*Video Script/Notes* *Where* - moderate to shallow depth bait - 15fow or less *When* - Most effective in prespawn and fall when bass are shallow and feeding heavy. Can work in summer to cover water and find fish, but not as effective as spring and fall *How* - Use this to locate fish and cover water but also throughly fish through a spot. 1. Cast and reel/twitch - Simple approach, best for covering water and shallow flats when fish are up on shallow cover - especially grass 2. Yo-Yo approach - slower retrieve but effective to cover water, trigger reaction bites as well as pick apart a spot. Cast, let sink to top of grass and lift/reel. Goal is to rip free from top of grass and keep bait up in water colum 3. Lift and Drop - similar to yo-yo, but slower moving and on bottom. Use for picking apart specific areas and fishing along bottom. Similar approach to a tube 4. Flopping a Trap - Similar to dragging a jig or tube. Shake the slack to make the bait flop or shake and rattle. Great when water visibility isn’t great or fish are lethargic. Prefer baits with rattles over 1 knocker styles for this technique *Gear* - Rod - 7’ to 7’6” Rod with moderate action. I’m using TFO Tactical 74CB MH I prefer MH to help rip bait out of grass and have power for a hookset on end of a long cast. 7’4” rod picks up more line and helps me get a good hook in fish even when moving towards me Reel - 6 or 7 speed gear ratio reel with 14-17lb fluoro depending on how heavy the grass is you’re fishing. Prefer straight fluoro but braid to fluoro leader is also a good option Baits - Colors: Craw for dirty/tannic water esp in spring, natural/clean bodies of water Summer I like chrome or White base. Chrome blue back is goto on waters around me, but when overcast or slight off color water, switch to white or natural because it silhouettes better Fall - add in bold colors again with heavy rains and dirty water. Chartreuse based colors RatLTrap - shallower water ~10fow or less in. Flat nose helps it be fished around cover effectively on bottom and rips from grass well, but not great for yo-yo technique Red Eye Shad - Works well for yo-yo or straight retrieve Lucky Craft LV500 - Best for dragging or flopping. Heavy bait, small profile, fishes well along bottom and very loud Duo 68 Gfix - similar to LV500 - best for dragging or flopping. Falls straight down in water column vs gliding to bottom so great for long cast dragging or target fishing. Small profile and very thin body - similar to blade bait where rattles with small movements Honorable mention - Jackall TN70. Pretty good at all of these, but found works best Yo-Yo or lift and drop. Sits nose down (in theory)
My go to lipless crankbait is still the Rattlin' Rapala!!!! Great pitch for the rattles, great colors, and great weight/density for their size. The stock bronze hooks get the job done; I always switched my old school Rat-L-Trap hooks. Also the Rattlin' Rapalas are perfectly balanced so you can vertical jig with it.
I'm so glad I found your channel Ben, but for me to learn most efficiently, is buy hands-on experience. And what I mean is if you ever had an opportunity where you are in the Pacific Northwest or anything like that I would want to know. Whether it's a seminar anything like that I would want to know. Physically meeting someone and physically talking to somebody is a lot different to me then watching TH-cam videos. But your videos help me get through the day at work man. I really appreciate you tight lines, I love it all dude. I'm a genuine dude and I'm very grateful that you take your time which I know how valuable it is, and use it to help us teach us. Thank you for keeping it 100
Thank you so much Joe! I would love one day to make it out west to Washington and Idaho and Montana to experience some of the world class fishing you guys have out there. It's definitely on the bucket list, so hopefully one day. I'll let you know if I have the opportunity to make a trip! Thank you for all of the support and watching the videos, and commenting. I love being able to connect with people through my channel and growing as anglers
It's back!! The Red Wings jersey. :-) Great video Ben. These application videos are awesome. Look forward to future content. Channel is rolling ! Happy for you.
@@brnowak_fishing you're doing a good job of that. Great smallmouth content. No one else doing what you do. Keep up good work. The growth of the channel speaks for itself.
The Smallmouth Experience ah see. And that’s what I get for snoozing all the time lmao. Right on brother. Keep the small mouth vids coming my friend! ALOT of channels on fishing or large mouth fishing but not much dedicated to us smally guys. I love the content. Keep plucking away. Thanks for the link brother. On my way to check it out now. If your ever in NY fishing lake Champlain hit me up on Facebook, home town is Plattsburgh. My pit bull is my profile pic. Hit me up I’ll show ya around some really good smally spots. Thanks again! Stay safe and covid free 🤘🏼
I get most my bites from the lift and drop method, other side of the coin, I always get hung up on logs using it too. It's a love hate thing. That being said, cotton Cordell is my go to
Yeah, it’s a great method but if you’re trying to worm it through cover, can result in some lost baits. I love the Cordell Spot too - it’s a good alternative to the RatLTrap for me
The lipless is my number 1 bait .Seems like no matter the time of year I can usually get bit on a lipless. I need to get a LV500 and duo baits for sure. I did pick up some luckycraft baits that are 3/4 with that smaller profile and one that has a flash strip in it with no rattles.Intrested to see how they work .Would love to see a buzzbait vid . Do you use them for smallies ? Hope all is well bud.
