If you could only fish with one lure for a day what lure would you choose? For me personally, I probably would grab a lipless crankbait.
Many would agree that lipless crankbaits are some of the best ways to catch big bass.
For one, the size of the lure allows you to throw them a mile, thus making it very easy to cover a lot of water.
They are also super easy to use, whether you like to work them across the bottom, burn them across the top or use the yo-yo retrieve, you are bound to catch a fish no matter the (or lack of) fishing experience you have.
Lastly, they give off a great about of vibration and sound that many have said acts like a dinner bell in drawing in bass for a bite.
What more can I say? These baits are a must have when fishing. However, did you know that there are several different types of lipless crankbaits available on the market today? What makes it worse is that no two lures are exactly alike. They all bring their own uniqueness to the fishing scene.
How can a fisherman know which one to throw?
In this post, we are going to take a closer look at some of my favorites.
Table of Contents
What Is The Best Lipless Crankbait? – My Top 9
Here is a preview of what I would consider being the top 9 lipless crankbaits on the market today.
- Rapala Rippin Rap
- LiveTarget Yearling Baitball
- Rat-L-Trap
- LIVETARGET Pumpkin Seed Rattlebait
- Matzuo Ikari
- Strike King Red Eye Shad Bait
- Spro Aruku Shad 75
- Berkley Warpig
- Lucky Craft’s Lucky Vibration
Rapala Rippin Rap
The first on our list and one that has been on the market for some time is the Rapala Rippin Rap.
There are two features that really set this crankbait apart from the rest. First, the beautiful finish. One of the biggest challenges of using lipless cranks is keeping the paint finish in good condition.
Over time, bumping it into timber, dragging it along the bottom or catching many fish can take a toil on your lure. You may even begin to notice that the paint begins to chip. With the Rippin Rap the finish is actually behind a hard clear plastic body. No more fears of chipping foil or paint off your favorite crankbait.
The second unique feature you will notice is that it contains several BB’s giving it a distinctive sound as it is being brought through the water column. Combine that with the tall skinny body which gives it that tasty wobble that bass can’t resist.
Lastly, it is available in a number of different sizes and colors not only making it a great bass lure, but you can use it on other species as well. Works great for ice fishing as well.
See the Rapala Rippin’ Rap in action in the video below.
LiveTarget Yearling Baitball
Another great crank on the market today is the LiveTarget Yearling Baitball.
As you can see from the picture above, one of the best features that really sets this lure apart from its competition is the paint job.
Not only did LiveTarget do a great job making it look like a fish, but it really looks like a small school of fish. This works great when trying to get those big girls to commit.
We all know that one of the best ways to entice a big bass to come up and strike a lure is to make it appear like it is getting a big meal. Many bass fishermen have done this successfully by increasing the size of their lure. LiveTarget has taken this idea to the next level with the look of this crankbait.
It is designed to appear as though the bass isn’t just getting one small baitfish, but perhaps a few. Couple the unique design with the rattle and wobble of a crankbait and you’ve got yourself a good bass lure, if not one of the best bass fishing lures on the market today.
It is available in 5 different life-like patterns, making it easy to match the hatch.
Rat-L-Trap
Of course one of the pioneers in the crankbait category is Bill Lewis with his Rat-L-Trap.
This lure was one of the first of its kind and has created its very own crankbait category. Created nearly half a century ago it was just as effective at catching fishing today as it was back in the day.
What makes it so unique is the flat-sided design that gives it a tight wobble as it is being retrieved and that loud rattle that draws bass in. Probably the most amazing fact is that this lure has been around for nearly 50 years and it is still producing results.
Since its initial release, this lure has come a long way in the fact that it is now available in a number of different sizes and colors. It has also branched out into other types of crankbaits such as the floating Rat-L_Trap found here.
Without a doubt, this is a lure that every bass fisherman should have in their tackle box.
LiveTarget Pumpkinseed Rattlebait
Did you know that bass can eat up to 40 percent of their annual diet in sunfish?
Yes, 40 percent!
That is an insane about of fish.
What does that mean for us fishermen?
It means that we need to throw more lures that imitate a sunfish. If not, we could be losing out on a whole lot of fish.
It is with that reason in mind that we have included the LIVETARGET Pumpkin Seed Rattlebait
As you can see from the picture above, this lure has a beautiful finish that looks exactly like a Pumpkinseed. Couple the design with its noisy sound chamber, its tight wobble and you have got yourself a great lipless crankbait.
This lure is available in both the Bluegill and Pumpkinseed patterns. Choose between either a metallic/glossy finish or a natural/matte finish.
Check out the action of this lure in the following video:
Matzuo Ikari
Brand new to the scene of the many different lipless crankbaits is the Matzuo Ikari
One of the unique features of this lure is the flared bloody red gills. Unlike other lipless cranks which are known to have flat sides, this lure has red gills that appear to be flared.
This design not only makes the lure look more realistic but it is designed to imitate a baitfish in distress. Couple the design with that tight erratic wobble and you have yourself another great presentation to entice bass to commit.
