BFM_DecJan_2024 | Page 37

PHOTO BY ROB MATSUURA
DeFoe finds lipless baits most effective in areas with little depth change , targeting mud flats and banks with a slow taper , preferably with a little gravel , chunk rock or wood mixed in .
“ In fall , fish head to these areas to chase bait ,” he says . “ I like areas less than 6 or 7 feet deep , relatively flat or with slow tapers , not bluffs or 45- degree tapers . But baitfish on that flat is the number one requirement .”
Wind can help make a flat more productive , too . It generates current , breaks up sunlight at the surface and seems to make fish less spooky — all positives when you ’ re wielding lipless baits .
Inside turns in bottom structure or grass lines can draw schools of bass on natural lakes , notes Wheeler .
“ When it ’ s cold , those inside turns harbor more fish than the tips of points ,” says the Indiana native . “ That ’ s true whether you ’ re fishing lakes in Indiana , Michigan , or Wisconsin , or even Tennessee .”
Lintner , who got his early bass fishing education on California waters before moving to Georgia , fishes the “ freshest , greenest grass ” on grass lakes in fall , but finds his lipless baits equally effective when grass is nowhere to be found .
“ I look for ditches when the water gets cold ,” he says . “ Fish migrate to creek channel beds , the backs of creek arms or pockets or any other kind of ditch .”
Depth doesn ’ t limit the application either .
“ It can be 5 feet , 20 feet , or even 40 feet deep ,” Lintner adds . “ I can cast a lipless bait like the Jackall TN 60 or 70 and let it fall , whereas a billed crankbait would be limited to the depth the bill allows it to reach .”
a bait for every condition
The Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap popularized the lipless crankbait category , and it ’ s hard to find a bass angler today who doesn ’ t have at least a few “ Traps ” in his tackle arsenal . But several brands have delivered their own twist on the Trap in recent decades , resulting a wide range of lipless options on the market .
Lipless baits today vary in nose width , size , weight distribution , wiggle ,
COLD WATER MAGIC
Experimentation with color and retrieve is the key to success when fishing with lipless crankbaits in the cold .
rattle , falling action , vibration and drop rate , not to mention the countless colors manufacturers offer .
Wheeler seeks to match the characteristics of his bait to the conditions . He calls the Storm Arashi Vibe — a bait DeFoe used to win the 2019 Bassmaster Classic — his “ everyday ” lipless bait .
“ I like its middle of the road wiggle and wobble . It is not too loud , not super subtle ,” he says . It ’ s his starting point , but not necessarily his last stop . He will shift to an offering with different rattle , vibration , size or fall rate as needed . The Rapala Rippin ’ Rap , for example , is his choice when cold water calls for a lift-and-drop , yo-yo style of retrieve .
As their “ rattle bait ” moniker might suggest , the type of chatter each nolip emits is a key point of distinction . A high-pitched rattle , such as those produced by multiple BBs in an original Rat-L-Trap , ruled the category for decades . But a defect in a Cotton Cordell Spot fitted with a lead slug decades ago created a niche for socalled “ one knocker ” baits — lipless
DECEMBER-JANUARY 2024 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 35