Lipless Crankbaits

[Todd2]

I picked up a few lipless cranks today after I realized I was running low and it made me think....

 

Why do lipless cranks seem to be less popular than diving ones? Maybe they are not, but it seems it to me from people I know and fish around. I even forget about them myself a lot going with lipped ones until Fall rolls in. But is there a better lure that imitates baitfish that can be worked at any depth?  Swimbaits..maybe, but a lipless has to be up there.

 

Also, since a lipless is not loading the rod as much as a diving crankbait during the retrieve, does that make strike detection easier or harder? 

 

Just some random thoughts.

 

 

[the reel ess]

I like to use them more than diving ones because I fish a place that's pretty weedy most of the year. Even in winter there are weeds there. I can fish the lipless ones very slowly deep or speed them up a bit in the shallows and barely contact the weeds. I have no problem with strike detection as the fish normally slam it.

[Todd2]

5 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

I like to use them more than diving ones because I fish a place that's pretty weedy.

Most of our lakes here are weedless...full of rocks and trees but I do have a few ponds that I bank fish with weeds that burning a lipless over might work..not sure why I haven't done that yet. I will now.?

[Spankey]

Lipless It might make strike detection easier but I’m gonna say not really. All crankbaits have a difference in resistance value. Size, weight, lip configuration, running depth all come into play. The feel will be somewhat different. Detection is not hard to determine. 

 

I’ve never forgot about my crankbaits. If I’m throwing a worm/plastics I don’t think I’m neglecting them. It I had another set of arms I’d throw a crank and a soft plastic at the same time. 

 

Good post, don’t overthink it. Fish them when you can. I use a Rat-L-Trap all season. It’s a good bait, good search bait. 

 

[scaleface]

I like to bounce Red Eye Shads off the bottom  in deep water, much like fishing a worm  . When they  work  its dynamite . I havent  found a largemouth bite with them this year , yet ,  but I wore the white bass out on them a week ago .

 

  I dont like to use lipless baits  in woody cover because I snag up to often .  Fishing in high percentage spots like that I'll go with something more snag resistant .

[papajoe222]

Some prefer a lipped crank because they are`easier to keep at a given depth. Crank it down and it stays there until it starts rising at the end of the cast.  If you count a lipless down and reel it back too fast, it'll rise up and you miss your target depth for the majority of the retrieve.  I'll choose a lipless over a lipped for a few reasons. The tight wiggle, their ability to shed weeds easier, the different sound, the ease of retrieving them and the fact that they cast a country mile all factor into when I choose to use them. 

I fish them through timber by removing the rear hook and retrieving them steadily. My most productive retrieve at this time of year is to yo yo them in the middle of the water column, but sometimes they want it ripped off the bottom and allowed to flutter back down.  The Red Eye Shad is my #1 pick then.

[Todd2]

23 minutes ago, papajoe222 said:

 My most productive retrieve at this time of year is to yo yo them in the middle of the water column

I've never tried this up in the water column..only off the bottom. Seems like it'd be hard to maintain a constant running depth, I'm gonna give it a try.

[Black Hawk Basser]

I'm generally too limited by vegetation to use them all year, but I sure use them in spring and late fall.

 

I've had great outings with a Red Eye Shad, but the simple Cordell Super Spot has been the most consistent bait for me.

[Bluebasser86]

Lipless baits probably produce 10-1 more fish than lipped crankbaits do for me. Other people may not think to fish them, but I'm not in that group.

 

Bite detection is way easier with lipless baits IMO.

[Basseditor]

We slayed the Bass last weekend ripping lipless crankbaits out of the grass. It’s been a good year here using them.

[Mobasser]

I'll always keep some rattletraps with me. I catch more fish with them than any lipped diving cranks. Versatile baits that can run at any depth or speed

[Catt]

Post-spawn thru summer nogo!

 

Fall thru pre-spawn goto!

 

[A-Jay]

Besides the traditional presentations with lippless baits, which for me include but are not limited to a constant retrieve, stop & go, letting it tick the top of or ripping it out of the grass, and in late season applications, fishing a lippless bait like a blade bait has been super effective for me on brown bass. 

