Entry 38-3

Denny Brauer on Fishing for Bass

Brauer's Spinner Bait Advice

Editor's Note: Denny Brauer of Camdenton, Missouri, has had 13 BASS career wins, and has won both the BASS Masters Classic and the FLW Angler-of-the-Year title.

Question:You were talking about spinner bait and the types of retrieve you do with the spinner bait. Does warm or cold water make a difference?

Brauer: Well, obviously the colder the water, the slower retrieves must be to be effective. It crosses over to all lures, even the lures that are traditionally called slow bottom-bumping baits like jigs and worms. I sweep more of them off the bottom doing a faster-type retrieves. I also go to heavier-weight lures on bottom-bumping baits so they get down to the bottom. And when you do move the bait, it moves faster and a little more erratic than what a lighter bait does in cold water.

Question: Is there a more erratic pattern that will get the fish's attention?

Brauer: No. It's almost like it triggers a reflex strike where they will inhale the bait before they realize what they have done.