Speed up to Trigger Reaction Bites
If the bass give me a choice, I’ll throw so-called power baits – spinnerbaits and crankbaits. When the bite gets tough, I don’t always immediately switch to slower or finesse presentations. Bass that seem less active can still be triggered into biting a spinnerbait if you go for a reaction bite.
The trick is to speed up your retrieve. I mean really speed it up so you’re forcing the bass to react in an instant. At times the difference can be catching nothing at other speeds while the high speed approach bags bass after bass.
I recently returned from Lake Hamilton (Hot Springs, AR) It was the first week in December with water temps in the low 50’s. Since I was pre-fishing, I moved along at a brisk pace which made slow presentations difficult. I didn’t get bit at all at first. A local angler mentioned he was getting bit fishing a spinnerbait fast.
This goes against the grain for cold water bass fishing, but one of my first few casts at warp speed produced a 16″ largemouth. The bass barely got the long trailer hook I was using, but I saw the whole attack. It was obviously a reflex/reaction strike from a bass whose heart wasn’t totally in the attack, but just couldn’t let the (blurred) prey get away unmolested. I caught a number of bass each day with this approach even though many local anglers told me they weren’t getting bites on spinnerbaits.
Next time your bass fishing slows down, try speeding up instead of slowing down with it. Your bass catching may not slow down. Good luck. More Fishing Tips and How-to Articles.
