Lipless crankbaits for early spring pond bass

[TriStateBassin106]

Anyone have luck throwing these around in smaller lakes/ponds during the late winter/spring? This is my first year throwing lipless cranks in spring time and I want to know the basics. 

 

What water temp is best to throw these around in spring? 

 

What lipless retrieves work best for early spring bass? 

 

What cover should I throw these around? If there isn't any visible cover (rocks weeds etc) what part of the lake should I target? 

[Born 2 fish]

Absolutely I use a slow retrieve a yo yo retrieve a rip and drop. Let the fish tell you but vary it up till you get one. I will throw a lipless until it’s to weedy.  Try to find green weeds I basically just fan cast from the bank. Fish from ice out sometimes there is still some ice on the pond. 

[jbsoonerfan]

I was slow rolling one over some rock just last month and got her on a Spro Wameku in Delta Craw.

[Mr. Aquarium]

I got a chunky 2lber today in MA. Local ponds are still locked up solid. It was windy. Fished it parallel to the wind blown shore. Slow retrieve on bottom. 

[TriStateBassin106]

12 minutes ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

I got a chunky 2lber today in MA. Local ponds are still locked up solid. It was windy. Fished it parallel to the wind blown shore. Slow retrieve on bottom. 

Wow they'll bite a lipless in that cold water? 

[Mr. Aquarium]

5 minutes ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

Wow they'll bite a lipless in that cold water? 

This pond never freezes solid, it’s always open due to current but another pond very close by was completely locked solid 

[Hammer 4]

Bass don't stop feeding just cuz the water is cold, they do eat less. Most lures used in warmer water will work in cold water too.

[TnRiver46]

I’ve seen people catch fish with lipless through a hole in the ice. Chuck and reel! They eat them anywhere 

[Deleted account]

Small Super Spot. 

[Bassin.Drew]

I haven't fished them a lot, but I will say that red baits in stained water during prespawn are phenomenal

[LrgmouthShad]

Yes, absolutely. I am relatively new to them. Experimented with them when the spinnerbait bite died off for me this winter. I had success fishing them in grass by hopping them like a jig through the grass a little bit, NOT ripping them at this point. After a few hops, lift the crank enough to break free of the grass. If it does not break free, apply more pressure until it rips free. You may have to double pump it free of the grass. Though my experience is limited, I do not think that ripping them aggressively on the first pull is attractive in winter. Hopping, I would not worry about feeling the crank vibrate. But when you try to pull the crank free of the grass, I would at least make sure it is vibrating softly then. I had luck on delta craw, but I am eagerly awaiting a couple of Knock-N-Traps in toledo gold as recommended by Catt on some post. I expect great things from lipless in the prespawn.

[TriStateBassin106]

10 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Yes, absolutely. I am relatively new to them. Experimented with them when the spinnerbait bite died off for me this winter. I had success fishing them in grass by hopping them like a jig through the grass a little bit, NOT ripping them at this point. After a few hops, lift the crank enough to break free of the grass. If it does not break free, apply more pressure until it rips free. You may have to double pump it free of the grass. Though my experience is limited, I do not think that ripping them aggressively on the first pull is attractive in winter. Hopping, I would not worry about feeling the crank vibrate. But when you try to pull the crank free of the grass, I would at least make sure it is vibrating softly then. I had luck on delta craw, but I am eagerly awaiting a couple of Knock-N-Traps in toledo gold as recommended by Catt on some post. I expect great things from lipless in the prespawn.

I hope so man, really want to benefit off the lipless bite when it's time. Just need the water to unfreeze already hahaha. 

38 minutes ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

This pond never freezes solid, it’s always open due to current but another pond very close by was completely locked solid 

What's the water temp up there? Upper 40s? 

[Quarry Man]

IM DEDICATED TO LEARNING HOW TO FISH CRANKS WELL THIS YEAR. I HAVE A SELECTION BUT AM ALWAYS AFRAID OF LOSING THEM

[Ski213]

Yep. 5 acre farm pond. Usually right about this time of year. Typically my best luck has been with red. I focus mostly on the dam. Specifically the corners of the dam on this particular pond. There is some cover on this pond but this time of year the dam area is most productive. As far as retrieve I try to let the fish tell me what they want and I’ve done anything from yo-yo to ripping them with success. I start with a pretty steady medium retrieve though and try to stay somewhat high in the water column to begin with. 

