Sand My Crankbaits? Are You Nuts?

That was my first reaction when I read the headline on an article by Walker Smith of Wired2Fish. However, he quickly pointed out that he's not one to tinker with his tackle unless he believes it will help him catch more bass. And he went even further by saying he hadn't really wanted to share this particular info (e.g., anglers like to keep a few things to themselves), but he felt it was time to share the wealth with anglers who like to crank in the winter months.

As Smith explained, "If you spend a lot of time fishing in cold water, you'll notice a much different coloration to both the bass and their forage. I've spent some time plucking dying shad from cold water and studying them over the last few years--they're essentially a matte white color. Whenever the water temperatures are below 50 degrees, you'll notice this when you catch a bass or accidentally snag shad or other minnow species with your treble hooks."

This research set off a lightbulb in Smith's head. He realized his crankbaits might not look enough like the real thing--they were too shiny. Almost all mass-produced crankbaits have some sort of reflective shine to them, which increases the longevity of the color pattern but, at the same time, in his words, "can spook lethargic, cold-water bass this time of year, especially in clear water."

"My hunch paid off," said Smith. "I took some 220- and 320-grit sandpaper to a few of my staple cold-water plugs and began chucking them around (see before and after look in photo above). Sure enough, I was able to go through schools of fish I'd already pressured and get several extra bites. I'm not saying this is a golden ticket, because there's no such thing, but it did account for a few more fish catches."

Subsequently, Smith called Steven Bardin, a leading fisheries biologist and Wired2Fish contributor, for a more scientific explanation.

"You'll definitely notice that most winter fish have noticeably less coloration than other months of the year," said Bardin. "This is because they're spending more time in deeper parts of the water column where light can't penetrate. In addition, you'll often run into dirtier water this time of year, which decreases sunlight penetration even more. Their scale pigmentation is heavily dictated by both light and water color.

"Baitfish also are quite pale because they're not trying to reproduce. A lot of that coloration you see in warmer months is used for attracting mates. A lot of minnow species and sunfish do this."

Bardin and Smith also discussed the difference in cold-water feeding behaviors of bass. In the spring and summer months, you often get reaction strikes from bass. Their metabolism is off the charts, so they'll see the flash of your crankbait come by their face and eat it out of pure aggression. In the winter, however, you get a lot more ambush-type bites out of hunger. The reaction card doesn't play as heavily into their winter feeding habits. They're eating because they know they need to eat, so it's important to make your offering as natural as possible.

"It's important to understand that you don't need a bunch of elbow grease when sanding crankbaits," noted Smith. "You're simply trying to take the sheen off them. If you do it correctly, you won't affect the color scheme of the lure.

"First, take off the hooks," he explained. "I learned that lesson the hard way. Next, make horizontal strokes down the length of the crankbait, trying not to work in a back-and-forth motion because the dust from the clear coat will make it hard to see what type of progress you're making. Work the entire lure--from the sides to the back, all the way down to the belly and throat. Finally, slide your hooks back on, and go fishing."

Smith noted it might be hard to bring yourself to intentionally screw up your new, shiny crankbaits, so if it makes you feel better, try it on a few old ones you never throw.

"Once you get the hang of it, you can start making a small batch of exclusive winter-only plugs you can turn to when the water is below 50 degrees," he said. "I know it sounds crazy, but trust me on this one. You'll become a believer if you give it a chance."