Wow somebody actually reads my posts?
I have done this. Sacrificing an old bait to see what makes them tick is just the curious OCD in me. Experimentation is how you learn not just on the current project but it usually has carry over to others.
So my post gives you the basics of how the bait works and what you can do with it. You're question about the weight in the head is a valid one. A bit of caution here and the reason I kept my post somewhat vague. No 2 lipless crankbaits are the same. Some will have more weight in the head like the one Team9nine posted (looks like a rattle trap) and some will distribute the weight from head to body. You can tell this by the way the bait sinks. It could be a head down sink or a horizontal sink or anything in between. Some use steel balls for weight and some don't. A few years ago I bought some lipless crankbait bodies from Janns Netcraft because they had a pumpkinseed pattern that should be illegal in my waters. I have more fun with that bait than any other in recent memory. I also got an unpainted version cuz I wanted to paint it a color that wasn't available. The reason why I bring this up is because the unpainted version I could see thru it and it uses lead or steel to fill the cavity in the head section. So if I wanted to take weight out I would have to drill out the lead or steel. I didn't do this cuz I'm having way too much success without modification.
Th suspending lipless I did was on a Cordell Spot. Cordell Spots are a little lighter than the Lewis Traps - BTW, the spot in red craw is killer in spring - It also has a head down attitude but not as much as a Trap IMO. The reason for the Spot being the sacrificial lamb was, well, it was a cheaper bait to experiment on.
I also took a spot and cut it in half length wise and made a master mold so I can pour plastic resin and make my own...That was fun.
Back on Topic. So depending on what your particular bait you're gonna use to experiment on, start with taking out the BB's in the belly section before going after the weight in the head. Once you get the hang of the process anything is possible. Some ideas: You change the steel BB's and put in plastic ones and get a totally different rattle or install a larger ball and make it a one knocker. You can switch smaller BB's for a larger one and get more of a horizontal fall. Just try and experiment. If it sux it sux. Go back to the bench and try something else.
Another couple of words of caution/advice you need to know. The suspending lipless crank that worked in 50* water may not work in warmer water as the season progresses. Work on a 1/2 oz lipless, the bigger and wider the lipless crank is the easier to suspend. Remember you are taking weight out, a smaller bait may leave you with something that won't cast to your liking.
Last one: If you get really good at this suspending gig, here's a hack to try. Once you get the bait suspended like you want it, select a drill bit about the diameter of one of the bb's you removed and drill the side of your bait, one side only. Go really slow, you don't want to drill thru the plastic, you want to leave an indent. Now glue the BB to the side of the bait, color if you want, but don't use red...go fishing. The lure will track straight until you stop. When you stop it will suspend and slowly turn on it's side. Catch you PB then run like H3LL, they'll be a warrant out for your arrest.
Good luck
