By : Mark Hicks
When Texan Clark Wendlandt clinched the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year title, he proved beyond question that he can sack bass in any season. He claims that many baits are productive in a variety of situations. However, there are a handful of lures that he always relies on in cold water and vice versa for warm water.
“In terms of which baits I use, I consider anything under 55 degrees to be cold water and anything above that to be warm,” Wendlandt says.
“It is considerably easier to pick baits for cold water,” Wendlandt says. “There are not as many options because the bass are not as aggressive. For example, I wouldn’t throw a topwater bait in water under 55 degrees.”
Given that premise, the three types of Strike King baits that Wendlandt always has tied on in cold water include a jig and a few particular crankbaits and jerkbaits.
Although this Jig was designed for skipping under docks and overhangs, Wendlandt doesn’t limit it to those applications. He often sacks heavy cold-water bass by casting and pitching the 1/2-ounce size to likely hangouts.
“I like the hook on the Skipping Jig and the way it stands on the bottom,” Wendlandt says. “I dress it with a Baby Rage Craw because sluggish bass don’t want lots of movement.”
This slender profile cranker has the buoyancy of a well-known balsa bait that excels in cold water, but it is made from a durable plastic. The Lucky Shad weighs 5/16 ounce and dives to 8 feet.
“It has a tight wiggle that works better in cold water,” Wendlandt says. “I go with a shad or crawfish pattern, depending on what I believe the bass are feeding on. It is not designed to bounce off cover.”
The small profile of the 3XD comes through for Wendlandt when cold-water bass aren’t inclined to chase larger crankbaits. It weighs 7/16 ounce and dives 10 to 12 feet deep.
“I favor crawfish colors early in the year, and I catch a lot of bass by bouncing that bait off rocks,” Wendlandt says.
Three KVD jerkbaits do some heavy lifting for Wendlandt in cold water, the 200, 300 and the KVD Deep. Which model he ties on depends on how deep he wants the bait to go.
“If I’m fishing down a rocky bluff, I’ll probably go with the KVD Deep,” Wendlandt says. “It gets down to 11 feet. The 200 or 300 would be a better choice for twitching over submerged grass. They run 3 to 7 feet deep.”
Read more about KVD's cold water jerkbait technique.
There are so many effective lure options in warm water that Wendlandt can’t begin to cover them all. Below are three lures that he always keeps on his deck wherever he happens to be fishing.
Shad, crawfish and bluegill colors all produce bites for Wendlandt when he’s casting the 1.5 squarebill, which is often.
“I get a lot of bites bouncing the 1.5 off cover,” Wendlandt says. “That bait also catches them when it’s not bouncing off cover.”
These snagless topwater lures come into play for Wendlandt when the water rises to 60 degrees and warmer. He has so much success with them that he has one or the other tied on 100% of the time.
The Ocho is another bait that Wendlandt always has rigged and on his deck in warm water, especially the 5-inch size. He rigs it wacky style and as a Neko rig with a small weight inserted into the Ocho’s head. He tends to go with the Neko rig when wants to fish deeper.
Whether the water is above or below 55 degrees, Wendlandt always has a Strike King Thunder Cricket Vibrating Jig ready to rumble in muddy to clear water. He generally retrieves it more slowly in cold water. The 1/2-ounce size is his heavy hitter and green pumpkin and white are his favorite colors. He dresses he Thunder Cricket with a 4.5-inch KVD Perfect Plastic Blade Minnow. It has a segmented body for a maximum side-to-side swimming action.
Read more about how Clark fishes the Thunder Cricket in pre-spawn conditions.