UpState Angler that’s awesome! I wonder what baits those are you got! I actually don’t fish Topwater super often for smallies - only larger Walking style baits or small poppers inland
Going to be heading to Erie in May to fish for smallmouth. Probably will mostly use ned rigs as they will probably be on the spawn but would love to catch them with a crankbait.
Great stuff man! You will probably laugh at me but the Cordell Super Spot is fire in very shallow water applications and around wood. It sinks slower and kind of glides/hovers off cover. Cheap yet crazy good!
Benjamin, I really enjoy your channel. Thanks for sharing all of the videos. I was wondering if you have problems with pike biting off your line especially with a smaller profile lure. Last spring I was on a trip and had 5 soft plastics flukes or tubes bitten off using 10 lb fluoro. I’m not picky, I like catching pike or smallies or LM but I’m worried about throwing small profile baits with fluoro. Thanks.
There are some lakes around here where there are a lot of pike that I don’t throw more expensive baits because I don’t want them to get bit off. I typically stick with a setup I’m confident in and just don’t throw certain baits on those lakes, because of the confidence in my overall seup
*Video Script/Notes*
*Where* - moderate to shallow depth bait - 15fow or less
*When* - Most effective in prespawn and fall when bass are shallow and feeding heavy. Can work in summer to cover water and find fish, but not as effective as spring and fall
*How* - Use this to locate fish and cover water but also throughly fish through a spot.
1. Cast and reel/twitch - Simple approach, best for covering water and shallow flats when fish are up on shallow cover - especially grass
2. Yo-Yo approach - slower retrieve but effective to cover water, trigger reaction bites as well as pick apart a spot. Cast, let sink to top of grass and lift/reel. Goal is to rip free from top of grass and keep bait up in water colum
3. Lift and Drop - similar to yo-yo, but slower moving and on bottom. Use for picking apart specific areas and fishing along bottom. Similar approach to a tube
4. Flopping a Trap - Similar to dragging a jig or tube. Shake the slack to make the bait flop or shake and rattle. Great when water visibility isn’t great or fish are lethargic. Prefer baits with rattles over 1 knocker styles for this technique
*Gear* -
Rod -
7’ to 7’6” Rod with moderate action. I’m using TFO Tactical 74CB MH
I prefer MH to help rip bait out of grass and have power for a hookset on end of a long cast. 7’4” rod picks up more line and helps me get a good hook in fish even when moving towards me
Reel -
6 or 7 speed gear ratio reel with 14-17lb fluoro depending on how heavy the grass is you’re fishing. Prefer straight fluoro but braid to fluoro leader is also a good option
Baits -
Colors: Craw for dirty/tannic water esp in spring, natural/clean bodies of water
Summer I like chrome or White base. Chrome blue back is goto on waters around me, but when overcast or slight off color water, switch to white or natural because it silhouettes better
Fall - add in bold colors again with heavy rains and dirty water. Chartreuse based colors
RatLTrap - shallower water ~10fow or less in. Flat nose helps it be fished around cover effectively on bottom and rips from grass well, but not great for yo-yo technique
Red Eye Shad - Works well for yo-yo or straight retrieve
Lucky Craft LV500 - Best for dragging or flopping. Heavy bait, small profile, fishes well along bottom and very loud
Duo 68 Gfix - similar to LV500 - best for dragging or flopping. Falls straight down in water column vs gliding to bottom so great for long cast dragging or target fishing. Small profile and very thin body - similar to blade bait where rattles with small movements
Honorable mention - Jackall TN70. Pretty good at all of these, but found works best Yo-Yo or lift and drop. Sits nose down (in theory)
My go to lipless crankbait is still the Rattlin' Rapala!!!! Great pitch for the rattles, great colors, and great weight/density for their size. The stock bronze hooks get the job done; I always switched my old school Rat-L-Trap hooks. Also the Rattlin' Rapalas are perfectly balanced so you can vertical jig with it.
I'm so glad I found your channel Ben, but for me to learn most efficiently, is buy hands-on experience. And what I mean is if you ever had an opportunity where you are in the Pacific Northwest or anything like that I would want to know. Whether it's a seminar anything like that I would want to know. Physically meeting someone and physically talking to somebody is a lot different to me then watching TH-cam videos. But your videos help me get through the day at work man. I really appreciate you tight lines, I love it all dude. I'm a genuine dude and I'm very grateful that you take your time which I know how valuable it is, and use it to help us teach us. Thank you for keeping it 100
Thank you so much Joe! I would love one day to make it out west to Washington and Idaho and Montana to experience some of the world class fishing you guys have out there. It's definitely on the bucket list, so hopefully one day. I'll let you know if I have the opportunity to make a trip! Thank you for all of the support and watching the videos, and commenting. I love being able to connect with people through my channel and growing as anglers
Another great video for the library👍😁.That sure is a nice rod.Glad I got one coming 😃 as always thank you
Yes, it’s perfect for lipless fishing! Thanks for watching Terry!
