Hard Facts About Hard Baits

Lipless Rattlebaits

Lipless rattlebaits like the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap, Cordell Spot, Normark Rattlin’ Rapala, and others lack an external diving lip, using the angled nose of the lure body in part to dive. Most depth, however, is attributable to the weight of numerous lead or copper BBs rattling and shifting throughout the hollow plastic lure body, creating a loud commotion. Cast and retrieve ‘em fast, just under the surface. Pause your retrieve and let ‘em sink to the desired depth, then retrieve again. Vertically jig them like a bladebait. Lipless rattlebaits are versatile lures.

Most walleye anglers probably use rattlebaits either to cast and burn above shallow weed tops or to cast a heavy lure into the wind while shorecasting at night. Both are excellent adaptations, providing the excessive noise doesn’t spook fish. The new Cordell Suspending Spot is a neutral buoyancy version.

Enhancements

Internal rattles have been a hit on the walleye scene in recent years, particularly with open-water trollers. Various lures have different degrees of rattle, ranging from a single BB bouncing around inside an internal rattle chamber to a host of BBs slam dancing against the body walls. It’s impossible to say which is better, best, or worst for any situation til you try. In some cases, noise is great, in others a turnoff.

Slow-sinking lures like Normark’s Rapala Countdown series, around for years, are used primarily to achieve a little depth on a short retrieve. Rebel’s Trac Down Zone Minnow adds another sinker to the collection. Gaining popularity in recent years are near-neutrally-buoyant crankbaits that can be paused and hovered beneath a fish’s nose to tempt a strike, like the Smithwick Suspending Rogue, Normark Husky Jerk, Rebel Mystic Shad-R and Suspending Zone Minnow, and Mann’s Loudmouth Jerkbait. Great for shallow-water shorecasting in a few feet of water. And heavy enough to cast into wind.

Storm’s adhesive lead tape SuspenDots and SuspenStrips offer the ability to fine-tune the buoyancy of any lure by adding enough weight along the belly to create anything from a slight floater, to a hoverer, to a slow sinker—a versatile addition to any tackle box.

In general, today’s crankbaits sport a far better treble hook than those of a few years ago. The new wave of ultrasharp hooks—Heddon Excalibur, Mustad Accupoint and Triple Grip, Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp and new Kahle Treble, VMC Barbarian Outbarb, and similar premium models hook and hold as never before.

New colors and finishes are available from many manufacturers for 1998. Excalibur’s LiveShad scalelike finishes and Rapala’s metallic finishes are two prominent examples.

Also, in general, a much greater selection of crankbaits are targeted toward walleyes than ever before. Manufacturers are conscious of the growing market and want to cash in on sales with appropriate lures. Since many walleye crankbait situations are trolling applications often incorporating adding weight to the line to achieve greater depth, as great a range of diving models may not appear when compared with designs for bass.

Classic case: Perhaps a manufacturer will offer a shallow and deep diver in a walleye crankbait series, as opposed to several different sizes of diving lips covering a wider range of casting depths in lures targeted for bass. Mann’s Stretch series is an exception, with numerous models designed to cover trolling conditions from just beneath the surface to 30 feet deep. Also, Shad Raps—a multi-species lure—come in various sizes with diving lips designed to perform within specific casting (and trolling) depth ranges down to around 15 feet. Consider this when stocking your crankbait box.

Hard baits for walleyes apply in a wider variety of situations than ever before. And they catch walleyes from the shallows to the depths.