Lipless Crankbait and Blade Bait Tips For Spring Bass Fishing

The lipless crankbait is a staple in most angler's Spring bass fishing arsenal, but very few understand the late-season effectiveness of the blade bait. Both options can produce incredible results in Spring and you should fish them with confidence. 

Today we're heading down the rabbit hole of lipless and blade baits. Matt begins with a surface level approach, recommending a couple baits for all-around success, but it doesn't take long before we're looking at niche baits, detailed color analysis, and in-depth descriptions of how big bass stage in Spring. 

With an almost endless list of baits in today's video we're using the video description to simplify the selections. Below you'll find links to our favorite all-around baits, our favorite baits by depth, and our favorite gear to throw them. We've included favorite colors, hook upgrades, and more. All of the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

If You Could Only Have One... 

Bottom Contact- Lucky Craft LV-500 (Ghost minnow): http://bit.ly/2aAUUbd

Shallow Retrieve- Cotton Cordell Spot (Chrome Blue): http://bit.ly/2y3K210

Favorite Blade Baits For Spring... 

-Megabass Dyna Response 1/2 oz: http://bit.ly/2R7FlvL

Favorite Colors: Ito Hiuo, Jukucho Shad, Gill OB

-Damiki Vault 1/2 oz: http://bit.ly/2rnO7e2

Favorite Colors: Black Holo, Holo Cyber Purple, Real Shad

Lipless Crankbaits For Bottom Hopping... 

-Jackall TN-70: http://bit.ly/2lqAwjh

Favorite Colors: Super Shad, SG Threadfin, RT Escape Craw

-Lucky Craft LV-500: http://bit.ly/2aAUUbd

Favorite Colors: Ghost minnow, American Shad, Chartreuse Shad

Lipless Cranks For Mid-Column Fishing... 

-Booyah One Knocker: https://bit.ly/3kyOoD5

Colors: Bling, Ghost, Tiger Craw

-6th Sense Quake 70: http://bit.ly/2Kxt4zm

Colors: Crimson Flash, Shad Hammer

-Strike King Red Eye Shad: http://bit.ly/2fqX1RT

Colors: Chartreuse Sexy Shad, Chrome Sexy Shad, Delta Red

Lipless Crankbaits For Shallow Fishing... 

-Damiki Tremor 65: http://bit.ly/2fVt8H6

Colors: American Shad, Real Shad, Red Craw

-Cotton Cordell Super Spot: http://bit.ly/2y3K210

Colors: Chrome Blue, Royal Red

-Lucky Craft LVR D-7: http://bit.ly/3r45j1T

Colors: Golden Shiner, Chartreuse Shad, Ghost Minnow

Split Ring/Treble Hook Upgrades...  

Split Rings- Owner Hyperwire (Size 3): http://bit.ly/2v8ArBX

Hooks For BIG Fish- Owner ST-56: http://bit.ly/2cVg7xW

Sizes: 4 for 1/2 oz baits, 2 for 3/4 oz baits

**LV-500 and TN-70 both use Size 4 Hooks**

Hooks For Quality Fish- Gamakatsu EWG: http://bit.ly/2cZrsbY

Sizes: 4 for 1/2 oz baits, 2 for 3/4 oz baits

**LV-500 and TN-70 both use Size 4 Hooks**

Our Favorite Lipless Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 845 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Bantam 150 XG: http://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 30 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Sunline FC-100 Shock Leader 16 lb: http://bit.ly/2O4UElB

Great Mid-Price Lipless Combo... 

Rod- Megabass Levante Flat Size Special: http://bit.ly/2FdE3YY

Reel- Shimano SLX MGL 70 (HG): https://bit.ly/3gIUCgJ

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 30 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Maxima Ultragreen 15 lb Mono: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Budget Lipless Combo... 

Rod- Dobyns Fury 705 CB (7' Med Heavy Cranking): http://bit.ly/2bGvlVV

Reel- Shimano SLX HG: http://bit.ly/2NfdOnk

Line- Sunline Assassin Fluorocarbon 15 lb: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Budget Blade Bait Combo...

Rod- 13 Fishing 6'10" Medium Omen Black 3: http://bit.ly/3lAXbEV

Reel- 13 Fishing Origin C (8:1): http://bit.ly/392qsU6

Line- Sunline Assassin Fluorocarbon 12 lb: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Want TacticalBassin Gear?  

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz

Bites On Every Cast! Spring Bass Fishing Chaos with Blade Baits and Glide Baits!

The bite is on fire!! Come along for a morning of bass fishing on Clearlake like we all dream about! Matt is throwing a glide bait and a blade bait and the fishing is incredible! Bass are schooling up before the spawn and this school is feeding heavily on small baitfish. Once Matt dials in the blade bait cadence, the fish start biting on every cast!

