By Andy Parsons
A Soft Plastics Wizard Goes Lipless
How Peter T. Uses Rattlebaits to Find & Pattern Bass
 

Pro anglers can become typecast in the minds of bass fans.  Denny Brauer - jig.  Kevin Van Dam - spinnerbait.  "Peter T." Thliveros - Carolina-rig.  Right or wrong, many of us believe these top sticks live or die by the go-to baits we associate with their names.  But, as George and Ira Gershwin once wrote - it ain't necessarily so.  Bass West had a chance to chat with Peter T. as he prepared to head to Alabama's Lay Lake for the Bassmaster Classic scheduled for February 23 - 25, 2007 and find out how he uses lipless crankbaits to locate and catch bass.

Old School and New Wave

Thliveros is quick to point out that, although he uses rattlebaits, he's not considered one of the specialty's gurus.  "I do fish them a lot," he says, "but I haven't won a tournament on them.  They're tremendous search baits, though, for covering water and combing areas like huge grass flats."

A believer in showing the fish something different, especially when they're highly pressured, the Jacksonville, FL angler uses both old school standards and hot new designs.  "I still have a couple of handfuls of the old Cotton Cordell Hot Spots," he confides.  "It's out of production now, but it was one of the first of the lipless baits on the market.  It runs shallower and creates a unique sound.  Instead of BB's, it has a big, lead weight in the head for a knocker that also provides weight.  I like using it in five feet or less of water."

Thliveros is a fan as well of the Luhr-Jensen Sugar Shad, another lesser-known choice which is still being manufactured.  "It's a famous bait here on the St. John's River," he comments.  "We like to rip it off the bottom, since it tends to sit upright rather than lay on its side.

"I throw the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap and Rattlin' Rapala, too.  It's not as well known and has a different sound and vibration."  Peter T.'s selections, though, are not limited to lures that have been around for decades.  He also favors the Yo-Zuri Rattlin' Vibe and the Lucky Craft LV 500.  Of the latter, Thliveros states, "It has a 3" body but a ¾ oz weight.  So, it runs deeper, and it's great for bouncing off the bottom."

Rayburn, Red and Rattles

"I try not to get too crazy over colors," Thliveros admits.  "In colder water, I throw red.  In dirty water, I like chartreuse and orange.  And as waters warm and clear, I go with colors that are standard almost anywhere - chrome/blue and chrome/gold."

You don't earn over $1.5 million in a sport without learning to adapt.  The 46-year old pro says that on some waters, like Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Texas, red rattlebaits in the spring really are the way to go.  Although he freely admits that he's not sure why, "When in Rome…  We're even using red in Florida.  It may be related to water clarity and vegetation.  Plus, bass are feeding on crawfish, so they may be keyed in to that color.  Whatever the reason, red works everywhere in the Southeast at that time of year.  What a lot of people don't know about Rayburn is that, after springtime, chrome and chartreuse become top choices."

Thliveros notes that line size has a major impact on the amount of vibration you'll get out of these lures as well as the depth at which they'll run.  In the five to eight foot range, he chooses Original Stren mono in 10 to 14 lb test.  And when working heavy cover in shallow water, Peter T. opts for 30 to 50 lb Stren Super Braid, which lets him snatch the baits free from the thickest of weeds.  In these situations, he employs a 7' American Rodsmith David Fritts Signature Series Crankin' Rod; the fiberglass design provides the "give" necessary to prevent the braid from tearing lures free during the hookset and short-line fight.  Otherwise, Thliveros goes with 7' American Rodsmith Team Series Rods, composites that work well in combination with monofilament.  He does mention that when fishing deeper water, he uses fluorocarbon to reduce stretch and provide better depth control.