Anglers like to jump on trends and often forget about the tactics that worked well a few years ago.
For example, prespawn usage of the lipless crankbait and the spinnerbait has been overshadowed by the popular bladed jig, that definitely is a good, versatile choice.
But you shouldn’t put your lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits in the dark corner of your tacklebox. All three are highly effective this time of year when matched to the conditions and area you are fishing.
My rule of thumb is lipless will catch you really big fish when the water temperature is between 45 and 55 degrees. I’ve learned over the years that the early prespawn puts the fish in an aggressive mood. They’re not always hitting because they are hungry, but I think it’s more about their disposition that time of year.
When bass are aggressively prowling scattered grass flats, lipless crankbaits like the Red Eye Shad are tough to beat. You can cover water a little faster than you can with the bladed jig.
Another good example of where I would fish my Red Eye Shad is along the deeper outside edge of a pad field prior to the fish moving up.
And don’t overlook it when the fish are holding over deep grass. I can tick the tops and make them react while still moving the bait relatively faster. As far as sizes, I use the 1/2 ounce most of the time but will go to a 1/4 ounce after a cold front. If the weather turns stormy, I’ll upsize to the 3/4 ounce.
I also will replace the standard hooks on a Red Eye Shad with short-shank, Gamakatsu EWG size 2. I like that hook on treble hook baits. It offers a bigger bite without tangling, and I don’t lose many fish on the Red Eye – or even a squarebill – with those hooks.
Once the water warms up to about 55, I start throwing the Strike King Thunder Cricket bladed jig even through the middle of the spawn. And if the fish are spawning, I still use the Strike King Thunder Cricket to peck around early in the morning because the fish are moving and aren’t sitting on beds until the sun gets up and the water warms. As the day progresses, I’ll switch to soft plastics for the bedders.
The Thunder Cricket is great for fishing over thicker grass. It also has a unique vibrating action – without rattles. It reminds me of the days when the water had a lot of color and we’d throw single Colorado blades on spinnerbaits.
And what about the spinnerbait?
It’s more weedless, so I can fish it around thick wood and crawl it through lily pad stems when there is color to the water. I bounce it off cover and have less concern about losing fish or it hanging up.
However, when the water is clearer, they will bite the bladed jig better because they can see it and feel its vibrations.
So, don’t discard your lipless crankbaits or spinnerbaits just because your buddies are catching everything on bladed jigs. They’re all tools, and when fished appropriately under the right conditions, you’re going to catch more and possibly bigger bass.