Many anglers overlook the effectiveness of lipless crankbaits and blade baits fished slowly along the bottom in Spring. They throw blade baits in Winter but they put them away as the water warms up in Spring. With newer baits like the Megabass Dyna Response and Damiki Vault coming to the market, blade bait season has extended all the way through the Spring. Its a great addition to your lipless crankbait arsenal to ensure you're catching the maximum number of fish when you locate schooling fish. 

Today's video revolves around two baits. Matt's first fish came on the Baitsanity Antidote glide bait, the rest fell for the Megabass Dyna Response 1/2 oz in Ito Hiuo. Keep in mind, when the bite is on, you don't have to have 50 different baits on deck to catch fish. You simply need to put the time in, learn from the clues you're getting on the water, and adapt with the conditions. 

Below you'll find links to the exact baits Matt was using as well as the gear he fished to keep those fish pinned all the way to the boat. Notice how few of his fish got off, despite fishing a heavy blade bait with small trebles on long casts. Using the right gear is key! All of the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

Below the gear links you'll find time stamps for the video so you can jump between key fish catches if you'd like. However, this may be the one full-length video you want to watch straight through because as the bite heats up, its EVERY CAST!

Matt's Baits... 

Swimbait- Baitsanity Antidote Slow Sink (Shad): http://bit.ly/2ztUk9z

Other Great Colors- Summer Shad, Trout

Blade Bait- Megabass Dyna Response 1/2 oz (Ito Hiuo): http://bit.ly/2R7FlvL

Other Great Colors- Jukucho Shad, Setsuki Ayu

Backup Swimbait- G Ratt Sneaky Pete (Hitch): http://bit.ly/2RYCPFe

Matt's Glide Bait Combo... 

Rod- Dobyns Fury 806H: http://bit.ly/2bGvlVV

Reel- Shimano Tranx 300 HG: http://bit.ly/2kYsvRw

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 65 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 30 lb Sunline FC100 Shock Leader: http://bit.ly/2O4UElB

Matt's Blade Bait Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Expride 6'10" Medium: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Shimano Aldebaran MGL 50 HG: http://bit.ly/2uQ4oH8

Line- Sunline Assassin 12 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Budget Blade Bait Combo...

Rod- 13 Fishing 6'10" Medium Omen Black 3: http://bit.ly/3lAXbEV

Reel- 13 Fishing Origin C (8:1): http://bit.ly/392qsU6

Line- Sunline Assassin Fluorocarbon 12 lb: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Want TacticalBassin Gear?  

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz

Cut Points For This Video... 

3:30 Matt Catches Bass On Glide Bait

11:05 First Blade Bait Fish

16:35 The decision that changes everything, bit IMMEDIATELY

32:30 Next Cast Is A Giant!! Cut Points End Because its big bass on every cast!

GIANT Georgia Bass! Swimbait, Senko, and Texas Rigs For Pre-Spawn Bass

We're on a new lake and there are BIG BASS in the shallows! It doesn't take long for CC to get a big one to commit to the glide bait! Come along as we adapt to changing conditions and build a pattern on a brand new fishery with a combination of big baits and Texas-Rigged plastics. 

When visiting new fisheries, swimbaits are one of our confidence baits because of their ability to draw fish out of cover. You can learn more in a few hours watching what follows behind your swimbait than you can in weeks with traditional lures. Its an added bonus when those big fish start biting! Today was one of those days when a big one committed to the bait and our very first fish on a new lake was a giant! 

As the sun began breaking through we turned to more traditional methods to get consistent bites. Our fish came on a combination of 6" senkos and curly tail worms. Below you'll find links to all the baits we used in the video. We've included the exact colors we were throwing, the hooks and rigging we used, as well as some of our gear.  

CC's Glide Bait... 

Bait- S Waver 168 (Bluegill): http://bit.ly/2aiu8Sh

Hooks- Owner ST-56 (Size 2): http://bit.ly/2cVg7xW

Split Rings- Owner Hyperwire (Size 4): http://bit.ly/2v8ArBX

Our Other Swimbaits... 

-G Ratt Sneaky Pete (Hitch): http://bit.ly/2RYCPFe

-Jackall Gantarel (RT Ghost Gill): http://bit.ly/2adZI3R

-Bucca Bull Gill (Bluegill): http://bit.ly/2f1ASHn

Senko...  

Bait- Yamamoto 6" Senko (Wtrmln/Grn Pump Red Flk): http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

Hook- Gamakatsu Superline Wide Gap 4/0: http://bit.ly/2ac92XG

Curly Tail Worm... 

