Tried a few new things last year but the real kicker was lipless cranks. Had an awesome day fishing one and now I'm a believer....

Did really well around the spawn with topwater.  A six on a spro bronze eye Shad and two more sixes on a black cavitron buzzbait.  

I caught a good number of fish on spinnerbaits this year . Caught more on them this year than all my other bass fishing years combined. But it was a spring and early summer thing. After May, not ONE fish on them.

I just watched a good Scott Martin video on spinnerbaits that made me eager to implement some of his tips in spring.

 

NedRig was my bread and butter this year.  Smacked the heck out of them on small lakes, Lake of the Ozarks, and Smallmouth streams.  

 

 

For me it was top water in the morning and evening, I mostly fish Texas rig worms in my lake because they catch a lot of fish but there is something about those top water strikes :-).  

Drop shotting on beds. Spent a good while in a back water river area with fish on beds and Tx rigs, jigs, shakeyheads, couldnt buy a bite, had to get pretty close due to grass and they were real skittish.. I believe theyd JUST locked on as alot of gills and gar where in the area but not active around the beds. Ended up tieing on a drop shot w/a paca craw trailer of all things. Proceeded to catch every fish I targeted that afternoon and a few days later in a another area.

 

A light bulb went off that day. What better way to keep a bait "on the spot" than a drop shot?

9 hours ago, craww said:

A light bulb went off that day. What better way to keep a bait "on the spot" than a drop shot?

Happened to me, too.

 

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/dropshot-bedding-bass.html

got into cranking a lot more last season i really want to focus on glide bait and jigs this year. so i'll probably have a few days of just throwing my glidebaits and swimbaits, 2 rods in the boat and a big net think that sounds like a pretty good time on the water. considering im going to take 2 weeks off from work and just be up north where i can fish everyday i will have more than enough time to dial in some techniques 

10 hours ago, J Francho said:

Happened to me, too.

 

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/dropshot-bedding-bass.html

Great write up! I hadnt really considered running a longer tag and heavier weight, but its a great idea that I'll explore. Definetly less invasive without the sinker there directly below the bait.

 

The paticular area mentioned above is a labrynth of shallow river back waters that turn into creeks. Theres small pools everywhere between heavy, thick millfoil.

 

I could see your set up working well. You could cast past beds with the heavy sinker, and theyd probably practically hook themselves with that hidden in the slop.