Lipless cranks?

[MediumMouthBass]

The lipless crankbait is my #1 quantity and quality producing lure for bass. (Ned rigs #2).

I have one or several tied on year round, no matter the weather, or season.

Such a versatile lure, with so many different ways of fishing it.

I have about 50-75 of them now but find myself wanting to try more than the two i fish the most, but im not sure which other ones to try.

 

My most fished and prized lipless is the 1/2oz Berkley Warpig. It sinks like a rock and lets me fish fast.

I like the yo yo retrieve with these, i can feel it vibrate like no other lipless i have ever used, even on the fall i can feel it.

It comes through grass better than a chatterbait or spinnerbait too, i just rip the rod to the side and the hooks just slice right through it.

This is more my shallow (10' or less) springtime go to. Its good until the grass gets too high, and way too thick.

Even with its hooks going through grass like a hot knife through butter, it just falls too fast into the mess.

Then i will use it in open water thats deep. I cant understand why they dont make these in 3/4oz.

The bass where i fish absolutely annihilate this lure.

 

Next up is the 1/2oz Strike King Red Eye Shad. Such a completely different lipless. It feels weightless compared to the Warpig.

Still casts a mile though, these just fall so slow. I love fishing these later in the year, especially around summer when the grass is everywhere.

I will rotate with a yo yo, or just burn it over the grass retrieve. The trade off with it falling slow and the ability to fish it slower in shallower water is that if even a small piece of grass gets on the hooks the lure fouls up, and has to be brought back to the bank or kayak.

Ive tried and tried, but ripping the rod up or to the side doesnt fix it, it just gets the trebles wrapped around the line.

But even with that it excels with catching bass in the summer.

 

I know theres plenty others like 6th Sense, Bill Lewis, Spro, Cotton Cordell, Googan, Rapala, Yo Zuri, Booyah, and other brands that make them but i just dont have the confidence in anything other than the 2 i mentioned. I realize if somethings working dont change it, but i would really like to expand my ability to fish these more, and that requires trying some new ones. Whats your go to lipless? And how does it fall? And is it good or bad in grass?

[crypt]

Rattletrap is my #1.....Redeye shad #2.....Rapala #3....some days one will out do the others.I have to try all 3 sometimes to figure which one is working that day. funny how that is ......that's fishing for ya.

[12poundbass]

Red eye shad for me

[Aaron_H]

I find this surprising. I fish the Warpig and I like it quite a bit and I have caught some nice fish on them, but I find the vibration and sound to be very subdued in comparison to many other lipless cranks I throw. That is part of why I like it, I think there are instances where that different vibration/sound profile are key to triggering bites.

 

Like you, I'm probably pushing 70 or so lipless cranks in my boxes. Different sizes, sound profiles (key IMO) and vibrations, for yo-yoing or burning.

 

If I had to pick a top it would probably be the Booyah One Knocker. Nice smaller profile at the 1/2 oz weight, I love to throw in in the fall and yo-yo it through/around balled up shad. Great vibration and the one-knocker sound is killer when they are a little too pressured for a rattle bait but not enough or too stained water to use a silent lipless. The 1/2 oz in copper shiner is responsible for my biggest lipless fish at just over 9lb, so it has a special place for me, but I find myself throwing flashy momma (chrome sexy shad) basically 100% of the time I throw it these days.

 

The Thunderhawk Sergeant (both the 3/4 oz rattle and 1/2 oz silent versions) are in my top baits, also. Great vibration, nice shimmy on the fall like the Red Eyed Shad, and they sit nose down on the bottom every time like that Jackall TN series and the 3/4 oz sinks quickly for jigging bottom. Kind of a do-all lipless, and the free rotating hook hangers 100% make a difference in landed fish percentage in my experience. Just saw they're coming out with some different sizes of them that could be worth checking out, but I'm good with the standard size.

 

Can't not mention the Red Eyed Shad, though. This is the hardest vibrating lipless I throw and it feels like it's rattling my bones when you rip it. Great shimmy on the fall and I throw this a lot in spring and summer but it rips and burns well, too.

 

If I just want to burn a straight retrieve, though, it's hard to beat the original Rat-L-Trap. If I need a less aggressive sound profile, the Rapala Rattlin' Rap is killer, as well, and has gotten me some big fish over the years.

 

Bought quite a few of those H2OX lipless cranks to try as well. Box says Medium Profile Lipless but online they're listed as 5/8oz RT. Promising so far, good rattle, great vibration. I would upgrade the hardware but they are worth checking out IMO.

[LrgmouthShad]

I am quite fond of the red eye shad and the 1/4oz is a sleeper size

[Mobasser]

1/2 and 1/4 oz Rattle Trap in chrome has been good over the years.

[Pat Brown]

Any of the suspending ones are worth their weight in gold.  

