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

This EASY Trick Catches BIG Bass In Spring!

Red baits and Orange baits catch BIG bass in Spring! Don't worry about why, just worry about how to use it to your advantage the next time you're at the lake. With 100's of options to choose from, Matt breaks down his favorite Chatterbaits, Spinnerbait, Squarebills, and Lipless crankbaits for Spring bass fishing, and includes tips for both beginner and advanced anglers. 

The biggest issue with throwing these crawfish-imitating baits is knowing exactly which color to throw. Why are some transparent red while others are day-glow orange? Are they for different fisheries or can all of these work on your lake depending on the conditions? Matt answers every question in today's video as he explains how to adapt between colors, when to make the switch, and why he always starts with "Cold Blooded". 

With so many baits to choose from we've narrowed it down to a small handful of our favorites. All of the baits are linked below and include our favorite colors by model. We've also included some of the gear we use to throw these baits and any hook or hardware upgrades that you may need. All of the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

Matt's Favorite Squarebills... 

-River2Sea Biggie Poppa (Cold Blooded): http://bit.ly/2ahCzvo

-Spro Little John 50 (Blood Craw): http://bit.ly/2dDfuqt

Squarebills... 

-Luhr Jensen Speed Trap: https://bit.ly/3ccfJbV

Colors: Orange Crawfish, Hot Texas Red, Delta Craw, Crystal Crawdad

-13 Fishing Scamp 1.5: https://bit.ly/3iMkYAw

Colors: MudBug Punch

-River2Sea Biggie: http://bit.ly/2ahCzvo

Colors: Rooster, Delta Craw

-Spro Little John 50: http://bit.ly/2dDfuqt

Colors: Fire Craw, Western Craw, Delta Craw

Deep Diving Crankbaits...

-River2Sea Tactical DD75: http://bit.ly/37dclbX

Color: Blood Craw

-Megabass Deep Six: http://bit.ly/2A3clKP

Colors: Fire Craw, Tora Zari

-Spro Rock Crawler 55: http://bit.ly/2BLmsVN

Colors: Red Crawfish, Red Bug

Lipless... 

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

Colors: RT Escape Craw, Crawfish

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

Colors: TO Craw, Aurora Craw, Wakin

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

Colors: Rayburn Red, Tiger Craw, Toledo Gold

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

Colors: Royal Red, Rayburn Red

Blade Baits... 

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

Color: Red Hot Craw

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

Color: Holo Red Craw

Chatterbait... 

-Z Man Cross Eyes: https://bit.ly/2ZrZnVd

Colors: Fire Craw, Chili Dog

-Z Man JackHammer: http://bit.ly/2popvj6

Colors: Hites Hot Craw, Spring Craw

Chatterbait Trailers... 

-Big Bite Baits SwimOn: https://bit.ly/2NkSdPV

Colors: FlameThrower, Green Pumpkin FlameThrower, Sweet Potato Pie

-Yamamoto Zako: http://bit.ly/2fKmSRp

Colors: Watermelon Copper Orange Red Laminate

Spinnerbait...

-Blade Runner Double Willow: http://bit.ly/2ShreWf

Color: Delta Craw

-D&M Sniper: http://bit.ly/3b3TPHa

Color: Delta Red Crawler

Budget Squarebill/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 Deep Crankbait Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Intenza 7'6" MH Glass: http://bit.ly/2QADLTq

Reel- Shimano SLX XT HG: http://bit.ly/2BRTYL8

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

Budget Chatterbait/Spinnerbait Combo...

Rod- St. Croix Bass X 7'4" Medium heavy: http://bit.ly/2r0xWAs

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

Line- Sunline Assassin 15 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

Top 5 Baits For Late Winter Bass Fishing!

Its still cold but the fish are getting aggressive! Late Winter is a special time full of big bass and exciting days on the water if you know how to adapt. Sure, you can stick to the same Winter baits you've been throwing these past months, but you're not doing yourself any favors. Its time to adapt, let us show you how. 

A lot of anglers get confused about the transitions between late Winter and the prespawn. We're definitely not in the prespawn yet, water temps are cold (mid-40's in most of the country and even colder farther North) but the fish can sense the change coming and are beginning to get active despite the cold temperatures. This is the time to set the finesse rods down, pick up the reaction baits, and catch the biggest bass of the year. 

We use a handful of very specific baits this time of year. We've broken the baits down by style and included some of our favorite models and colors for each category. Each bait is linked directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of the item. We've also included some of our favorite gear for throwing these baits so you'll be prepared when the big one decides to eat your lure. 

Deep Cranks... 

-R2S TacticalBassin DD75: http://bit.ly/37dclbX

Colors: DD Minnow, Ghost Minnow

-Megabass Deep X 300: http://bit.ly/2sSQHpt

Colors: MB Gizzard, Sexy Ayu

A-Rigs... 

-Hog Farmer BFL Flex Rig: https://bit.ly/2WtLCVK

-G Funk Bladed Cali Rig: http://bit.ly/2rZhST7

-Yum Flash Mob Jr: http://bit.ly/2bgDGNu

Small Underspin... 

Head- CoolBaits 1/8 oz Down Under: http://bit.ly/2boS7QA

Bait- Keitech 2.8" Fat Swing Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Colors: Electric Shad, Pro Blue Red Pearl

Blade Baits... 

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

Colors: Black Holo, Holo Ayu, Holo Mossback

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

Colors: Jukucho Shad, Setsuki Ayu, Ito Hiuo

Squarebill Crankbaits... 