[softwateronly]

Almost all of my lipless success in real cold water (less than 45) is right on or near the bottom, both hopping or a retrieve just fast enough to feel it and killing it periodically to get back on the bottom.  All sorts of models and colors have worked for me but if you run across a Luhr Jensen Sugar Shad in bleeding tennessee shad 1/2oz don't bother throwing it. 

 

scott

[ironbjorn]

I throw a lipless from ice out to hard water. Almost always successful.

[Bankbeater]

I fish with lipless cranks all the time in 3 and 4 acre ponds as soon as the ice is gone. I cast around submerged vegetation or along the dam.

[DitchPanda]

I've caught lots of fish on lipless the last few years in spring...as early as a week or two after ice out. Red colors work good this time of year but honestly I've done better with a gold black back. Ive tried various retrieves burning...stop and go..yo yo...my best by far has been just a slow steady retrieve just fast enough to keep it from digging into the bottom. Caught my biggest largemouth of the year in early April last year on a chrome blue back Cordell super spot.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

4 hours ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

I hope so man, really want to benefit off the lipless bite when it's time. Just need the water to unfreeze already hahaha. 

What's the water temp up there? Upper 40s? 

The lipless bite is on now, Im in Salem county and I beat em down today on lipless, JBs and small keitechs.  Water had a hard stain and lots of debris from the melt, temp was 36-39.  Your a few hours north of me and as long as you can find open water you should be able to find something going on.     

[Bluebasser86]

They'll eat a lipless as soon as the ice leaves, doesn't even have to leave all the way. I like to yo-yo or stroke them off the bottom in really cold water. The new suspending rattle baits are a new tool in the box that can be deadly in really cold water also, especially over grass.

[TriStateBassin106]

53 minutes ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

The lipless bite is on now, Im in Salem county and I beat em down today on lipless, JBs and small keitechs.  Water had a hard stain and lots of debris from the melt, temp was 36-39.  Your a few hours north of me and as long as you can find open water you should be able to find something going on.     

Yeah I plan on going sunday, what colors would you recommend for lipless around here? Besides maybe red I was thinking about something with flash like a gold. 

[zell_pop1]

3 hours ago, ironbjorn said:

I throw a lipless from ice out to hard water. Almost always successful.

This ^^

They work all year round especially those one knocker types.

[Mr. Aquarium]

11 hours ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

I hope so man, really want to benefit off the lipless bite when it's time. Just need the water to unfreeze already hahaha. 

What's the water temp up there? Upper 40s? 

Water temps can’t be more then 45.  It hasn’t been warm out. I was ice fishing a pond 5 miles away last week.  It’s been 20s and 30s out of the past few weeks

[mikey z]

18 hours ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

Wow they'll bite a lipless in that cold water? 

My 2021 PB of 4 lb was caught on a chartreuse Rapala Rippin Rap in Mid January, throwing long casts into open water from the bank and doing short yoyos off a muddy bottom. The water temps never really approach freezing here though, probably gets down in the 50s or possibly 40s at the lowest. I really don't have any idea to be honest lol I've been wanting to check the water temps because I've never been sure.

[TriStateBassin106]

15 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

They'll eat a lipless as soon as the ice leaves, doesn't even have to leave all the way. I like to yo-yo or stroke them off the bottom in really cold water. The new suspending rattle baits are a new tool in the box that can be deadly in really cold water also, especially over grass.

The second retrieve you mentioned, that's basically just slow reeling with the rod tip down right? So the lipless bangs off stuff? 

1 hour ago, mikey z said:

My 2021 PB of 4 lb was caught on a chartreuse Rapala Rippin Rap in Mid January, throwing long casts into open water from the bank and doing short yoyos off a muddy bottom. The water temps never really approach freezing here though, probably gets down in the 50s or possibly 40s at the lowest. I really don't have any idea to be honest lol I've been wanting to check the water temps because I've never been sure.

That's awesome man, I've never caught a winter bass. Earliest bass I get is in April but this year I'm hoping to change that with fishing in march hahaha.