Lipless Crankbaits - Rattletraps, Redeye Shads, and Spots
There are tons of these baits out there and many good offerings to pick from. I personally love to fish these though I probably should pick them up more often. In the spring, when the fish are just moving up and you are searching for them this bait is hard to beat. The rattles seem to just produce strikes and allow you to catch some great quality fish. They are also great in grass for ripping the bait through to catch those fish that arent necessarily feeding but just resting in the edge of the grass.
I start fishing these baits when the waters gets into the 50's slowly ripping it along the bottom or moving it along flats as the fish begin to move into spawning areas on days when you need to ellicit that reflex strike and they arent feeding well. I will continue to fish them all the way thru to the fall.
Color choice and speed to fish these baits varies and it depends on weather and season. I try to follow the typical rules and choose colors based on water color but sometimes the fish want something a little different. If you are getting bites and not hooking up just change the color or the speed and see if you can get a better hookup. I typically start with chrome and blue or a red in the spring. If the water is dingy I may use a chartreuse or orange color. If the water is very clear something more natural like a bream or shad pattern based on what the fish are feeding on.
Here is a great article from Wired2Fish on lipless crankbaits for sping.
http://blog.wired2fish.com/blog/bid/83342/fishing-lipless-crankbaits-for-transitioning-spring-bass?source=Blog_Email_[Fishing%20Lipless%20Cran]
Here is a great article from Wired2Fish on lipless crankbaits in the fall.
http://www.wired2fish.com/how-to-fish-lipless-baits-in-the-fall-m17322
Hope these help and remember when fishing shallower water this is a great choice.
I start fishing these baits when the waters gets into the 50's slowly ripping it along the bottom or moving it along flats as the fish begin to move into spawning areas on days when you need to ellicit that reflex strike and they arent feeding well. I will continue to fish them all the way thru to the fall.
Color choice and speed to fish these baits varies and it depends on weather and season. I try to follow the typical rules and choose colors based on water color but sometimes the fish want something a little different. If you are getting bites and not hooking up just change the color or the speed and see if you can get a better hookup. I typically start with chrome and blue or a red in the spring. If the water is dingy I may use a chartreuse or orange color. If the water is very clear something more natural like a bream or shad pattern based on what the fish are feeding on.
Here is a great article from Wired2Fish on lipless crankbaits for sping.
http://blog.wired2fish.com/blog/bid/83342/fishing-lipless-crankbaits-for-transitioning-spring-bass?source=Blog_Email_[Fishing%20Lipless%20Cran]
Here is a great article from Wired2Fish on lipless crankbaits in the fall.
http://www.wired2fish.com/how-to-fish-lipless-baits-in-the-fall-m17322
Hope these help and remember when fishing shallower water this is a great choice.