The skies over Pymatuning Lake were cloudy. A moderate south wind ruffled its surface. Perfect conditions for an early spring walleye trip.

Despite over three decades of fishing this sprawling reservoir, I still get a feeling of intimidation when first motoring away from the landing, one of “Wow, this is a big lake. Where do I begin?”

However, I had a definite plan in mind. The early April time frame coupled with a water temperature in the upper 40s suggested the fish would be relatively shallow, still spawning or just coming off the spawn. This activity takes place on gravel points and shallow near-shore humps in depths from three to five feet. The best time to target such shallows is during the evening twilight and into the darkness. During the day fish often scatter in nearby but slightly deeper water.

As the clock reached 9 a.m., I pulled into my first spot, a rocky hump that tops off around 10 feet, one located not far from the eastern shore. A long cast sent a Rapala Rippin Rap – a lipless crankbait– well up onto the hump. After the sinking bait touched bottom, I took in the slack and then gave the rod a short, but sharp upward snap that jumped the lure a few inches off bottom, one that telegraphed the tight, vibrating action of the lure. Rinse and repeat. After the third or fourth such “hop” the retrieve was interrupted by a sharp tick. A couple minutes later, a 22-inch walleye slid over the rim of the net.

Each year I dedicate myself to trying a new presentation, sticking with it until I’ve gained some confidence in it. This season that task has been given to fishing a lipless crankbait – what most folks refer to as a Ratt L Trap (likely the first lure of this type) – as a bottom-oriented bait. Lipless crankbaits are typically thought of as a bass lure, one that excels when fished over emerging weed flats.

Generally lipless crankbaits sink, allowing the angler to target specific depths by varying the retrieve speed as well as the time the lure is permitted to sink after the cast. They produce fish on straight retrieve, as well as a stop-and-go retrieve. In other words, they are versatile lures that anglers don’t always take full advantage of, including me.

In the walleye world lipless crankbaits have become popular as jigging baits, ones worked along the bottom in a lift-and-drop manner much like a leadhead jig. Over the past few seasons, I’ve gained much confidence in fishing Jigging Rap-style lures in this manner. Collectively these styles of lures have morphed into what’s commonly called gliding jigs or gliding baits. The aggressive way these baits are fished can trigger bites from reluctant walleyes (and bass as well). I see the lipless crankbait filling a void between the aggressive look of the gliding jig and the subtle one of a leadhead jig. On Pymatuning, it can’t hurt that the profile of a lipless crankbait strongly mimics both gizzard shad and alewife, baitfish species that exist there.

The method of fishing a lipless crankbait in the manner considered here is to allow the lure to sink to the bottom after the cast, and then take in the resulting slack. With a tight line give the lure an upward jig stroke of perhaps a foot, one with enough energy to activate the swimming motion of the lure. Then, with a semi tight line, follow the lure back to the bottom. As soon as it touches down impart another jig stroke, again following its descent. You’ll soon develop a cadence where this all comes naturally. Strikes may be felt as the lure falls or may be detected on the upstroke when fish have pinned the lure to the bottom.

Jeff Knapp is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle