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.

Autumn: Green Weeds

 As autumn progresses, the weeds in the lake slowly die off. Because much of the food chain resides in live weeds, those isolated patches of green become more and more important as the season moves along. Bass will congregate in and around these remaining green weedbeds looking for baitfish. To fish this pattern, locate your boat parallel to the weedline of an isolated green bed. Rig a baitcasting outfit with 12-pound line or heavier, and tie on a crankbait that best imitates the lake's main food source-robably crawfish, shad, or some other kind of baitfish. Work the edges of the healthiest weeds using a steady retrieve with occasional twitches.

Summer: Thick Weeds

On hot, sunny days, bass often seek the cool water and shade beneath a thick weed canopy. One great way to get their attention is with a weedless spoon rigged with a grub or twin-tail trailer. Rig a heavy-action, 7-foot baitcasting outfit with 20-pound line or stronger. Cast your spoon as far into the weedbed as possible and begin a steady retrieve right over the top of the weeds. It's important to keep the lure moving at a constant speed so bass will be able to track its movement. When the lure comes to a break in the canopy, that's when the fish will strike. Let the bass take the lure, then slam the rod tip back and haul the fish to the boat. If you give him a chance to get his head down, he'll tie you up in the weeds.