Just add to or expand a little on the water temps from my experience as well. Most people think the water has to be in the upper 50's to mid 60's before you can fish anything like cranks, lipless or any moderately fast moving bait. Water temp in my opinion is an over-rated factor unless it is directly relating to the spawn. I have caught bass in shallow water on crankbaits in the low 40's and on the flip side in water above 90. You want water temp to be a factor you consider but what you want to look for is a "change" in temp.
Don't be afraid to pick up those shallow crankbaits or lipless bait and search for them like you would in the pre-spawn. It is not a jig or big worm only time of year. Once you find them then you can focus in on your drop-shot, shaky or jig if you want.
Also, you can put on a bigger crankbait like a DD-22 or DD Fat Rap and put the bait on the bottom then crawl it. They are so bulky that you can really slow them down but still cover water effectively. Plus, they will off a big meal for that fish who don't want to move very fast or far for a bite.
Last edited by Travis C.; 02-12-2011 at 03:56 PM.
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