Lipless Largemouth Bass

Lipless crankbaits are one of the best solutions for conquering coldfronts and successful early spring bass fishing. With many lipless crankbaits featuring lifelike patterns and baitfish finishing, they are some of the most effective lures on the market to entice ferocious strikes.

They’ve been considered a “dummy lure” by bass fishing purists and elitists, requiring little skill and minimal effort to succeed in the underwater worlds below. However, lipless crankbaits are not all the same by shape, sound, or color. In fact, the components allowing them to succeed such as internal rattle chambers, lifelike patterning, and shape are actually quite technical and diverse.

While the designs from every major manufacturer may look similar in shape and profile, not every brand or model of lipless crankbaits behaves the same. The best lipless crankbaits will rip, wiggle, and generate reactionary strikes.

In early spring, I’m often faced with brutal northwest winds and coldfronts. It leads to generally uncomfortable fishing conditions, but the payoff is hungry bass and lots of them.

This time of year, both largemouth bass and their forage species (yellow perch, bluegills, shiners, suckers) are lethargic, but slowly awakening. Bass aren’t likely to travel great distances to feed and herd their prey. To improve odds in having days like this, it’s important to make your presentation stand out by color selection and speed retrieving.

Burning lipless crankbaits through shallow bays and across flats entices aggressive, reactionary strikes. This is the best cold water early season tactic. The original Rat-L-Trap and Strike King Red Eye Shad are top choices for this. When the bite is hot, it could be the only bait you’ll throw all afternoon.

The Red Eye Shad features some of the most unique color scheme to represent baitfish and forage species, along with 3D red eyes and premium VMC vanadium cone cut treble hooks. The Red Eye Shads I often use are 1/2 ounce sizes.

The strategy gets accomplished with my St. Croix Mojo Bass Glass Rip-N-Chatter (MGC72HM) paired with 7:3.1 high-speed Quantum PT reel. Line choice varies by cover type, but I settle for either 15 lb. fluorocarbon or 20 lb. Cortland Masterbraid.

This unique rod and reel combination of mine is used exclusively for speed cranking with lipless crankbaits. I try to utilize various retrieves, but with rod tip pointed high and with several rapid pops and rips in between, a continuous speed retrieve usually generates a positive response from fish.

Because largemouth bass location may vary on a lake-by-lake basis and is influenced by weather patterns, it’s important to cover water efficiently when developing a productive lipless crankbait pattern. To cover water efficiently, it calls for controlled drifting, and zig-zagging.

Whether exploring new water and spots, it’s a tremendous search bait. The Strike King RedEye Shad gives me the ability to fish quickly and search for bites without wasting precious fishing time on a new, unfamiliar body of water. Lipless crankbaits never cease to amaze me by how much water you can cover in a day of fishing with them. They may not catch every bass you make contact with, but they are outstanding at triggering the most dominant and active fish.

If you’re up to braving the cold spring weather and expect good results, take a day to fish with a lipless crankbait. If you can learn where to throw it, how to work it and how to unleash its full potential, you’ll enjoy some of the most exciting bass action of the season.