In the spring I throw full size 1/2 oz but in the fall I tend to prefer smaller baits. Kind of a combo of the bass being shallow at even lower temps and the shad being fairly small yet. Anybody else do this? I use mostly the spro aruku Jr, the small size red eye shad and the rapala ripping rap. Any other smaller baits I should be throwing?

 

Small lipless that work very well. Rapala UL ripping rap 04, 1 1/8”  3/16oz, or Tiny trap 1.75” 1/8oz. Another one to try is small blade bait.

   Quarter ounce Cordell Super Spots are great for me. I started using them for walleye but found out they catch bass very well this time of year. I especially use the grey shad, green shad and green bar fish. Those are getting harder than heck to find any more.  

   Walmart also has a limited number of 3/16 oz. made (evidently) just for them. I don't use those for bass, just walleye.       jj

If you can get a bass to spit up a prey he's eaten, that's the best way to tell what to throw.

 

I was catching a few on a swimbait this summer when one spit up a small baitfish near the kayak.

I switched to a 1/4 oz ( I usually throw 1/2 ) chrome, blue back lipless and whacked the everlovin bejeeses outta them that day. It just happened to be a good match for what they wanted that day.

4 hours ago, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

Tiny trap 1.75” 1/8oz.

 

   Hey, @Bass_Fishing_Socal ..... I used to use the Tiny Trap for a while, but I found out that fish tended to engulf it rather than hit the lure itself. So I had some fish that I caught that were hooked inside the gills, and some fish I didn't catch because the line broke. I never figured out whether those were bass, walleye or pike. So I quit using it.

   That problem wasn't unique to the Tiny Trap; it was kinda-sorta common to all lures that were real small, even the Mini Fat Rap. But fish seemed to hit the Tiny Trap harder.

   Do you see that problem, too?         jj

1 hour ago, jimmyjoe said:

 

   Hey, @Bass_Fishing_Socal ..... I used to use the Tiny Trap for a while, but I found out that fish tended to engulf it rather than hit the lure itself. So I had some fish that I caught that were hooked inside the gills, and some fish I didn't catch because the line broke. I never figured out whether those were bass, walleye or pike. So I quit using it.

   That problem wasn't unique to the Tiny Trap; it was kinda-sorta common to all lures that were real small, even the Mini Fat Rap. But fish seemed to hit the Tiny Trap harder.

   Do you see that problem, too?         jj

Not really, but again I only use  that when targeting crappie. For bass I usually go with 1/4 red eyes shad. I do catch bass on some tiny lure but never remember that problem. I hardly fish anymore with crankbait so my experience might be very limited.

8 hours ago, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

Rapala UL ripping rap 04

I agree. Good little lure.

I'm exact opposite  spring I go small and in n the fall I go big.  A trap almost takes a front seat to spinner baits, cranks, and plastic swimbaits in the fall.  Jackall tn 70, and a LC lv500, are staples right now for me.  

 

As for small ones I like the LV200 and I still have some strike king red eyes in 1/4 oz.  Just upgrade the hooks on the strike king

I carry a good selection of 1/4oz RES just for the fall. Mainly a bait I throw on smallmouth lakes as they seem to like those balls of smaller bait better than the green fish do and that smaller lipless does a good job imitating them.

 

Yo-Zuri has a mini version of the Rattl’n Vibe.  

Had one of my best days ever (in the spring) on a 1/4 oz. Warpig. Great little bait. 1/4 oz. Red-eyes don't make any noise but that might be a good thing. I like 'em noisy.

Ive always preferred the TN60 over the TN70 in spring and fall.  The smaller Yo Zuri and Rapala traps are good, but I have to use a lighter rod to throw them far and the rod doesn't have the power to rip them from grass. 

Caught tons of white bass on Crome hot spots, but not any lmb on lipless baits

 

why do they even make a lipless crankbait in crawdad pattern, the bait acts nothing like a crawdad? Why don’t the make a crawdad bait in a shad color? Go figure 

6 minutes ago, Sissyfishing said:

Caught tons of white bass on Crome hot spots, but not any lmb on lipless baits

 

why do they even make a lipless crankbait in crawdad pattern, the bait acts nothing like a crawdad? Why don’t the make a crawdad bait in a shad color? Go figure 

they make plenty of crawdad baits in shad color, go take a look at zman turbo craws or trd craws. Lipless certainly do act like crawdads, pause your retrieve then start it up really quick again. looks like a darting crawfish

18 minutes ago, Sissyfishing said:

Caught tons of white bass on Crome hot spots, but not any lmb on lipless baits

 

why do they even make a lipless crankbait in crawdad pattern, the bait acts nothing like a crawdad? Why don’t the make a crawdad bait in a shad color? Go figure 

I have probably caught more fish on a Rayburn Red lipless than all other colors combined. Go figure LOL