Autumn: Big Cranks

Over the summer, the lake's populations of crawfish and baitfish have had a chance to do a lot of growing. And now that fall is settling in and food sources are growing scarce, bass tend to be looking for the biggest meals they can find. Big crankbaits can be a great way to get their attention. Look for rock piles, stump fields, and other known crawdad areas in 5 to 25 feet of water. Position your boat parallel to rows of stumps or linear breaks; work rock piles from a variety of different angles. Tie on a half-ounce crankbait that best matches the color of the crawdads in the water. Bang your lure into rocks and stumps along the bottom.