Hey guys,  I’ve been a worm fisherman for practically my entire life, worms and soft plastics rather, and I’ve been expanding my horizons to other adventures for bass.  My question to you guys, is some more in-depth things about certain lures.

 

Im getting better at top water, but It’s more like a guessing game for me.  I use frogs over heavy grass and pads, and have success usually only early mornings.  I also try whopper ploppers and have off and on success.  Any suggestion on better times of day and or conditions to use these? 
 

Chatterbaits and Crankbaits,  I’ve caught a few on chatterbaits but I don’t really know what I’m doing with them.  I just throw them out around submerged weeds and sometimes I’ll catch fish, and crankbaits ive never caught a fish.  Is there a certain water depth to fish these?  Better time of day?  Greener/clearer water or dirty muddy water?  Submerged trees etc, any tips would help!

 

For all underwater applications I’m not fishing anything more than 10 Feet deep unless I’m using worms real deep in some holes I’ve caught a lot of fish in, just for reference. 

1 minute ago, Brian Wylie said:

I also try whopper ploppers and have off and on success.  Any suggestion on better times of day and or conditions to use these?

Try to match the color to the conditions - darker color for cloudy days, dawn and dusk; brighter for sunny days; natural (frog, bluegill) anytime. I like to run my WPs over submerged weeds where the weed-tops are only a foot or so below the surface. Caught bass and northern on them

 

3 minutes ago, Brian Wylie said:

I’ve caught a few on chatterbaits but I don’t really know what I’m doing with them.  I just throw them out around submerged weeds and sometimes I’ll catch fish,

You putting a trailer on them? I like something with bulk - Berkley Pit Boss, Berkley Chigger Craw, Zoom Ultra Vibe Chunk. A trailer can really entice the bass in more than just a bare lure.

 

5 minutes ago, Brian Wylie said:

and crankbaits ive never caught a fish.  Is there a certain water depth to fish these?  Better time of day?  Greener/clearer water or dirty muddy water?  Submerged trees etc, any tips would help!

If you got sonar, find where the fish are hanging out then pick the crank designed to hit that depth. Bouncing squarebills off the bottom or those submerged trees is always good. Running them alongside weed-lines can also be a hit. Colors - same as the WPs...though most of my crank-catches have been on 'natural' colors that imitate the local forage...mostly Perch pattern here with Bluegill a second place finisher.

 

8 minutes ago, Brian Wylie said:

For all underwater applications I’m not fishing anything more than 10 Feet deep unless I’m using worms real deep in some holes I’ve caught a lot of fish in, just for reference. 

Another thing to try is let that chatterbait sink into the hole, then retrieve it back.

@MN Fisher Thank you!  I’ll try some of these out.  I do use trailers on chatterbaits.  I’ve caught a few with bandito bug trailers or rage tail swimmer trailers.   If I throw these or crank baits on braid, should I run a mono leader or is it not entirely necessary?  Some say it is, some same it doesn’t actually matter

5 minutes ago, Brian Wylie said:

@MN Fisher Thank you!  I’ll try some of these out.  I do use trailers on chatterbaits.  I’ve caught a few with bandito bug trailers or rage tail swimmer trailers.   If I throw these or crank baits on braid, should I run a mono leader or is it not entirely necessary?  Some say it is, some same it doesn’t actually matter

I use a leader with chatters, but it's not necessary. Cranks I toss on a different rig that's got Yo-Zuri Hybrid on it...I'd consider a leader there as well for shock-absorption.

Good questions. As an initial matter, are you fishing from a boat or bank? Bank only changes the answers slightly; for instance as a bank angler there are certain situations where squarebills just don't work.

