Just about every bass fishing excursion begins with a search — a search for bass, then more bass and bigger bass. How efficiently and effectively you go about that search goes a long way to determining your success or failure. For Bassmaster Elite Series pro Bobby Lane, the fall search is all about lipless crankbaits.
"Lipless crankbaits are great search baits all year long," the Florida pro says, "but in the fall they're especially strong — not merely for the search process, but also for maximizing your catch once you've located bass."
The eight-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier is famous for his skills with a flippin' stick and Berkley Havoc Craw Fatty, but it's not often that he starts the day with the big rod and craw. Those tools are perfect for wrestling big bass out of heavy cover, but more often he begins with a different outfit and a different lure.
"When I'm searching for bass — especially in the fall — my go-to bait is the Yo-Zuri Rattl'n Vibe in Green Chrome. It's heavy enough (5/8-ounce) to make long casts and cover lots of water, and it mimics a baitfish perfectly."
Lane throws the lipless crankbait on 15-pound-test Spiderwire Ultracast 100% Fluorocarbon line, a 7-foot medium action Abu Garcia Veritas 2.0 casting rod and an Abu Garcia Revo Premier casting reel (7.1:1 gear ratio). The setup is designed for long casts, rapid retrieves and covering lots of water.
His standard retrieves could hardly be simpler. His default cadence starts with a long cast. Once the bait hits the water, Lane starts burning it back to the boat, stopping every few cranks to give the bait an erratic action and trigger a strike as it hesitates and falls.
"This is a great retrieve whenever you're fishing over grass or trying to cover a large feeding flat," he says. "In the fall, the grass begins dying back, and the baitfish have fewer places to hide. I think the Rattl'n Vibe looks like a shad or other baitfish that's gotten away from cover and is trying to escape a predator. It can trigger some really vicious strikes!"
Lane's second fall retrieve with the Rattl'n Vibe comes into play when the water cools even more and the metabolism of baitfish slows down.
"Then I want to make the bait fall more," he says. "I'll make a long cast and let the bait sink. When it gets on or near the bottom, I lift it up sharply — kind of like stroking a jig — then let it fall back. The bass will usually grab it as it falls, but if you feel grass on your bait just snap it hard one time and it will pull free."
No matter the retrieve, Lane is usually trying to cover lots of water with the Rattl'n Vibe at this time of year. Bass can be scattered, but will start to bunch up as the season progresses. When you find one, keep working the area. You may have struck gold.
"I'll find an area I think holds bass, drop my trolling motor and spend the day fishing and covering water rather than running all over the place," he says. "And even though I call the Rattl'n Vibe the ultimate search bait, it's also my cleanup bait. A lot of times I won't throw anything else all day, even in a tournament. It's great for covering water, but it also catches quality fish."
