Clark Wendlandt's cold water cranking tacklebox

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Clark Wendlandt is no stranger to success. The 30 year-pro had two second-places finishes in 2023 and six Bassmaster Classic appearances.

Wendlandt’s strength is power fising and one of the best times of the year to practice this is in the prespawn.

Wendlandt has been around the block and knows what features make a good cold water crankbait. .

This box of MR6 and MR12 crankbaits covers the bases for Wendlandt’s cold water cranking in the winter and prespawn. He chooses the bait accordingly depending on the depth he is fishing.

“Both of these baits have a tighter wobble that make them perfect for cranking when the water temp is in that 50-58 degree range,” said Wendlandt. “This bait really excels around rock and that is where I throw it the most.”

Ghost Craw is a go-to for Wendlandt in cleaner water and if he thinks the fish are eating crawfish.

Louisiana Shad is a great color when the fish are feeding on shad and the water has a little color to it. As long as it isn’t gin clear, this color will catch them.”

Conversley, this Pro Blue MR6 is what Wendlandt reaches for in that super clear water.

Fire Craw is a staple in the prespawn. “When the fish are eating crawfish really well and you’re fishing dirtier water, Fire Craw is hard to beat,” said Wendlandt. ” I don’t really know why, but red sometimes just out-catches everything else in that colder water.”

“School Bus is great when there is stain in the water and you need some chartreuse in your bait,” said Wendlandt. “This color can also be a player up north with the amount of perch that bass eat.”

Here we see the flatter sides of the MR series of baits. This allows the bait to have a tighter wobble but still enough to trigger bites in cold water.

Here is the difference in bill size of the MR6 (left) and MR12 (right). “Both of these baits have the perfect wobble for cold water cranking,” according to Wendlandt.