Early Spring: Lipless & Squarebill Tips?

[AJ Hauser]

Hey guys,

I had a couple questions regarding the use of lipless cranks and squarebills this spring. They seem to be a popular option for several of the fishermen here... I was hoping to get a bit more insight so I could start to build a bit more confidence this season with both: 

 

1. For early season lipless fishing - how would you all go about working this presentation? It's not a confidence bait for me, but I'd like to get better at this. Where are you looking (conditions / location / depth) and how are you working it? 

 

2. Are squarebills an option and if so, what would I be looking for before tying one on? I have a bit more confidence in these after last year but I have only fished them shallow over rip-rap shorelines and had success. What causes the fish to move up shallow - and early on are they moving in and out or what would that behavior look like while the water is still really cold?

 

Any info would be appreciated - thank you. 

[MN Fisher]

My opinions - nothing more...take with a grain of salt.

 

1: I like to run them either along weed-edges or across deeper 'plains' (humps or islands with 8'-12' of water over them). Either straight retrieve or yo-yo (burn/pause or burn/slow-roll)

 

2: Really cold (under 55) - I'd keep the squarebills in the box and pull out the jerks. Once spawn begins, that's when you pull out the squarebills.

[ironbjorn]

Yo-yo the lipless or let it sink, rip it up, let it sink, rip it up, repeat

[Deleted account]

The choice of lure is key here. A cold water CB and lipless is different than their summer counterparts. The fish will stage and then slide up or down depending on location and conditions. Look on breaks, and more often than not, they will be huddled in proximity. Mid 40s water with a rising temp has me using these 2 (or at least trying them) from the colder water lures like JBs, smalll swimbaits, and the one I don't speak of.

[RDB]

I fish largemouth (primarily Texas) so I’m not as familiar with smallmouth behavior.  As “deleted account” ? said, bass tend to move vertically v. horizontally during colder months.  They also tend to suspend more during non feeding periods.  It’s less about the actual depth and more about ability to access multiple depths.  You can catch them shallow but as a general rule, I want deeper water access close by.  I personally wouldn’t fish something like a big shallow flat where they have to move some distance to access deeper water.  As the water continues to warm, they will often move to staging areas outside their spawning sites.  In my area, bass get more active a lot earlier than many fishermen realize.  As the days get longer, they anticipate the season changes.  Lipless and CB’s can be great cold water lures.  Something like a Frittside, a shad rap, or even a wiggle wart can be excellent, especially around rock.  Rock holds heat well during sunny periods and I will often look for rocky areas near deeper water.

[DitchPanda]

I work the lipless with a stop and go or yo yo technique. I look along north shores where the sun has been on it warming it all day...if there's a south wind blowing into shore even better. I'm not a huge square bill guy especially in cold water..I much prefer a spinner bait or a swim jig. In spring I prefer fishing in late afternoon allowing the water to warm as much as possible.

[Bankbeater]

Most of the vegetation has usually died off around here by now so I look for structure like creek channels, drop offs, rip rap, underwater humps, and man made points.  I'll cast parallel to the structure so I can keep the bait along side it for longer. 

[Bluebasser86]

I've never had much luck on squarebills (or any cranks), early in the year except in the Ozark lakes with Wiggle Warts. 

 

Lipless baits early in the year around any remaining vegetation, either with a slow, steady retrieve or yo-yoing retrieve can be very productive. Rock is another place I like to use them. 

[Catt]

6th Sense Movement 80X, richoet it off wood.

 

[jbsoonerfan]

I fish a lipless anytime. Time of year depends on where and how. Cold months I like to fish it around rock and yo-yo it. The warmer it gets, I will find grass and burn it. A squarebill is for warmer water for me. 

 

Here is a 7+ from I think Jan 7th of this year on a lipless.

[scaleface]

I want to fish cranks "lipless and squarebills" tight to cover so the most important aspect of the lure to me is  weight . If not under-hand tossed precisely then it cant be fished effectively . So I either have to match the lure weight to the rod or match the rod to the weight . I dont think I'm as  good a caster as a lot of other guys , so its imperative  to get the weight right .  To little weight the lure goes left  , to much    they go  right . 

 

If I'm fishing parallels to the shore , weight isnt as much a factor . I like to  fish steep sunny banks in early spring . 

[AJ Hauser]

Awesome - thank you guys so much for all of the feedback - this was extremely helpful!! 

 

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year - here's to a SOMEWHAT NORMAL YEAR. 

 

Best. 

[Mbirdsley]

I don’t pull cranks baits out untill the water hits 50-55 degrees. Now #5 shad raps though are a great cold water bait.  Caught my PB on march 26th 2020. Using a delta craw shad rap. Water was around 46-48 degrees. 
 

fishing lipless cranks are on my things to learn list this year 

[AJ Hauser]

9 hours ago, Mbirdsley said:

Caught my PB on march 26th 2020. Using a delta craw shad rap. Water was around 46-48 degrees. 

 

Awesome man, thank you! What depth were you working with that Shad Rap? Was it jointed or standard / floating? 

[Mbirdsley]

18 hours ago, AJ Hauser said:

 

Awesome man, thank you! What depth were you working with that Shad Rap? Was it jointed or standard / floating? 

I was working a 7-8 ft flat.  The OG balsa shad rap.  I’ve got a couple glass and plastic shad raps but I never really get around to using them. 
 

Actually, the whole lake is kinda just one big flat.  The smaller ish lake I was fishing is kinda just a bowl.  There is a hole that gets to maybe 25 ft deep on the western shore.  Other than that there are pads that ring the entire outside of the lake than it kinda just gradually gets deeper untill you hit the hole right off the western shore.

 

usually a #5 shad rap will get down 6-8 ft depending on line.  I usually throw them on my m/l spinning rod with 10 lbs flouro.

[AJ Hauser]

1 hour ago, Mbirdsley said:

Actually, the whole lake is kinda just one big flat.  The smaller ish lake I was fishing is kinda just a bowl.  There is a hole that gets to maybe 25 ft deep on the western shore.  

 

Thanks man! This is interesting - I fish a lot of smaller bodies of water (10 - 20 acres) with similar properties. Some days crankbaits work great, other days... not so much... I'll have to try a few shad raps this year. Happy New Year!