A-Jay

 

[GoneFishingLTN]

15 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Besides the traditional presentations with lippless baits, which for me include but are not limited to a constant retrieve, stop & go, letting it tick the top of or ripping it out of the grass, in late season applications, fishing a lippless bait like a blade bait has been super effective for me on brown bass. 

A-Jay

 

Do you notice a difference between the lv500 and strike king 3/4 oz

[Catt]

Ricochet ?

 

When fishing timber ricochet em off stumps!

[A-Jay]

1 minute ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

Do you notice a difference between the lv500 and strike king 3/4 oz

RES seems to flutter / swim better on the fall.

A-Jay

[Spankey]

My fishing, my home waters per say have changed for the worse over the last hand full of years. Mother Nature has changed the ecosystem and habitat of the river. 

 

I’ve become a laker this last handful years and I am enjoying it. I stressed over that situation and tried to deal with it but that’s not what fishing is about. Somethings you can control in life some you can not. I have both largemouths and smallies here at the lake. 

 

Sorry for the short rant. But anyway I use to fish the heck out of Rat-L-Traps. They seemed to be a bit more effective on the river for smallies. Most likely because the river is far shallower on average than the lake. I still fish them regularly but it is for sure one of the top if not the top confidence baits I use. 

 

If I’m having a tough day and I refuse to get sent home skunked (it happens), I’ve tied on a Rat-L-Trap on many occasions and fished it hard to come up with a bass. A dink, runt or respectable fish I don’t care. They do seem to get the job done. 

 

I’m a creature of habit so I tend to use Rat-L-Trap Brand. But there are others out there that are equally as good or better for sure. I have a lot of patterns but I really only need three colors to make it happen. 

[Todd2]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

 fishing a lippless bait like a blade bait has been super effective for me on brown bass. 

 

 

The teachers always told us there is no such thing as a stupid question..this might be an exception. How do you fish a blade bait?

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, Todd2 said:

The teachers always told us there is no such thing as a stupid question..this might be an exception. How do you fish a blade bait?

Solid question @Todd2 and the best way for me to answer and for you to know how I prefer to do it, is to offer this thread for your reading enjoyment.

If nothing else - watch Scott Dobson's video in the OP.

Was a game changer for me.

A-Jay

 

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, Todd2 said:

The teachers always told us there is no such thing as a stupid question..this might be an exception. How do you fish a blade bait?

Lift and drop , usually on or near the bottom. They almost always eat it when it's falling and it falls fast so keep the line tight when it's falling

[Catt]

4 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Lift and drop , usually on or near the bottom. They almost always eat it when it's falling and it falls fast so keep the line tight when it's falling

 

 

[Todd2]

5 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Solid question @Todd2 and the best way for me to answer and for you to know how I prefer to do it, is to offer this thread for your reading enjoyment.

If nothing else - watch Scott Dobson's video in the OP.

Was a game changer for me.

A-Jay

 

Very nice..eager to try this with my traps....  "Less is best"

[zell_pop1]

I always have a lipless tied on either a Xcalibur one knock, or occasionally the rattling version, or the Sebile snagless. They work all year not just cold weather like most people, here in Indiana anyway, think.

[Brett's_daddy]

Has anyone tried the River2Sea Ruckus? Thoughts?

[primetime]

I catch more fish on lipless cranks at all depths than crankbaits for the most part. Some days they may not want something loud, but in the few places on fish that has deep water, I like to basically fish a heavy lipless crank the same way you would a spoon. Let it hit bottom, then lift it up and let it flutter, or hop on bottom etc...

 

In water over 10-15' I almost always fish the Bigger Spro Aruku Shad since it is 7/8 I believe, the 3/4 Red Eye Shad, Sebile 77 Sinking, and I have a bunch of 1 oz Reaction Strike Lipless cranks that are perfect size for ounce, stand on bottom and fall nicely, and are basically silent but have a slight sound that is different as if there was sand in the bait...I think Viscous maybe makes it now....I have a lipless crank tied on all year no matter if on a big lake, or off bank or in Kayak. Great for covering water and finding fish. 

 

I don't get nearly as many Fish on Square bills or deep divers. I catch more bass on C-Rigs deep than I do on cranks, usually just not the same quality though.