This is a VERY good video Benjamin! LOL Awesome Thank you VERY much!
Thank you so much Darlene!
It's back!! The Red Wings jersey. :-) Great video Ben. These application videos are awesome. Look forward to future content. Channel is rolling ! Happy for you.
Yessir! Go Wings! Thanks so much Nick - just trying to keep putting out good content
@@brnowak_fishing you're doing a good job of that. Great smallmouth content. No one else doing what you do. Keep up good work. The growth of the channel speaks for itself.
Thank you for all the info, Keep on fishing.
That one knocker in clear water seems to work best here.
Ben how about a micro or finesse swimbait vid or.... deep cranking for smallys. Thanks man
Already got ya on the finesse Swimbait vid my good sir: th-cam.com/video/hpOoSlHn6xs/w-d-xo.html
The Smallmouth Experience ah see. And that’s what I get for snoozing all the time lmao. Right on brother. Keep the small mouth vids coming my friend! ALOT of channels on fishing or large mouth fishing but not much dedicated to us smally guys. I love the content. Keep plucking away. Thanks for the link brother. On my way to check it out now. If your ever in NY fishing lake Champlain hit me up on Facebook, home town is Plattsburgh. My pit bull is my profile pic. Hit me up I’ll show ya around some really good smally spots. Thanks again! Stay safe and covid free 🤘🏼
jason daniels thank you so much! You stay safe too and smash them on Champlain!!!
I agree!!
Another awesome video. Keep these up!
Definitely enjoying the tips and tricks. You do a great job with this and it's a solid format.
Man that TN is a killer one of my favorites. Really good colors as well
thanks for all the good info I need to start fishing a lipless .
Yes! A lipless is so good. It’s such a versatile bait
I get most my bites from the lift and drop method, other side of the coin, I always get hung up on logs using it too. It's a love hate thing. That being said, cotton Cordell is my go to
Yeah, it’s a great method but if you’re trying to worm it through cover, can result in some lost baits. I love the Cordell Spot too - it’s a good alternative to the RatLTrap for me
Awesome video dude!! Love watching your videos learning new Tips and Tricks!! Thanks for all the fishing Knowledge dude!!
Thank you for checking it out Son! I appreciate your love and support 😂
I love the tn 60 in craw color it smashes them great video with great tips great channel
The lipless is my number 1 bait .Seems like no matter the time of year I can usually get bit on a lipless. I need to get a LV500 and duo baits for sure. I did pick up some luckycraft baits that are 3/4 with that smaller profile and one that has a flash strip in it with no rattles.Intrested to see how they work .Would love to see a buzzbait vid . Do you use them for smallies ? Hope all is well bud.
UpState Angler that’s awesome! I wonder what baits those are you got! I actually don’t fish Topwater super often for smallies - only larger
Walking style baits or small poppers inland
Thanks for the info. I’m new to Jig Fishing and wanted to know if they work for smallies
Ben, I would like to see how you use your electronics to locate structure and effectively fish open water like that on the great lakes. Thanks
Really good info for me, at the end of the month I'll be chasing smallies in pre spawn further north from me. This should help for sure!
Bearded Bass Projekt I’m glad dude! Go smash them!
Going to be heading to Erie in May to fish for smallmouth. Probably will mostly use ned rigs as they will probably be on the spawn but would love to catch them with a crankbait.
Benjamin, what are your thoughts on fishing for bass while they are spawning? Certainly it’s a quick catch and release.
Great stuff man! You will probably laugh at me but the Cordell Super Spot is fire in very shallow water applications and around wood. It sinks slower and kind of glides/hovers off cover. Cheap yet crazy good!
I agree - I use a Cordell Spot too - it’s a good alternative to the RatLTrap for me
“Very” good content.. 😂😜
Haha I see what you did there
I love being persistent but I don’t want to be overwhelming/annoying but, boat tour!
Hahaha your persistence will pay off, I promise :-)
Benjamin, I really enjoy your channel. Thanks for sharing all of the videos. I was wondering if you have problems with pike biting off your line especially with a smaller profile lure. Last spring I was on a trip and had 5 soft plastics flukes or tubes bitten off using 10 lb fluoro. I’m not picky, I like catching pike or smallies or LM but I’m worried about throwing small profile baits with fluoro. Thanks.
There are some lakes around here where there are a lot of pike that I don’t throw more expensive baits because I don’t want them to get bit off. I typically stick with a setup I’m confident in and just don’t throw certain baits on those lakes, because of the confidence in my overall seup
@@brnowak_fishing Thanks!!!
Go penguins
We were friends Bailey 😂😂😂
LGRW!
Like now
But i will whatch later))
👍✌
It's not worth me buying a red colour anything because I can't start bass fishing legally till June 18 atleast here in quebec
Small mouth for Northern areas... No one is talking about it ... I live in BC canada
Heck yeah! I’m up in Michigan and a lot of these tactics should play up there too
I'll watch some things then forsure