VIDEO: Summertime crankbait fishing for largemouth bass in the weeds! The Rapala BX Brat effectively triggers bass to bite during the summer months, especially in and around weed growth. James and Al Linder go into detail about this crankbait for catching bass.
When fishing weeds, one key is having preconceived knowledge about where the fish could possibly be positioned during the summer months. “These fish move up and down in the weeds based on a couple of different variables,” explains James Lindner.
“However, the number one in my book is almost always food. Bluegills and the other different types of forage that bass key on the move up and down in the water column depending on water levels and weather changes. So it’s important to go out fishing every day knowing that the bass could have relocated overnight.”
It’s essential when you’re making a lure selection is experiment where the bait is moving. Sometimes if they are down deep in the weeds, you’re going to need penetrating baits. When the fish are up high, baits swimming over the tops of the weeds can be key to catching more fish. Know your bait options and try to match them to the conditions you may face daily. Start by experimenting, trying to figure out where the fish are positioned.
According to Al Lindner, “In many lakes we fish, the main bass forage are bluegill and crawfish. Bluegill movements, behavior, and location pretty much dictate everything. When ‘gills get negative and burry down in the weeds, bass fishing is generally pretty tough. But when bluegills come up out of the weeds, move along the edge, or suspend, you can bet the big bass are near. Again, it’s often based on what those bluegills are doing, so it is critical to learn bluegill patterns for spring, summer, and fall. Figure that out, and you’re going to catch a lot of bass.”
The Rapala BX Brat is the perfect option for cranking over weeds. When the bait contacts a week, you pull to break the bait loose, sending it swimming and darting forward. The weeds also break off the lure with ease. The Brat comes pre-rigged with amazing hooks and is an ultra-durable bait. It’s an absolute workhorse in our opinion, and perfect for cranking over weeds.
The BX Brat is also ultra buoyant. So when you do real the bait down to the tops of the weeds, you can simply pause the bait momentarily to let it float up and back out of the weeds, then start cranking the bait over the top.
“Understand how the fish position in the weeds the use of various lures for a different type of weed fishing scenarios, James explains. “Different weed fishing situations and fish locations call for other tactics like punching or finesse fishing, like jig worm presentations. Other times, spinnerbaits or swimbaits will be the top-performing baits.
