Lipless Crankbaits Rattlin' Fast

By Gary Dobyns

The fall is a great time to fish. Once the water starts cooling, the fish really start feeding up, and it's the perfect time to cover a lot of water and catch a lot of lipless crankbait fish. It's fast and easy and a lot of fun because you can fish so aggressively.

We've all read a lot of material over the years about fishing lipless crankbaits in the fall. With good reason. The month of November, and into early December (as long as the temperature cooperates), is my very favorite time to throw a rattlebait. I really like it when the water temperature starts hitting the mid-50s. That's my optimum range be-cause the bass really start feeding up and reaction baits will get 'em.

There's such a difference between November and December, it's almost like fishing during two different seasons. In early November, for instance, the water's still really cooling and can hover in the mid-60s. Simply put, November is like a cooling down, serious-fall-pattern time; December's more of a straight-up winter phase. Most of this information you've probably read before, though.

So I'd like to take things a step further and give up a few of my fall secrets you've likely never read about. First, I'll explain what exactly happens in the water, then focus on fishing that water in the fastest, most thorough manner.

Green Is Gone
When the weeds start dying off in late October and into November, all the bass and baitfish that lived in the weeds start to move. The bass start pulling into really, really shallow water—prime territory to attack with a rattlebait. Basically, the fish will pull up to the first piece of outside structure or cover available—the first bank, long point, dock, ledge, brushpile, reef, tule point—whatever they can use. And they're actively feeding.

Sure, it's a great time to deep crank on outside structure like humps, rockpiles and creek channels, but I'm not a deep-crankbait type of guy. I'm about using fast baits, and people know I like to fish lipless crankbaits fast, but how fast? Fast! I reel as fast as I can with a high-speed, 6.1:1 reel. The fish are so active they'll hit it, and by covering such a range of water so quickly, I can get on fish quick. And that's really the key, because you can find “hidden” fish.

This time of year, the fish are bunching up, so when you find a school of fish you can really work 'em. A lot of times, they'll just be sitting off what I call a big bay, but in a little bit deeper water. For instance, on Clear Lake, the water's low this time of year, so in the shallows, the water will only be two or three feet deep. Often, these fall fish will actually want to be in four, five or six feet of water. So they won't pull all the way in, they'll be sitting offshore.

But if you just search through these bays making random casts, you can locate a big school of fish. These fish are usually unpressured—there's nothing that gives away the fact that they're actually there. A lot of times, there's plenty of fish for a two-day tournament, too, so long as nobody sees you.

As the bite begins to change in December, change your retrieve. With a lipless crankbait, a stop-and-go retrieve is deadly. You burn it, kill the retrieve and let it drop six or eight inches, then take off with it again. As it gets cooler and cooler, you just need to change a little and figure out what's triggering the fish that day.

I'll still crank into December, but not as much. Once the water temperature is down into the low 50s, then the fish become more predictable. They don't move as much and you can actually locate a school of fish and they'll stay there. In this case, slower fishing pays off.

Bait Breakdown
My favorite lipless crankbaits are the Lucky Craft LV 100s. Color's not a big deal—I either throw reds, shads or chartreuse. For weight, I usually throw ½-ounce models, sometimes ¾-ouncers. I do throw a lot of my rattlebaits on 30-pound PowerPro braid, so I can snap them out of the weeds.

Rods are important, too. I throw rattlebaits on Loomis CBR rods. They're extremely light with the perfect action—easy to fish all day long. They have a soft tip, which is important with braid because there is no stretch—no forgiveness. When you get that fish close to the boat, if it makes a hard run, it can pull the trebles out. And be careful with drags—use a little play.

Perhaps most important, I really believe in changing out my hooks. I try to go one size bigger than the stock hooks. For instance, most rattlebaits come with a No. 4 and a No. 6, or a pair of 6s. I'll always go to at least a pair of 4s. And I'm a big believer in the Gamakatsu EWG trebles. I just think they're by far the best trebles on the market. I mean it, though, I won't throw the stock hooks.