Inside are stainless steel BBs that give it that lethal vibration that bass simply cannot resist. It is available in two different sizes 1/2 ounce or 3/8 ounce and you can find it in a number of different colors.
Let’s take a closer look at the Matzuo Ikari
Strike King Red Eye
By far one of the most popular lipless crankbaits on the market is the next lure on our list, it is the Strike King Red Eye Shad Bait
An effective way to catch bass using lipless crankbaits is with the yo-yo retrieve. This can be done by pulling up on then dropping your fishing rod as you bring it back to the boat. By doing this you are allowing the lure to flutter or fall, thus imitating a wounded baitfish. Bass love this presentation and many times they will strike on the fall.
However, when fishing this technique you need to choose a lure that has that flutter that will imitate a baitfish on the fall. If not, you are simply wasting your cast.
So which crankbait has the best fall? Well, that could lead to a long debate, but I personally like the presentation and the controlled fall of the Strike King Red Eye Shad Bait
It is also available in a number of different sizes and up to 40 plus different patterns.
Let’s take a closer look at this lure in the following video:
Spro Aruku Lipless Crank
Another crank to add to our list is the Spro Aruku Shad 75
First, you will notice that it has a fat nose and a skinny body design. This was intentionally designed this way to make it swim with its nose to the bottom. This unique swim action with its nose to the bottom helps to give it that wide erratic wobble (which bass love) and it also helps to keep the treble hooks up and protected from weeds or structure.
On top of all that, it is also equipped with a super loud rattle.
Without a doubt, this lure was designed to get attention. Add this to your collection and you might be surprised to see just how many bites you will get.
Berkley Warpig
As you can see from above, this lure has a fat head and a skinny tail. Once again, this design helps to give it a crazy tight wobble, but most importantly it helps to keep the lure vertical on the fall making it the perfect lure for a yo-yo retrieve.
The fathead design also helps the lure to swim nose down protecting the treble hooks from debris as well as giving it the ability to bounce off cover much like a square bill crankbait.
Let’s take a closer look at its unique action in the following video:
Lucky Craft’s Lucky Vibration
Is Lucky Craft’s Lucky Vibration the best lipless crankbait on the market? You be the judge, but we say yes it is.
This is a 3 inch, 3/4 sinking lipless crank and it is quickly becoming a favorite among many fishermen.
One feature that really makes it unique is the super loud rattle that helps to draw in the fish for a closer look. Once they come in for a closer look the unique body style gives it that erratic vibrating swimming motion that encourages bass to commit.
Lastly, it is available in a number of different colors including my favorites Crack Blue, Chartreuse Shad, and Pearl Ayu.
Insider Tip: One of the most frustrating things about fishing with cranks is getting the lure caught in the net. Never allow this to happen again with the New Frabill Tangle Free Mesh Net . This net is specifically designed so that your lure won’t get tangled up in the net. Get your net today and ensure that your crankbait spends more time in the water and less time in the boat.
Final Thoughts…
As you can see, there are so many different lipless on the market, but which one is the best lipless crankbait?
Well as you can see, it is extremely difficult to just narrow it down to just one or even two. For that reason, I include my favorite 9 in this post, but don’t forget to also take into consideration such factors as where you like to fish and how you like to fish.
The best part about fishing with lipless crankbaits is that you can fish them all year-long and have success.
So if you want to discover which one is the best for you, my recommendation is to pick out a few of your favorites from the list above. Give them a try over a period of time. Then come back and share with us which one you think is the best.
Do you have a favorite lipless crankbait that wasn’t mentioned above? Feel free to share with us in the comments below which one you think is the best.
(Now that you found yourself a good lure, it’s time to get yourself a good fishing pole. Head over here to see our post on what fishing rod we think is the best lipless crankbait rod.)
I am just now trying to learn the use of lipless crankbait, because I am new to the bait and do very well with square bills I think I should share my venture into lipless with others, I will add more here as I go, I hope this will help others.
I am in Michigan and it is 921/2016 so I will be trying this in the beginning of fall in both small and large lakes.
In the early fall I gave this style lure a try, I hit a few stores and bought 3, I picked up a Rapala Clackin’ Rap, Rapala Rattlin Rap and a cheap Jawbone Craw pattern.
I took them to a lake I do well in and fished both shallow by casting past the weeds and cranking past the weed edges, this worked so well it shocked me, I caught Bass both Sm and Lg mouth, some perch and believe it or not a blue gill attacked the Rattlin Rap and I caught him.
I moved to the deep water and let it sink and drop got some large mounth doing that as well, this worked best with the Clackin’ Rap.
Next I fished rocks near the beach with the Craw pattern and caught a few there.
Learning this bait was easy I watched a few videos and learned that the lure runs nose down bouncing off the bottom and keeps the hooks up and out of the way, I was surprised how little they snagged, I now have confidence in this type of lure and look forward to the warm up here in michigan to try another color/pattern, I hope this helps some one learn a bit.