!! Epic Underwater Footage!!

Watch underwater as big bass ambush swimbaits and glide baits! Its amazing how aggressive these fish get when a big meal swims by. With Spring fast approaching Matt shares a few tricks about how big bass behave that will help you catch the fish of a lifetime during the prespawn. If you haven't added a swimbait to your arsenal, you're about to get an underwater view of what you've been missing!

New swimbait fishermen are full of misconceptions. The most dangerous to your success is an assumption that big bass will hit a swimbait really hard. While this MIGHT happen, it is far more likely that the bite will be a subtle but clear "tick". If you're waiting for a bone-jarring strike you will miss the biggest bites of your life. Pay close attention to this underwater footage and you'll notice that the biggest fish seem to calculate their strikes while smaller fish lash out aggressively. 

Its also important to note that bass are far more likely to completely engulf soft baits while hardballs almost always end up on the outside of the fish's mouth. With this in mind, its extremely important to control hard bait fish as their aggressive head shakes are very likely to rip the hooks out during the fight. You have time to make a few more changes to your gear as well as to your mindset before Spring arrives. Take the steps to prepare and this will be the year you catch a giant bass!

Below is a breakdown of the baits in the video as well as some of our most consistent swimbaits for big, prespawn fish. We also included links to our favorite swimbait equipment along with some "budget" options. 

Favorite Spring Hard Baits... 

-S Waver 200 and 168 (Light Trout): http://bit.ly/2aiu8Sh

-Baitsanity Explorer Glide (Trout, Shad): http://bit.ly/33bQyxY

-Storm Arashi Glide (Bluegill, Oikawa Mesu): http://bit.ly/2nHdrL1

-Jackall Gantarel (HL Bluegill, RT Spawn Gill): http://bit.ly/2adZI3R

Favorite Spring Soft Baits... 

-Savage Gear Pulse Tail Trout (Trout, Hitch): http://bit.ly/399bx97

-Huddleston 8" (Trout, Hitch): http://bit.ly/2UVHiuQ

-Little Creeper 8" Trash Fish (Shad, Hitch): http://bit.ly/2hmXtg1

-Osprey Tournament Talon 6" (Chart Shad, Bluegill): http://bit.ly/2bqsLS0

Hook/Split Ring Upgrades... 

-Owner Hyperwire Split Rings (Size 5 and 6): http://bit.ly/2aTH3f1

-Owner ST-36 Trebles (1X strength, sizes 1/0 and 2/0): http://bit.ly/2cWpeyw

-Owner ST-56 Trebles (3X Strength, Size 2 and 1/0): http://bit.ly/2cVg7xW

Favorite Rod/Reel Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 966: http://bit.ly/2x9kxuS

Reel- Shimano Tranx 300 HG: http://bit.ly/2kYsvRw

Line- 80 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 35 lb Sunline FC-100: http://bit.ly/2O4UElB

Budget Rod/Reel Combo... 

Rod- Dobyns Fury 806H: http://bit.ly/2bGvlVV

Reel- Shimano Cardiff 300: http://bit.ly/2cvhtMO

Line- 80 lb Power Pro Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- Maxima Ultragreen 30 lb: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G

Top 5 Baits For Muddy Water Bass Fishing

Don't be afraid of mud! Murky water can be a real challenge, especially in Winter. If you're tired of being stumped by cold, muddy water, this video is for you! Knowing what baits to use and when to switch between them will make a huge difference. Don't let muddy water intimidate you anymore, its time to adapt and overcome with these quick tips. 

The key to muddy water is understanding when its holding active fish and when it causes them to shut down. In Winter, the distinction is water temperature. Not a specific water temperature but whether the incoming water is warmer or colder than the water in the lake. If its warmer, the baits discussed in this video will help you catch bass consistently. 

Focus on lures that have flash, vibration, and bold colors. Focus ultra shallow as the water rises and around cover as it stabilizes. Below you'll find a breakdown of the baits (with color recommendations) that were discussed in the video. 

Squarebill Crankbait... 

