Blade Baits

[dgretz]

Finally got on the water this weekend.  There was still ice on the lakes on the opener, May 5.  Last Friday got on the water, temp was 40.  fished in the rain and was struggling so I tied on a blade bait (Damiki Vault) and tried "ripping" as I had read an article recently in In-Fisherman.  Wow, caught 15 or so bass and 4 walleyes.  Went out the next day on a larger lake, there were still some ice flows and the water temp was 38.  Caught about 9 smallies.  What a blast.  I am sold on the merits of blades in cold water.  One problem I have is the line fouling in the hooks on just about every cast.  Tried keeping a tighter line but didn't seem to make any difference.  I like the technique, but any advice on preventing foul-ups?  I was using 10 lb fluoro on spinning gear.

[papajoe222]

If you're using spinning gear, drop your index finger down to the edge of the spool just before the bait hits the water. The same thing applies for topwater baits with props at the front. 

You can expect a blade bait to produce until the fish really start their move to the spawning areas.  Even when they are staging before their last move or when they drop back because of a cold front.  More of a swimming retrieve with twitches of the rod tip seems to work better than a ripping retrieve then.

Don't be hesitant to switch to a lipless crank if the bite dies off. Sometimes you can stir them up a little and put a few more in the boat before moving on.