Bait- Keitech Mad Wag Long Worm 8" (Blue Fleck): https://bit.ly/3dkFMLl

Hook- Owner Jungle Wide Gap (Size 4/0): http://bit.ly/2sBsR1Z

Weight- Swagger Tungsten Vader Weight (3/8 oz): https://bit.ly/3c28mks

Sinker Stop- VMC Sinker Stops: http://bit.ly/38XLQd4

CC's Glide Bait Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Expride 7'2" heavy: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Shimano Curado 151 DC (HG): http://bit.ly/2yHtsp4

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 65 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Maxima Ultragreen 20 lb Mono: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Matt's Senko Combo... 

Rod- St. Croix Victory 7'3" Heavy: http://bit.ly/3f4tcEb

Reel- Shimano Metanium DC (HG): http://bit.ly/2qrSZvs 

Line- Sufix 131 Braid 50 lb: http://bit.ly/314VoyF

Leader- Sunline FC100 16 lb Shock Leader: http://bit.ly/2O4UElB

Matt's Texas Rig Combo...

Rod- Megabass Levante Tour Versatile: http://bit.ly/2FdE3YY

Reel- Shimano Metanium MGL 150 B (XG): https://bit.ly/34HlAAk

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 65 lb braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 25 lb Sunline FC100 Shock Leader: http://bit.ly/2O4UElB

Budget Small Glide Bait Combo... 

Rod- Shimano SLX 7'2" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2L3wppO

Reel- Shimano SLX XT (HG): http://bit.ly/2NfdOnk

Line- Sunline Assassin 20 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Want TacticalBassin Gear?  

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz

Squarebill Crankbait Tricks To Catch More Bass Right Now!

Squarebills are a great way to cover water and catch bass in Spring. They're great for fishing shallow because of their ability to deflect off cover. They catch aggressive fish with ease but you can also adjust your retrieve to trigger a feed response from inactive fish. Today we're covering a few of the tricks we use to really dial in the shallow squarebill crankbait bite in Spring. 

As the fish stage around shallow spawning areas the squarebill begins to shine. There are a few considerations when choosing the right squarebill, such as color, rattling or silent, and diving depth. Understanding how each of these variables can be adapted to changing conditions will help you catch fish much more consistently. 

In addition to those variables Tim has a few tricks he applies to maximize his effectiveness with square bills. He uses several different hooks for different situations and pays very close attention to his equipment. Below you'll find links to his top rattling and top silent square bills, separated by diving depth. We've also included links to some of our favorite rod and reel combos for this technique. All of the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

Silent Squarebills... 

Ultra Shallow- Rapala BX Brat: http://bit.ly/2qFBMiR

Colors: Delta, Hot Dang, Mossy

Shallow- Lucky Craft 1.5: http://bit.ly/2BGxKPa

Colors: American Shad, TO Craw, Flake Flake Stripe Gill

Mid-Depth- Lucky Craft 2.5: http://bit.ly/2BGxKPa

Colors: American Shad, Chartreuse Shad

Rattling Squarebills... 

Ultra Shallow- River2Sea Biggie Smalls: http://bit.ly/2ahCzvo

Colors: Cold Blooded, I know It, Abalone Shad

Shallow- Spro Little John Type R: https://bit.ly/3j0GS3a

Colors: Copper Shad, Homemade Shad, Rayburn Red

Mid-Depth- River2Sea Biggie Poppa: http://bit.ly/2ahCzvo

Colors: Cold Blooded, I know It, Abalone Shad

Hook/Ring Upgrades... 

Tim's Favorite Crank Hook- Owner ST-35: http://bit.ly/2g8uCMj

Tim's Traditional Crankbait Hook- Owner ST-36: http://bit.ly/2cWpeyw

Bladed Hook- VMC Bladed Hybrid: http://bit.ly/2oqWODi

Split Rings- Owner Hyperwire (Size 2 or 3): http://bit.ly/2v8ArBX

Hook Sizes... 

BX Brat, 1.5, Biggie Smalls, Little John: Size 4

Biggie Poppa, 2.5: Size 2

High-end Squarebill Combo... 

Rod- Megabass P5 Z-Crank: https://bit.ly/30GcHqb

Reel- Shimano Metanium 150 B (XG): https://bit.ly/34HlAAk

Line- Sunline Sniper 12 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

All-Around Squarebill Combo... 

Rod- Dobyns Champion XP 704 (7' Medium): http://bit.ly/29OVD4V

Reel- Shimano SLX 70 MGL (HG): https://bit.ly/3gIUCgJ

Line- Sunline Assassin 12 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Budget Squarebill Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Intenza 7' Medium Glass: http://bit.ly/2QADLTq

Reel- Shimano SLX 70 MGL (HG): https://bit.ly/3gIUCgJ

Line- Sunline Assassin 12 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Want TacticalBassin Gear?  

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz