Lipless crankbaits are part of any professional fisher’s toolbox – and for good reason. You can cover more water, which means more fish to catch.
In particular, these lures are great for catching fish that feed on smaller fish. Fishers also notice that lipless crankbaits can be useful for baiting fish that may not even be hungry.
Want to feel more confident about using your lipless crankbait? Check out the tips below.
What’s a Lipless Crankbait?
Lipless crankbaits are often referred to as rattle baits, vibe cranks, and traps. They include a flat design that enables them to wobble when pulling them in. Treble hooks and a split ring are also part of the design to let you tie up your line.
The wobble effect of a lipless crankbait entices fish to attack so that you can catch them easier. In addition to this, many crankbaits are available with different designs and colors to ensure that you can find the one that suits your needs best.
Most professional fishers will have lipless crankbaits that are designed to imitate crawfish. This is a type of fish that other fish prey on commonly.
How To Use Lipless Crankbaits
Most veterans will advise you to use lipless crankbaits in waters with depths of 10 feet or under. These depths give you the best chance of catching more fish. However, you can also use lipless crankbaits in water with depths of 20 feet or more.
You can use crankbaits in water where there’s vegetation growing as those can be popular areas that fish gather in.
One of the big benefits of using a lipless crankbait is that you can retrieve it from lily pads and grass to catch fish that are grouped in vegetated areas.
When Should You Use Lipless Crankbaits?
The thing I love about lipless crankbaits is that they’re versatile and can be used any time of the year. Having said that, different types of weather will affect how you fish with crankbaits.
For example, colder weather allows you to crank the reel at a slower pace compared to when the water is warmer.
Here’s how to use lipless crankbaits during different times of the year.
Fall
- The fall time is when temperatures begin to dip which leads to prey and predator swimming more actively.
- It’s best to use a long cast and retrieve the bait quickly to find a group of hungry fish.
Winter
- Lipless crankbaits are one of the best types of crankbaits to use when the weather is cold.
- It’s recommended to use a lipless crankbait with a wobble motion that’s tight during winter.
- You should also retrieve the crankbait slowly.
Spring
- Shallow waters are often filled with groups of gathering fish.
- As a result, lipless crankbaits are ideal because of how they work so well in shallow water.
- Give yourself the best chance of catching fish by using a retrieval method that’s steady and with a motion that comes and goes.
- It gives the fish the notion that there’s movement in the beds of their spawn which attracts their attention.
Summer
- Hungry fish tend to have a faster metabolism in summer as the temperatures of the water are higher.
- You’ll need to fish deeper and use faster retrieval methods during summer.
- Fishers notice that if they pull their lipless crankbait from the top of vegetation, they’re able to lure and catch more fish.
Conclusion
Using a lipless crankbait the correct way can improve your fishing abilities greatly. Be sure to implement these tips to improve the way you catch fish, regardless of what time of the year it is.