Coldwater Crankbait Cheat Code Bundle

Norman Speed N Chili Bowl (NMSNF135) & Holy Shad (NMSNF401)
Why?: The Norman Speed N has a tight cold-water action and profile that’s perfect for the early spring.
In early spring when the water temps are 45 to 55 degrees, those in the know will be throwing red.
As the spring water warms you will need a shad pattern. Holy Shad offers that versatile shad color imitation.

Bandit 200 Oil Green (BDT2FX04) & Violet Chartreuse (BDT2FX06)
Why?: In spring and fall concentrate in the 4-to-8-foot depths. The Bandit 200 hunts these depth ranges with efficiency.
Focus on rocky banks, points and hard bottom spots.
Oil Green is a natural Shad/Herring pattern great for clear to stained water.
Violet Chartreuse is a high-end bone color perfect for stained to dirty water conditions, offering the bass a highly visible target.

Norman Fat Boy Bama Shad (NMFB402)
Why?: The Norman Fat Boy is the 4-wheel drive of square billed crankbaits.
As the water temps start to drop in fall, bass move shallow following the bait migration, using shallow cover for ambush points.
The Fat Boy comes through wood, rocks, and grass effortlessly, its efficiency is surprising.
Bama Shad is a great all-round bait imitation for the fall bite.

Bomber Fat Free Shad Jr. Green Pearl Shad (BMBD6F250) & Shadtreuce (BMBD6FSTR) & Norman Deep Little N Lavander Shad (NMDLN133)
Why?: These crank baits are spectacular late fall and early winter, right before and during A-Rig season, catching bass in 39-degree water.
The Fat Free Shad will dive to depth while the Norman DLN swims to depth, perfect for gradual sloping structure or tapering weed edges.
The Bomber Fat Free Shad Jr. in Green Pearl Shad and Shadtreuce, plus the Norman DLN in Lavander Shad, are natural shad patterns that work in almost all water conditions.
The trick in colder water is to slowly crawl these crankbaits, when you come in contact with the cover, pause it then slowly reel. Most hits occur on or just after the pause.

The Why? on Coldwater Crank Picks

During the cold-water period of spring with water temperatures hovering in the low 40’s to mid 50’s, look for rocky points at or near creek or pocket mouths. Also focus on 45-degree rocky banks near drops in the 4-to-8-foot range. Start with the red Norman Speed N, as the water temps climb around 58 degrees start to transition into shad patterns. Don’t overlook Bandit 200’s at this stage of the spring.

In early fall bass are on the bait! Bass and bait are moving shallow. Rock, wood and grass in the 2-to-8-foot range is the target. Look at the Norman Fat Boy for shallow cover and of course Bandit 200’s for a little deeper presentation. Remember bass are ambushing migrating bait fish so slamming your crankbait into the rocks and cover gets the bites.

Once we get to late fall and early winter the bass move deeper again, this is when deeper diving crank baits will surprise you. Look for dead end ditches and drains in the 8-to-15-foot range with at least one steep side to the channel break. Rock and some form of cover make these spots better. Hit the cover then pause the crankbait, then slowly start your retrieve again. Slow and steady win out here. 

One big secret during coldwater cranking is grass lakes. The bass will be as deep as the deepest grass grows. Some very high percentage areas are dead end ditches and drains as well as long tapering points and channel edges near deep water. Use the Norman DLN on the more gradual sloping grass edges and the Fat Free Shads for sharper and deeper grass edges. The key here is slow retrieve and when you feel your crankbait pull in the grass pause it, it will float off then start the retrieve again. Be ready, most strikes occur on impact or at the pause.