-River2Sea Biggie: http://bit.ly/2ahCzvo

(Cold Blooded, Delta Craw, I know It)

Spinnerbait... 

-River2Sea Bling 1/2 oz Willows: http://bit.ly/2diSwqq

(Iced, Powder, I Know It)

-River2Sea Bling 1/2 oz Indiana: http://bit.ly/2t5jecE

(Lemonade Twist)

Jig... 

-No-Jack Flippin Jig 1/2 oz: http://bit.ly/2fx8YBI

(Hematoma, Blackend Blue, Pay Day)

-Kinky Beaver Trailer: http://bit.ly/2XQ1kJ1

(Low Blow, Hematoma)

Swim Jig... 

-California Swim Jig 1/2 oz: http://bit.ly/2auXfmx

(Citrus Shad, Tactical Shad, Dirty Shad)

-D Walker 120 Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2NwqBmz

(Pearl, Ice White)

Alabama Rig... 

-Yumbrella Flash Mob Jr: http://bit.ly/2bgDGNu

-Matt Allen Swimbait Heads (1/8 oz): http://bit.ly/29RrTYN

-Reaction Innovations Little Dipper Dummy Baits: http://bit.ly/2brnU5I

-Keitech 4.8" Fat Swing Impact Main Baits: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Favorite Combo For Shallow Muddy Water Fishing... 

Rod- Shimano Expride 7'2" heavy: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Shimano Curado 150 DC HG: http://bit.ly/2yHtsp4

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 65 lb: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Sunline FC100 Shock Leader 20 lb: http://bit.ly/2O4UElB

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G

Blade Bait Tricks For Cold Winter Bass ( A Day On The Water )

Today we're on Clearlake throwing Blade Baits for Winter Bass. The blade is deadly in cold water and the bass on Clearlake don't know what hit them! If you're looking to catch more fish this Winter, take note as Matt teaches about the different baits, colors, and equipment to be effective with this awesome technique! 

The blade bait finds its roots in cold water smallmouth bass fishing but its effectiveness reaches far beyond its original purpose. Big largemouth can't resist a blade, even in warmer water temps. If your bass have gone deep for Winter but you don't want to reach for finesse tackle, the blade is your best option to elicit a feed response. 

With all of the new blades on the market in recent years its hard to know where to start. Which baits work the best? Why are there so many different colors? And what do you do with those stock double hooks? Matt is catching a ton of fish on the blade today but he still stops to answer all these questions and more along the way. Below is a breakdown of the baits and equipment he used in the video. 

Today's baits... 

-Megabass Dyna Response (Jerking Gill): http://bit.ly/2R7FlvL

-Jackall Keeburn (Silver): http://bit.ly/2or8sy0

-Damiki Vault (Black Holo): http://bit.ly/2rnO7e2

Other Great Blade Baits... 

-Silver Buddy: http://bit.ly/2AcTelj

-Blade Runner: http://bit.ly/2XMNoQj

-Binsky Vibrating Blade: http://bit.ly/2mR2Vwe

Matt's Favorite Blade Bait Combo (jerkbait combo)... 

Rod- Shimano Expride 6'10" Medium: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Aldebaran 50 MGL HG: http://bit.ly/2uQ4oH8

Line- Sunline Assassin 10 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Matt's Braided Line Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 812 JBR: http://bit.ly/2QurcHi

Reel- Shimano Chronarch MGL HG: http://bit.ly/2n8DghB

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 20 lb: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Maxima Ultragreen 10 lb Mono: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Hook Upgrades... 

Split Rings- Owner Hyperwire Size 2: http://bit.ly/2v8ArBX

Split Ring Pliers- Texas Tackle: http://bit.ly/2fT4Qw0

Hook- Owner ST-36 Size 6: http://bit.ly/2cWpeyw

Hook- Gamakatsu Finesse Nano Treble Size 5 and 6: http://bit.ly/2dWWAut

NEW TacticalBassin Apparel…

-TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

-TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

-TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

-TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G