Let’s face it, if you have to slow down to coax a bite, the fish are probably not very active.
But with the exception of winter — when their metabolism drops to minimal activity — stubborn, skittish or disinterested bass can usually be manipulated into biting by combining slow presentations with sensory stimulus.
Consider the double-edged sword of slowing your presentations: the fish have longer to decide if they want to eat your bait, but they also have longer to decide if they don’t.
Increase your chances of pushing those pensive fish over the edge with a few bait enhancement tricks:
- Sound: Insert worm rattles into soft plastics or extra rattle chambers into topwater frogs.
- Sight: Dipping dyes can give a solid worm just enough contrast to interest a bass. Also, permanent markers add visually stimulating spots, stripes or natural forage patterns to plastics, frogs and hard baits.
- Smell: From garlic to baitfish or crawdad scents, various sprays, oils and gels not only enhance your bait’s olfactory appeal, they also mask human scent — a helpful strategy when slow tactics give fish plenty of inspection time.
