Lipless Cranks In Deeper Water

[Todd2]

What is your best presentation when fishing lipless cranks on deeper structure? Or maybe I should ask, do you throw it on deep structure? I'm guilty of only throwing it up on the flats, but think I'm missing out.

[daiwaguy]

Ticking a trap off of the tops of deep submerged weeds is a "trap" for bass. Just find a patch of vegetation cast out as far as you can and let it get to depth. Bring it back to you barely skimming the top of the grass actually let your bait touch it and rip it out every so often and you will be in for some good fishing.

[Todd2]

Thanks, unfortunately we don't have a lot of grass on these lakes. I do have one lake that's restricted to trolling motors, it has some grass in the summer. I'll try it there on the deep edges.

[Wbeadlescomb]

I've caught a few bass popping one off the bottom in creek mouths when it's cooooold down here. Cold being 40-50 degrees in alabama

[WRB]

You can let a trap sink to the bottom on rocky structure and rip it off the bottom like a structure spoon or jig, work good at times, but you lose a few!

Tom

[TorqueConverter]

I don't fish lipless much but I have tried fishing some deep weed lines with them and caught a mess of pike in 20' and 16' of water last summer.  The Red Eye Shad has a tendency to stay at whatever depth the bait is at when you begin the retrieve.  It's pretty straightforward to get that particular bait down to those depths.     

[ww2farmer]

Several summers ago, one of my go to techniques was ripping a 3/4 oz. lipless crank off the bottom on the deep weed edge (12-14 FOW) I caught some nice ones doing it, but it wore me the F out, and then I started playing around cranking the deep edge with big lipped baits and have not done it since. I really should go back to it.

[papajoe222]

WRB mentioned a great summer and late winter presentation.  I use heavy mono for this presentation as I find it easier to watch my line on the fall.  I find that a totally slack line lets the bait (normally a Red Eye Shad) fall with more action than on a semi-slack or tight line. Sometimes an aggressive rip up off the bottom will trigger a strike when the bait is on the rise, but my most successfull presentation involves a lift just fast enough for mee to feel the bait vibrating. 

[Comfortably Numb]

I fish it deep like a blade bait. Cast, let it sink to bottom. Lift rod and follow lure back to bottom on semi slack line. A slow lift where you can just feel the lure vibrate is good in cool water. A sharp snap get them in warmer water.

 

I prefer straight braid as I feel the bait better, has no stretch, amd I can free up a snagged lure easier.

[Todd2]

Thanks everybody, good stuff.

[Primus]

I fish it deep like a blade bait. Cast, let it sink to bottom. Lift rod and follow lure back to bottom on semi slack line. A slow lift where you can just feel the lure vibrate is good in cool water. A sharp snap get them in warmer water.

 

I prefer straight braid as I feel the bait better, has no stretch, amd I can free up a snagged lure easier.

 

I like the Rapala Rippin' Rap for this technique.

 

I also like to slow roll 1 oz plus traps in deeper water, the Xcalibur 1 oz One Knocker is my favorite for slow rolling in deeper water.

[smalljaw67]

In the warmer months we use them to search the deeper points when the shallow bite goes away. We will hit the points that come off of the flats, in the lakes here the flats that hold the most fish seem to have points extending out to deep water very close by. We position the boat in about 30' or so and cast up into 8' to 10' and let it hit the bottom and then rip it off the bottom about 2' to 4' and let it fall back yo-yoing it all the way back to the boat. This is a great way to search as you either get the fish to hit it or follow and then when we know they are there we can use football jigs or deep diving cranks to get them although sometimes they hit the lipless so good there is no need to change up.