Fishing a crankbait shallow-water bass during overcast conditions
Bass fisherman everywhere absolutely love fishing for bass during overcast conditions
and even more so if there is a light drizzle falling. And for good reason too!
Largemouth bass seem to go into a feeding frenzy during such conditions and pulling
a crankbait through shallow water can produce some amazing action! Bass will just
crunch down on a crankbait that happens past them during such weather conditions,
and in this article I will explore some techniques to hooking onto those bigger
largemouth bass.
Let us first look at where we should be fishing our crankbaits during overcast
weather. I would personally go for shallow water and if I can find a stretch with some
top water plants growing, then even better! Try to look for a spot close to the banks
as often time’s bass will be facing towards the shore waiting to ambush their prey.
I suggest selecting a crankbait with a natural fodder pattern as most of these bass
will be hungry and driven by instinct to feed. If you’re fishing a lake with an
abundance of blue-gills then try to find a blue-gill pattern crankbait. If there are
mainly open water baitfish present, go with a crankbait that imitates these baitfish.
With technological advancements in the design of bass fishing lures, you are almost
guaranteed to find a crank with an exact match colouration to the prey found around
your local fishing spot.
Tackle requirements for fishing a crankbait during a light rainfall is no different to the
general basics we follow when fishing a crank. Use larger, wide-billed baits for a slow,
‘rolling’ action in warmer water, or a smaller, narrow-billed crankbait for a tighter
wobble in cooler water. Monofilament bass fishing line is usually your best bet as its
‘stretch’ ability will allow for a better hookset.
My retrieve technique of choice will be a slow steady reel-in, spaced by sharp jerks of
the rod tip to the side. This breaks up the motion of the bait and allows for a more
erratic retrieve. Many bass will strike your crankbait during the ‘recovery’ time. Also,
when you begin your retrieve once again, I suggest that you crank your reel handle
super-fast for a few turns. This takes in the slack quickly, allowing you to detect a
bite much more easily.
When setting the hook with such a retrieve, you generally only need to reel in faster.
This is where the sharp treble hooks of a crankbait really kick in, and allow for a solid
hookset without much effort.
Fishing for bass during overcast conditions with a crankbait will surely achieve good
results. Just remember to break up your retrieve speed, and to use crankbait that
match the fodder fish as closely as possible.