I went out to the local lake today. When I got there, bass were busting the surface all over the lake. Bright sunny day, water was very stained from rain and melted snow. I'm fishin from the bank and the water temp is around 40 degrees. I started with a White/Chartruese Double Colorado spinnerbait. Tried all types of techniques, fished high, fish low.. nothing. So I tried a Black 5/16 Eakin's Jig with a mini blue zoom chunk. Nothing. Keep in the mind the whole time, fish are bustin' the surface. I switched back to a spinnerbait, but not colorado. It was a Terminator Steel Series which was red, green, and chartruese with a #6 Indiana blade, and a #3 painted orange colorado blade. This lure is designed for muddy water. Fished for a while, about an hour. Caught one (maybe a pound) RIGHT on the bank. Fished another 2 hours, (fish busting the surface the whole time) threw 3 other spinnerbaits, a black buzzbait, an Xcalibur lipless crank in silver and black, and a Spro Frog. Nothing.

What the hell happened?

The whole time I was fishing they were hittin the surface. I fished topwater, midwater, and bottom. Any comments?

Yea,  Those werent bass you were seeing.  They were water spiders......

I dont think those were bass busting the surface! With the water being 40, there is no way bass are feeding on the surface! (the odd one might)

That water is just to cold for the bass to be that active.

Congrats on the one you caught!

Maybe it was Crappie?

I caught quite a few Crappie off the top late last fall. Threw a shallow shad rap and used it like a topwater and they'd nail. If the Bass bite is off it can be quite fun.

more than likely thats what it was down here in florida and georgia the best speckles perch or crappie fishing is during the cold months and i have seen them busting minnows when it looked like schools of yearling bass so that is probably what u saw. those are better to eat anyway which i dont like eating bass.

Gary