Editor’s Note: Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan has won the Bassmaster’s Classic four times and has been named Angler of the Year seven times. VanDam knows how to fish for bass and catch them in bad weather.

Question: What do you do on the day after a front comes through?
Answer: On the day after a front hits, my favorite two baits are the 4-6 inch Strike King 3X worms (https://www.strikeking.com/) with a lead sinker up the line and a glass bead below the sinker and the worm tied on below and a spinner bait I slow roll. You really have to slow your fishing technique down after the water’s had 24 hours to cool down. I’ll fish the worm across the bottom slowly to give the bass plenty of time to see it and eat it. I’ll shake the worm with my rod tip. I like a straight-tailed worm because I don’t want much action on the bait. I want the worm to appear so easy to eat that the bass can’t resist it. I leave the worm in the bass’s strike zone as long as possible to get the most bites.

If I’m fishing a blown-down tree on the edge of a creek channel, I’ll flip that worm into every hole I can see, really shaking the bait and giving the bass plenty of opportunity to bite. The day after a cold front, I may fish that tree for 20 to 30 minutes, if I believe a bass is holding there.

To learn more about catching bass, check out John E. Phillips’ book, “Bass Pros: Season by Season Tactics,” available in Kindle, Audible and print versions at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1987482832/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p7_i4. You may have to copy and paste this click into your browser. When you click on this book, notice on the left where Amazon says you can read and hear 10% of the book for free. On the right side of the Audible page for this book and below the offer for free Audible trial, you can click on Buy the Audible with one click.

Tomorrow: Kevin VanDam’s Bad Weather Bass Weapon