[Catt]

Bill Lewis

Rat-L-Trap

Mini HammerTrap 3/16

Hammer Trap

Knock-N-Trap

[FrnkNsteen]

13 hours ago, crypt said:

Rattletrap is my #1.....Redeye shad #2.....Rapala #3....some days one will out do the others.I have to try all 3 sometimes to figure which one is working that day. funny how that is ......that's fishing for ya.

I don't fish them as often as I probably should, but when I do, the above list is what I throw most and in the same order.

 

Chrome with black back is my #1 followed closely by blue back, then probably a craw colored followed by host of others.

[GRiver]

Most of mine are Bill Lewis, and Booyah. I really like the one-knockers, I usually cast the one-knockers and troll for striper with the Bill Lewis.

[LonnieP]

Bill Lewis mostly. Occasionally I’ll throw a SPRO or a Booyah.

[Texas Flood]

1/2oz Booyah Hard Knocker

[Fishlegs]

Lipless is one of my favorite lures. I use several different ones depending on the situation. Here is how I usually decide which lipless to use:

 

If I want a slow, fluttering fall...Red Eye Shad.

 

If I want to fish deeper, and need strong, sharp hooks...6th Sense.

 

If I want a unique color/shape...Spro Aruku Shad.

 

If I want a subtle presentation for highly pressured fish...the Yo-Zuri Vibe. It is compact, and looks very realistic in the water. I have thrown this one behind someone else using a more popular lipless and caught fish that they did not.

 

If I'm around grass, or I have one chance to entice a big fish...the Booyah (formerly Xcaliber) is the one I always reach for. I don't catch as many fish with this lure as I do with the others, but it seems to entice more big bites than any other lipless for me.

 

Another category I have is "cheap". My two favorite cheap lipless brands are H2OX, and Ozark Trail. They both catch fish, and I can throw them in riskier places because it does not cost much if I lose them. They are readily available at Academy Sports, and Walmart, and cost very little. The Ozark Trail definitely feels the cheapest, but it only cost around $2, and it catches fish.

 

If I could only choose one brand (bait monkey says, no chance) I might choose the H2OX because it is a good lure at a fair price. It works in most of the situations listed above, just not quite as well as the ones listed. They are limited in colors compared to other brands, but they have the basic colors. Also, H2OX lures are surprisingly well built for a $5 lure that goes on sale fairly regularly.

[OkobojiEagle]

I enjoy reading threads like this.  LV500 not making anyone's top five surprises me.

 

oe

[A-Jay]

The Duo Realis G-Fix Vibration Tungsten Lipless Crankbait has shown up in the productive baits thread for several years running. At 3/4 oz it's very thin (compact) casts like a ROCKET, gets deep fast and stays there.

Comes in several wildly effective colors and patterns.

Don't buy any.

😎

A-Jay

 

[Bankbeater]

Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap and the Cordell Spot are the ones I fish with the most. 

[NorthernBasser]

13 Fishing Magic Man in Regurgitated Shad color (the eyes crack me up) has become my favorite lipless over the past 4-5 years. Unfortunately Rapala axed the hard bait line when they purchased 13 Fishing a while back. 

 

[Peddiesake]

Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap hands down. They have a different sound that gets attention. Guess that why they been around 50+ years.

[r83srock]

3 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap and the Cordell Spot are the ones I fish with the most. 

This is me also. I really like a trap, I don’t throw it enough but plan to much more next year. 

[Glenn]

Rat-L-Trap, Wameko Shad, One Knocker and few others are on my list Plus I have a handful of Japanese baits I bought when I was in Japan earlier this year that I really like! 

[Pumpkin Lizard]

Rat-L-Trap is both an OG lure and state of the art at the same time.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Duo makes some great traps, been doing well with the Nitro the past few weeks.  The Apex is more of a plastic blade bait.  Very thin and gets down like crazy for its weight.  

 

I really like TN60s too.  Even when they don't seem to be ideal for certain situations, they consistently produce.  The only drawback is the price.

 

[rgasr63]

I have caught fish with a lot of lipless lures. My 2 that I have the most confidence in are the KVD Red Eye shad and the Bill Lewis Rattle traps. CC. Super Spot would get a nod also. The yo-yo retrieve works best for me.

[scaleface]

I like all three sizes of the Red eye shad. The 3/4 for about 20 foot. the 1/2 for 10 to 20 foot and the little one shallower. I've had some very exciting days throwing the little one on flats  and catching  a mixture of whites, blue cats, channels, drum and walleye. I'm talking 100 fish days. Those channels will absolutely smash it. 

[Bluebasser86]

RES 2 tap takes the cake for me. 6th sense did make one in the Quake lineup in a color called "Merthiolate Flash", that was a killer in cold, stained water. I have one left but I'm afraid to use it. They had kind of a blue crappie pattern that I really liked also, also DQ'd. Only have one left of those also. The Clayton's Shiner color is a solid pattern, not that I'm biased.