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

Colors: Cold Blooded, Delta Craw, I Know It

-Luhr Jensen Hot Lips: http://bit.ly/3ccfJbV

Colors: Crystal Hot Texas Red, Wedge

-13 Fishing Scamp 1.5: http://bit.ly/3iMkYAw

Colors: Mudbug Punch, Day Old Guac, Epic Shad

GlideBait... 

-G Ratt Sneaky Pete 7.5": http://bit.ly/2RYCPFe

Colors: Hitch, Gizzard Shad

Budget Blade Bait/Underspin Combo... 

Rod- St. Croix Bass X 6'8" Medium: http://bit.ly/2r0xWAs

Reel- Shimano SLX 150 XT: http://bit.ly/2BRTYL8

Line- Sunline Assassin 10 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Budget Squarebill/Deep Crank Combo... 

Rod- Dobyns Fury 7' Medium Heavy Cranking: http://bit.ly/2bGvlVV

Reel- Shimano SLX 150 XT: http://bit.ly/2BRTYL8

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

Budget Glidebait Combo... 

Rod- Dobyns Fury 7'9" Medium Heavy Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2bGvlVV

Reel- Shimano Curado 300K: https://bit.ly/2HbZ3E4

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

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

Want TacticalBassin Apparel?  

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

How To Catch Bass In Cold Water Without Slowing Down!

Winter fishing doesn't have to be boring! So many anglers have fallen into the trap of slow, methodical fishing in the Winter. Did you know you can trigger a feed response by speeding up? Its true! Matt explains the keys to getting consistent bites in the coldest Winter temperatures without ever slowing down. 

The key to consistent Winter bites with reaction baits is understanding what it takes to "trigger" a feed response. Its also key to understand all baits are not created equal. Cold water separates the perfectly balanced, perfectly tuned baits, from the endless stream of new tackle hitting the market every year. If you want to be consistent in Winter, fish the right baits with proper technique and its only a matter of time before you start catching quality fish. 

There are 3 very different approaches to Winter. You can swimbait for a giant, finesse fish for consistent action, or power fish with bite triggering retrieves to try and find the best of both worlds. Whichever path you choose, Winter fishing is worse the effort. Its incredibly peaceful, there is minimal boat traffic, and the odds of catching a big bass are very high. 

Below you'll find links to the 5 styles of baits we use to trigger a feed response. We've included our favorite baits, favorite colors, and hardware upgrades where relevant. We've also included our favorite equipment for some of these techniques. All of the links go directly Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

Related Videos... 

-Winter Reaction On Chickamauga: https://youtu.be/hLC67fc3vqw

-Cold Water Crankbaits In-Depth: https://youtu.be/FPaL13899uc

Main Crankbaits... 

Our Deep Diver- R2S Tactical DD 75: http://bit.ly/37dclbX

Colors: Ghost Minnow, DD Minnow, Mirrored Minnow

Shallow Diver- Rapala Ott's Garage Slim 06: https://bit.ly/3pV1CLN

Colors: Live River Shad, Green Gizzard Shad, Rootbeer Craw

Other Phenomenal Winter Cranks... 

Shallower Cover- Spro Rock Crawler: http://bit.ly/2BLmsVN

Colors: Phantom Green, Green Craw

Mid Depth- Megabass Deep X 300: http://bit.ly/2sSQHpt

Colors: PM Kisyu Ayu, MB Gizzard, Sexy Ayu

Deep Diving- Megabass Deep Six: http://bit.ly/2A3clKP

Colors: PM Kisyu Ayu, MB Gizzard, Ito Wakasagi

Alabama Rigs... 

-HogFarmer BFL FLEX Rig: https://bit.ly/2WtLCVK

-G Funk Baits Cali Rig: http://bit.ly/2nD76fw

A-Rig components... 

Heads- Matt Allen Swimbait Heads (1/8 oz): http://bit.ly/29RrTYN

Baits- Keitech 4.3" or 4.8" Fat Swing Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Split Rings- Owner Hyperwire #4: http://bit.ly/2v8ArBX

Jerkbaits... 

Megabass Vision 110: http://bit.ly/2j31TKb

Megabass Vision 110+1: http://bit.ly/2iGYOCX

Megabass Vision 110 Jr: http://bit.ly/2OeAFBf

Megabass Vision 110 Jr +1: https://bit.ly/2LnK389

Colors: GP Pro Blue, Elegy Bone, Ito Tennessee Shad, Mat Shad

Lipless Crankbaits... 

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

Colors: Ghost Minnow, American Shad, Chartreuse Shad
-Jackall TN-70: http://bit.ly/2lqAwjh

Colors: Ghost Minnow, RT Scale Minnow, SG Threadfin

Blade Baits... 

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

Colors: Black Holo, Cyber Purple, Real Shad

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

Colors: Ito Hiuo, Jukucho Shad, Setsuki Ayu

Blade Bait Component Upgrades... 

Line Tie: Owner Hyperwire #3 Split Ring: http://bit.ly/2v8ArBX

Hook Rings: Owner Hyperwire #2 Split Rings: http://bit.ly/2v8ArBX

Hooks: Owner ST-36 Size 6: http://bit.ly/2cWpeyw

Matt's A-Rig Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Zodias 7'5" Heavy: https://bit.ly/3aeQbYW

Reel- Shimano Curado 200K (HG): http://bit.ly/2tHewEh

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

Leader- Sunline FC-100 System Leader 20 lb: http://bit.ly/2O4UElB

Budget Jerkbait/Blade Bait Combo... 

Rod- St. Croix Bass X 6'8" Medium XFast: http://bit.ly/2r0xWAs

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

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

Want TacticalBassin Apparel?  

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 Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz