For the most part, rattles work. If they didn't, companies wouldn't put them in their baits. For example, if I'm fishing a fairly large body of water for the first time, it's not uncommon for me to start off with a lipless crank or a crankbait with rattles (BBs, glass beads, one-knock) and cover as much water as possible to locate fish. However, in my opinion, fishing at a highly pressured small pond in a public park is another story. Yes, rattles work sometimes, but I've caught more and larger fish on silent crankbaits. In general, bigger lakes with less fishing pressure: rattles attract fish; in smaller ponds with high fishing pressure: rattles tend to scare fish away. To go into more detail, it's the type of sound that can make a fish strike or get scared and swim away.
Repetitive Rattle Sounds Repel Fish
Baits with rattles give off a repetitive sound in the water as you reel in the bait. Whether it's a high pitched "rattle-rattle-rattle" or a deep "knock-knock-knock," my theory is that most pond fish have been conditioned to stay away from the baits that make unnaturally repetitive sounds because they have figured out that rattles = anglers.
Natural Sounds Attract Fish
I'm convinced that even the smartest bass are attracted to the natural sounds of the forage they feed on make. For example, the sound of fish feeding on the bottom. If you have ever owned a pet fish, you are probably familiar with the sound they create when they suck up the small rocks and spit them back out. Another sound is that of crawfish as they dart across the pond. If you've ever seen a video of a crawfish quickly moving across the bottom, they kick up small rocks and pebbles with their tails. So, the key is to mimic these subtle and inconsistent sounds. And, I believe the most effective way to do this is by using silent crankbaits.
The Technique: Hitting the Bottom Like You're Sending a Message in "Morse Code"
If you're fishing a natural lake, the bottom can have differing contours due to creek channels, riprap, etc. However, most small ponds at regional parks are man-made, so the bottom is similar to a swimming pool. This is important because at a natural lake, you can simply grind your crankbait along the bottom and make the erratic natural sounding taps as the bill of the crankbait hits the uneven bottom and get a fish to strike. This is the advice you often hear from the pros that fish natural lakes, and this technique also works pretty well at ponds. But since man-made ponds tend to have smooth and flat bottoms without any drastic changes, the way I catch bigger, smarter bass on crankbaits is by hitting the bottom sometimes and just keeping the bait in the zone at other times during the retrieve. By doing this, the silent crankbait makes natural, erratic tapping sounds that mimic a fish feeding on the bottom or a darting crawfish as mentioned earlier. Through the years, the "Morse code" type inconsistent sound patterns have been the key to my crankbait fishing success at small ponds. Think of this technique in the same way as changing up the cadence when using a top water bait such as a walking bait or a popper.
Tips for Using Silent Crankbaits
Use crankbaits that run a little deeper than the actual depth of the area that you are fishing. This makes it easier to quickly find the bottom and create the sound you want, when you want it.
Using braid/PE or fluoro makes feeling bottom contact easier.
I recommend using a reel with a slower gear ratio (below 7) to consistently make the bait run with control and act the way you want it to in the zone.
Rod--slower action the better. I like to keep the tip somewhat loaded throughout the retrieve and make a sweeping hookset when I feel--not see--the strike.
*CAVEATS: Particular Situations When I Like to Use Baits With Rattles at Ponds
Jigs--During hot summer days or during cold winter conditions, I've had better luck dragging a jig with rattles along the bottom than ones without rattles.
During spring when the bass are hiding in the grass and are actively feeding by ambushing small bluegill, I like to quickly crank down a deep diver with rattles vertically along the grass line and around open pockets to invoke an aggressive reaction strike.
WTF Winter Days: Sometimes S-L-O-W-L-Y crawling a suspending crankbait with rattles along the bottom is the only way to get bit if the fish seem to be ignoring everything in your tacklebox.
Perfect for ponds: The LC 0.3, LC 0.5, and the LC 0.5 DD
Great squarebill action in "pond sizes"
The LC 0.5 DD is quickly becoming one of my favorites!
The LC 0.5 DD makes it very easy to find the bottom and control the action to create that erratic tapping sound that attracts big bass!