By small, I mean 1/4 oz and 1/8 oz.

 

I guess guys use those for crappie and other panfish.

 

I mostly use 1/2 oz and 3/4 oz lipless cranks (RES in particular), even in shallow (3-4 ft) water casting from shore.

 

It just occurred to me I have a bunch of 1/4 and less in my collection.  When do you like to use them?

I like the small Cotton Cordells (not sure exact weight) on an ultralight or light spinning rod in small ponds to catch numbers (bass). Tons of fun!

I like the 1/4oz. just about anytime I'm targeting the upper water column, but they really shine when the ladies and gents are building nests in the spring.  I like them because I can keep them up off the bottom in 3ft. of water without having to burn them back. I use a Daiwa Sol in the original gearing (slow) and a steady retrieve and give it a pop of the rod tip as it approaches the nest builders.

I use the 1/4 oz RES almost exclusively. They catch big fish too. 

 

The only time I use the 1/2 oz is when fishing water 5 ft or deeper. And that's very seldom. 

The only time I've really 1/4 oz lipless is when the grass was really close to the surface and I couldn't keep a 1/2 oz bait from burying up.

I used the fire tiger red eye shad 1/4 ounce in murky water. It was around 3 foot deep. Caught crappie and a few bass

20 minutes ago, wdp said:

I use the 1/4 oz RES almost exclusively. They catch big fish too. 

 

The only time I use the 1/2 oz is when fishing water 5 ft or deeper. And that's very seldom. 

Ditto mostly 1/4 and 3/8 ounce lipless for me also, numbers but the big girls eat em to.

I have and use quite a few 1/4oz Cordell super spots and Rapala rattlin raps for smallmouth. As others have said, I use them mostly shallow on rock flats and reeds edges. Seem to work great on riprap also.

I own quite a few 1/4oz RES and Excalibers. When the fish are really shallow and eating traps they make it a little easier to fish without catching tons of junk. Also a good option when they want the bait ripped and dropped, but wanting a slower fall than I can get with a 1/2oz bait. 

The 1/8th ounce Rattle Trap catches a lot of fish but the hooks are too small .  I lost a giant bass with one . Rick Clunn uses them and replaces the hooks with  one larger one . I dont know the size , maybe a number 6 . I like to use the chartreuse one along  standing timber edges on lightly windy summer days .

Hope to be using them on beds in a few weeks....I do increase the size of the hooks and speed up the retrieve 

I primarily fish the 1/4 oz. Mini Trap. Seem to be the perfect size in my opinion on the river. 

 

I dont mess with the Teeny Traps. 1/8 oz. Too small, abit light, seem like a handicap to my type of fishing. Do on occasion throw a 1/2 oz. trap but not often. 

 

Somewhere in in my travels a while back I'm pretty sure I saw these real small traps. Under 1/8 oz. but they were not Rat-L-Trap Brand. Some off the wall stuff. 

I use lipless crankbaits mostly in the spring and fall. Lakes with a lot of submerged grass are where they get the nod for me. I mostly used 1/4 and 1/2 ounce until last year when I deiscovered that big bass will eat the 1/8 ouncers. I caught some very sizable bass with the stock hooks but the rear ones completely bent out. 

So now I have and use an assortment of 1/8 and 1/4 ounce baits and I replace the stock hooks immediately. i throw the tiny ones with monofilament and spinning tackle and have had nice results. 

18 minutes ago, Poolshark said:

I use lipless crankbaits mostly in the spring and fall. Lakes with a lot of submerged grass are where they get the nod for me. I mostly used 1/4 and 1/2 ounce until last year when I deiscovered that big bass will eat the 1/8 ouncers. I caught some very sizable bass with the stock hooks but the rear ones completely bent out. 

So now I have and use an assortment of 1/8 and 1/4 ounce baits and I replace the stock hooks immediately. i throw the tiny ones with monofilament and spinning tackle and have had nice results. 

 

On 1/8th ounce lures   , do you add two hooks or one  and what size ?

I've been experimenting indefinitely... But so far I like the results of replacing the rear hook on the tiny traps with a vcm sure set #2 sized. I tried replacing both but I found the hooks would get tangled easy while casting or erratically working the bait. 

 

I fish 1/4 oz. lipless cranks quite a bit. The 1/8 oz. are great for small pond bass, crappie and bluegill. I've even caught quite a few trout on them. 

 

Tom

Most of the time I use the 1/4 ounce size when fishing from the bank or when I'm fishing shallow water.  About the only time I use a 1/2 ounce from the bank is when I know the lake and I know what kind of structure and cover I'm fishing around.

I fish the 1/8 Sebile lipless cranks pretty often.  I bank fish with a single rod most of the time and when I have one of my finesse rods with me they are great when I want a little more casting distance to fish something further than I can cast my usual weightless plastics. I also fish them a lot when I am out hiking with non-fishermen as they cover water very fast, catch a wide range of species, and hang up less than an inline spinner.  This lets me get some fishing in while not making my friends stand there while I slowly work a plastic or small jig.  

 

I either crimp all the barbs down on the OEM trebles or switch out to single hooks.   The single hooks rarely snag even when bumping them around wood.  

 

Last fall I had an insane day with a bright orange craw colored one catching stocked Rainbow trout.  I was catching them all over the lake and they would race out of cover dozens of feet away to hit it.  

I use tons of 1/4 ounce lipless cranks for bass, mostly in shallower water or where vegetation is growing higher. Never overlook them for bass.

9 minutes ago, iceintheveins said:

I use tons of 1/4 ounce lipless cranks for bass, mostly in shallower water or where vegetation is growing higher. Never overlook them for bass.

Same way I use em. The 1/4 oz works great for ripping thru sparse grass on shallow flats. And they catch big ones. 

 

I really don't consider the 1/4 oz small actually. To me it's average. The 1/8 oz rattle traps are def small. 

Yep, I'll be on the water tomorrow using Rattlin Rapala Pre Spawn >

then to Zoom plastics lizards >

The 3/16oz Ultralight Rippin' Rap is a very effective lure for both largemouth and smallmouth in open-water and walleyes through the ice.

1/4 oz Rat-L-Trap in shallow marshes

On 3/6/2017 at 1:42 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

I own quite a few 1/4oz RES and Excalibers. When the fish are really shallow and eating traps they make it a little easier to fish without catching tons of junk. Also a good option when they want the bait ripped and dropped, but wanting a slower fall than I can get with a 1/2oz bait. 

Yes!  You took the words right out of my keyboard.