There are certain parts of the country where a lipless crankbait is a must for cold water fishing. One of the meccas for fishing them during the winter months is Lake Guntersville, Alabama, where Bass Pro Tour rookie Ryan Salzman has spent years guiding clients under his Alabama Bass Guide business.
He knows that there's a time when a lipless crankbait is a must for fishing grass on his home lake, but he's successfully used them on lakes without grass throughout the country during the coldest times of the year.
When to Grab the Lipless
There is no set time of year or moment when the technique will work, but Salzman has had his best success under a certain water clarity and temperature range.
"For me, I go to the Yo-Zuri Rattl'n Vibe when the water finally cools down and gets below 55-degrees," he said. "It's also best when the water has some color to it after the winter rains make the water dirty. I'll fish it from there and down until the water is into the 40s."
Because he's fishing primarily in stained water this time of year, he most often reaches for a red bait but will also mix in shad patterns and chromes.
"Rayburn Red is great because the fish can see it in dirtier water and it's just a confidence thing for me after having so much success with it," says Salzman. "Sexy Shad is another good one and so is Royal Purple Shad."
Salzman will fish his lipless crankbaits, primarily in the 5/8-ounce size, on a Dobyns 743 rod, high-speed reel, and a varying line selection.
"I always start with 16-pound Yo-Zuri T7 fluorocarbon but will go up or down if I want the bait to run differently," he says. "If I want it to run a little deeper, I'll go to 14 or even 12-pound test. If I want it shallower because I am fishing two or three feet grass, I bump it up to 20-pound. The line diameter is something that many people overlook in how a bait moves through the water because a thinner line will have less resistance and get the bait deeper in the water column."
Where to Fish Them
According to Salzman, one of the best places to fish a lipless in the winter months is around grass, but it's not a requirement.
"The best case scenario is green grass because bass love all kinds of grass, whether it is eelgrass, hydrilla, milfoil, or something else," he says. "The green grass is always best because it's full of life and usually when I catch one, I am also hooking and bringing up green grass on some casts. They will still be in dead and dying grass at times, but green grass is the best."
Finding green grass during the winter months can be a challenge, but Salzman pays attention to weather trends and first looks in bays and backwaters.
"If you follow the warming trends, you can find early grass on Guntersville or places like Sam Rayburn in the winter and early spring," he says. "The first new grass will always be in shallow water and pockets where the sun penetration is best."
If you can't find grass on your home waters, Salzman says to look for other prime locations.
"I also guide on Pickwick and they draw it down every year, so you don't find the grass, but the bass get on gravel and stumps," he shares. "You can get in the long tapering bars or around stumps and bang your lipless into them and get bit."
Ripping and Yo-Yo'ing a Lipless
Two of the prime ways Salzman will fish a lipless crankbait in colder months is by ripping it from the grass and fishing it with a yo-yo retrieve.
"When it is really cold, I like to yo-yo it with a lift and drop retrieve," he says. "I'll reel down and lift my rod to get it to vibrate and then drop it again. The Rattl'n Vibe is so good because it has the perfect vibration and immediately starts to vibrate when you move your rod. Other baits I have used are not as consistent and you have to do more work to get it to vibrate."
Salzman will also intentionally fish it around grass, let it fall into it and then rip it free to generate a reaction from bass.
"I'll try to bury the bait in deeper grass and rip it free," he says. "It also works when banging into rocks. It's a perfect way to imitate a dying crawfish or baitfish."
The lipless crankbait is an excellent lure that you can fish in all seasons. They catch bass that are feeding on shad and crawfish and are a time tested part of a bass angler's arsenal. They are deadly during the winter months and one of the best ways to fool cold water bass.
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