 

--Topwaters: to some extent it is a guessing game, or rather letting the fish tell you what they want. Obviously some topwaters don't work in certain settings, like Whopper Ploppers aren't good where weeds are at the surface. Frogs are typically thought of for weeds/muck/etc., but don't entirely neglect them for clean water as well. I use topwaters in any situation where the fish are shallow enough to see the bait on the surface (which partly involves water clarity). Most often early morning/late evening, but again that's just a starting point; few weeks ago I had fish dive bombing a WP at 11:00 a.m. My general starting rule is that I like noisier topwaters like WPs and buzzbaits for water with a little chop or breeze, and might try "slower" baits like a frog or a popper in calmer conditions. But, I have had fish blast a WP in calm water and low light like early morning/late evening. Also my experience is if you're bank fishing highly pressured areas, those fish are less likely to hit a topwater than fish in less pressured areas under similar conditions. Start with the default, let the fish tell you, and topwaters are great because the feedback from fish (blowups or no blowups) is pretty obvious.

 

--Chatterbaits and crankbaits: definitely use a leader if you are fishing braid with these. Both for visibility purposes and to provide a little stretch and cushion to keep the fish pinned. Chatterbaits I fish much like a spinnerbait; not so much in clear still water; more so in low light or if there is a breeze putting a chop on the water. Certainly in dirty water where the thump is important in reduced visibility. Chatterbaits you can fish up in the water column like a spinnerbait or hopped more on the bottom like a jig. Let presentation and trailer choice depend on what prey you are trying to imitate: swim it, and use a swimbait-style trailer, if imitating shad or bluegill; hop it and use a craw like trailer if imitating a crawdad. Squarebills I would fish in similar conditions to chatterbaits. Squarebills bounce off wood a little better than chatterbaits. You usually want any crankbait to be digging in the bottom, so that means weedy bottoms might not be best unless you want to swim it over the top.

 

 

Thanks for the ideas as well!  I do both bank and boat fishing.  More so bank fishing now.  It’s just easier to bank fishing in the summer time because you can find shade easier.  The lakes in my area don’t offer much shade in the heat in the sun

Topwaters (excluding the frog) will have most success in the lower light periods or on overcast days. One exception is when you see bass schooling and chasing bait right to the surface. Prop and walking baits can be an all-or-nothing deal for me. Feast or famine. I get a good many more bites on Pop R's and Chug Bugs. But then, I fish them a lot more due to confidence.

 

Add spinnerbaits to your repertoire. You won't be sorry. It's a big fish bait. My current PB came on one. Also, if you like T-rigged worms, give jigs a try. I like a 1/2 oz Arky jig with a a Rage Craw trailer. It's another big bass bait. I made myself a promise to learn jigs and have had one tied on for a couple years now. Pitch it all around wood cover and openings in vegetation. But set the hook HARD and give the fish no time to play.

Spinnerbait is a great option to have, arguably the best when fish are chasing bait on cloudy or windy days, lipless cranks take their place when it clear, as for color just try to match the hatch.

 

Another good bait for those deep holes would be a jig, 3/8 or 1/2 oz with a craw trailer, I like the yum Christy craw but that's just preference. 

 

They all work . sounds like you are doing a pretty good job at matching the tool for the job . Those deep holes you fish would be good places to throw cranks .List  what depths   you would want to fish a crank in and you will receive some recommendations . You didnt list spinnerbaits . They are like the swiss army knife of bass lures and work in lots of conditions .

Keitech Fat Swing Impact in 3.8 on an owner CPS underspin 3/0. Very snagless/weedless, can be fished lots of ways and makes a great mid-column bait. Willow in clearer or calmer water, colorado in dirtier or choppier water, or in a bluegill presentation.  

I'll hit on a few that i really didt see up there.  In lieu of cranking I like a heavier soft swimbait.  Any thing from 3.5" to 8".   I craw the bottom or give it occasional strokes or pops around objects.  In more that 15 foot of water I like a 1/2 all the way up to 1 oz.  

 

Another good trick is a rattle trap.  

 

Dont forget.the old carolina rig

 

 

I stooped using paddletails on my buzzbaits, chatterbaits and spinners because the disruption from the blade seems to throw off the tail action. 

Ive switch over to flukes and rabbit zonkers as trailers on those presentations.