The rattle bait...

This weekend was the conclusion of the FLW Chevy Open. As seen in my earlier post I covered the event for ultimate bass and the recurring theme was Rattling Bait or Lip less crank baits. They are many types of rattling baits out there, the classic Rat-L-Trap to the tear drop XR-50's. In between you have the Diamond Shads, Cotton Cordell Super Spots, Berkley's Aruku shads, Lucky Crafts and others. I think everyone makes a rattling bait nowadays. Heck If I had a lure company I would make one...

They are a great search bait and can be fished different ways.

Rippin the grass...

On Lake Guntersville the main technique is "rippin" the grass. With this technique you make long casts to hydrilla/milfoil beds and burn the lure across the bed. Once you snag some grass (and you will) you rip the rattling bait loose from the grass. The majority of the hits will come when the lure breaks free from the grass. I have caught some big pre spawn bass this way.

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Yo-Yoing...

The title says it all, this works as well as ripping or sometimes even better. I think it is the flutter of the bait when it comes back down. The only bad thing about Yo-Yoing is that you have to be good about setting the hook with slack line. A lot of times the strike will come on slack line. Some people have different techniques for yo-yoing but I prefer this method. Make a long cast and keep your rod at a 45 degree angle, that way you can set the hook even with slack line. While you are retrieving your lure stop and let the lure flutter down, don't move the rod instead make ten or so handle turns and repeat. That way when you stop reeling the lure will flutter down and come back up with the retrieve.

Both are great methods of fishing w ater with vegetation, if you know there is vegetation deeper down in the water column you can yo-yo and find the depth of the grass and rip it out on each retrieve. That way you can incorporate each tactic in one cast.

Open water search bait...

A rattle bait is a good open water search bait too. Burning a trap with fan casts in a open area is a good way to find fish.

One other thing I wanted to mention, One tip that I would offer is to keep a weightless super fluke or other shad imitator soft plastic on hand. If you ever have a day where the fish are short st ricking a rattle bait just throw that soft plastic presentation in the area you had your strike. A small soft plastic swim bait like the El Grande Lures 5" swim bait would be a good choice.