This past year, specifically the fall, saw me have more success than ever using hard baits. I had luck with jerkbaits, stickbaits, shallow cranks, and lipless cranks.

 

I'm excited to further utilize cranks this coming season.

 

What kind of cranks would you suggest during the various seasons - pre-spawn, spawn, post-spawn, summer, fall, winter?

 

 

All of the above!

 

My most productive is the Norman Fat Boy, redear pattern

 

 

 

If I could only recommend 1 crankbait that I think everyone should at least try it would be the LC RC 1.5.   They just catch fish.

my go to is a strike king 5xd in chartruse shad for deep and a 2.5 in the same pattern for shallow water.

The prespawn period is funny as a cold front can ruin a good crankbait bite, that said I'll give you my list.

 

Early prespawn - Rapala Shad Rap, Rapala DT-6, Flat side cranks in the 4' to 8' depth range, lipless crank baits and suspending jerkbaits.

 

Late prespawn - Same as above with the addition of square bill cranks

 

Spawn - Same as the above.

 

Post Spawn - All of the above plus medium to deep diving baits.

 

Summer - All of the above plus deep diving baits and floating jerkbaits.

 

Fall and winter - Same as early prespawn.

 

EDIT: If you notice, I only was specific with 2 baits, the Rapala Shad Rap and the Rapala DT-6, the reason for this is I don't believe there is any better cold water bait than a shad rap and I'm learning that the DT-6 is very effective in cold water too by fishing it early last season with success.

You might do well in the spring with a LC flash minnow and pointer. In silver based patterns like misty shad.

You want to think about what size and color the bait are, then how deep the lures needs to run to get close or a little deeper to the bait depth.

Surface, 3' to 7', 10' to 15' should cover the water column for hard baits.

Shad colors are standard, fire tiger and crayfish colors all work.

The Lipless are very universal and be fished at various depths. The Yo-Zuri 3D Vibe in prism silver or gold black back is a small size lipless that is good! Bill Lewis Rat L Trap is the standard 3" in red craw.

Deep divers I still like Norman DD14 and DD22, good price point lures.

Hard jerk baits, LC pointer 100 series or Megabass 110 series.

Top water, LC Sammy for minnow lures, Iovino Splash-it for poppers, Jackall Pompadour in lieu of a buzz bait.

Good luck.

Tom

It wouldn't be spring if I didn't have a craw colored wiggle wart tied on. 

Prespawn- Bomber Switchback Shad in either a Shad or Craw Pattern (switch the bearings to silent)

Spawn-LOUD Square Bill

Postspawn) Depends on Water Depth and Style of Fishing

Fall-Back to Squarebills, but silent this time