Lipless Cranks

[Shakes]

Give me your two cents on lipless cranks. Favorite brand and model, size, color, and how you run it.

I go with the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap Mini-Trap in pattern #61 (chrome w/ blue back and orange stomach.) I run it as high in the water, and as fast as possible. I think the weight on it is 1/4 oz.

[Gatorbassman]

Cordel Spot, 1/2oz in pumpkin seed.

[Catt]

Bill Lewis ½ oz Rat-L-Trap Gold/Black Back/Orange Belly or Chrome Red  Tick the grass!

[Craw]

Rat-L-Trap, 1/2oz. in chrome w/ blue or black back.

I typically burn the bait when I first begin to fish and then slow down to fish different depths. Two other techniques I use with it are a "slow roll" along the bottom and a "yo-yo" retrieve at different depths. This bait has accounted for lots of bass but I've also caught walleye, white bass, hybrids and stripers on it. I've experienced some wicked hard strikes on the Rat-L-Trap.

[Michael H]

My favorite is a 1/2 oz cordell spot in fire tiger. I like to rip it through weeds and i like to burn it around just about anything.

[FishTank]

I have fished the Rat-L-Traps for years and have done OK with them but this year I tried a Chrome XCalibar Lipless.  This is lure is a bass magnet.  

I have also tried a couple of the LC versions and I keep catching fish on the XCalibar.  It is the only lure I have stocked three of in my tackle box.  

[The_Natural]

Lucky Craft LV500max in Chartreuse shad.  The LV500max is designed to run deeper than other traps, and even when burning it, the bait remains at around 12ft.  I also throw the Mad Craw color quite a bit in the Spring, along with all sizes of the LVR series.  I think the Lucky Crafts rein supreme, and I don't lose a lot of rattle traps, so I don't mind paying a premium if I'm going to own them a while.

[Vyron]

Duel Hardcore Drum 5/8oz ghost

[MALTESE FALCON]

I/2 OZ RATTLIN RAP IN RED CRAWDAD. I RUN IT JUST ABOVE THE WEEDS. WITH OCCASIONAL RIPS.

[jdw174]

Cordell Spots...1/2oz.  I've got one in Chrome/blk back that is so beat up it's pitiful but it still catches fish.  Also have several of the suspending models.  I never just chunk 'n wind.  I make the retrieve very erratic.  

[justfishin]

When I do use lipless cranks I like to throw a 1/2oz in Pumpkinseed made by Cordell. I live in Maryland and when I fish the Lower Potomac River I throw a Chrome-Blue back in 1/2 oz when I do throw them. I like to match the baitfish in which are mostly shad in the LP. I also use 1/4oz in both of these lures. You can burn them or yo-yo them or real them in slow. Let the fish tell you how they want it. They can be awesome over top those weed beds in 8-15' of water. Reel it along the tops of those weeds and don't be afraid to let it fall into them a little. Just rip them when you start to get hung up on the weeds. I have had some great days and some good fish doing this. Good luck.

[roadwarrior]

No doubt, the original Rat-L-Trap is killer, but I think you would be surprized at how much more productive the Yo-Zuri RatlN' Vibe is by comparison. Maybe it's just because the lure is not widely used and probably has a slightly different vibration and/ or rattle. The same goes for the Drum, just something different that most bass have never seen or heard.

I also like the Lucky Craft LVR-300 & LVR-Max-500. Again, just another weapon that is slightly different than what everyone else is throwing.

[dodgeguy]

1/2 oz rattlin rapala in shad or baby bass.i do use other brands and colors because sometimes the different sounds and vibrations work better.

[earthworm77]

Hey Dodge!

Rapala Rattlin Rap in discontinued Craw

Spot "One Knock"- Silver Black Back

Rat L Trap Floater- Tenn Shad

[dodgeguy]

ew,you got a picture of that discontinued color?i also use strike king and bill lewis rattle traps.they all sound different and feel different on a retrieve.

[earthworm77]

I'll have to take it. It is a bone colored body with orange bars on the sides and a little brown thrown in.

[sodaksker]

I like the LC LVR7 in silver with black back.  I caught a lot of fish on it this year when the the other r-traps would not produce.  Slow retrieve just above the weed line and ripping it through dead beds of lilly pads in the spring is where I had most of my success.

[Captain Underpants]

Ratl-Trap in Chrome w/black back and red hooks!

[Shakes]

Wow. Hot Topic. Didn't expect so many responses in so little time.

Thanks for all of the advice. I'm gonna pick up an XCalibur Xr50 and one of those Lucky LV's. I like the things I read.

What RW said about the difference in sound really made me think. Its true. I've had some lakes where they get a unique lipless crank that they've never seen before and they freak out and you catch 40 fish in a few hours. I think most fish in the lakes I've fished have seen a Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap many times before.

[Guest avid]

I am a "when in doubt throw a ratltrap" guy.

Now of course the ratltrap could be made by any number of comapnies, but I have about 20 of them all sizes makes and colors.  They just plain work.

my current favorite is the LC 500max in aurora black.  But that could change at any time.

[Shakes]

anybody own the LC500 in the American Shad pattern? hows it do for you?

[Brad_Coovert]

I gots lots of favs in the lipless crankbait department.

Cordell Spots in 1/2 and 1/4 oz.

Lucky Craft LVR Mini, LVRD7, LV0, LV200 and LV300N

SPRO Arukushad

Brad

[senko_77]

yo-zuri rattl n vibe in baby bass and spro aruku shad in perch.