Barb Catch Fishing

best lipless crankbaits

Lipless crankbaits are incredibly versatile search baits that have caught me tons of trophy bass. 

So it is safe to say that Lipless crankbaits are indispensable tools in the arsenal of any angler seeking to hook into voracious bass. 

These versatile lures offer a dynamic combination of action, sound, and versatility, making them essential for covering water efficiently and enticing aggressive strikes. 

So let’s get into the best lipless crankbaits that you can get.

Best Lipless Crankbaits

I have tested out countless lipless crankbaits and I’m always on the hunt for lures that catch me more bass. 

These 5 lipless crankbaits have produced the best, biggest, and most consistent results for me and my fishing piers.

1. Strike King Red Eye Shad

This is without a doubt my personal favorite lipless crankbait. I have caught way more bass on the red eye shad than any other lipless. 

The Red Eye Shad by Strike King was designed by their national pro staff, and is a complete fish catching package at a price that is hard to beat. 

Strike King is offering this bait in their pro team paint scheme along with 3D red eyes and premium VMC vanadium cone cut treble hooks. 

The Red eye shad is a half ounce bait and features free floating rattles to give you unmatched action and sound. 

I have almost limitless confidence in this lure to produce bites and catch me lots of bass.

2. Bill Lewis Hammer Trap

Although the red eye shad will always be my bias favorite, I am absolutely in love with the Bill Lewis Hammer Trap. 

The latest offering from the makers of the legendary Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap, the Bill Lewis Hammer Trap is derived from incredible hammering action and next-level vibration that vibrates your rod tip strongly during the retrieve. 

Featuring a Tri-tone sound chamber that emits three different tonal frequencies, the Hammer Trap calls fish from great distances and flutters erratically on the pause to entice vicious reaction bites.

Equipped with razor-sharp Mustad Triple Grip treble hooks and high-quality hardware throughout, these premium hard baits are ready to capture large predators straight out of the packaging. 

The Hammer Trap is one of the newest lipless crankbaits from the most time tested brand. 

3. Biospawn Rattlebot

The Rattlebot is certainly the most unique lipless crankbait on the market. This is because it comes in two styles. 

First is the Rattlebot Craw. The Craw has a crawfish body design, eyes in the back of the lure, and realistic crawfish colors. 

Second is the Rattlebot Baitfish. This one is designed with a baitfish profile, eyes in the front of the lure, a pectoral fin, and awesome baitfish colors. 

These might not seem like huge differences, but they allow you to match the hatch perfectly and often get picky bass to commit to biting.

4. Berkley Warpig

Able to target the entire water column from top-to-bottom, the Berkley Warpig Lipless Crankbait grabs the attention of big bass with the perfect trifecta of look, sound, and action. 

Designed with a blunt nose, the Berkley Warpig Lipless Crankbait elicits crushing reaction strikes as it bounces off of cover and barrels through vegetation.

Designed with a thin body and an advanced rattle chamber, the Berkley Warpig Lipless Crankbait generates a strong shimmy that translates to a serious acoustic attraction. 

Armed with two razor-sharp Fusion19 trebles, the Berkley Warpig Lipless Crankbait provides versatility, heavy-action, and premium quality all in one “hog-calling” package. 

I also love the color options that it comes in. The colors are very realistic and detailed, which can often make a big difference.

5. Rapala Rippin Rap

The Rapal Rippin Rap is an awesome cold water lipless crankbait. It has a bit tighter action. 

When the water gets super cold, I prefer to fish a blade bait, but in the early and late winter, the Rippin Rap is awesome.

Just like flat-sided crankbaits are better for cold water, lipless crankbaits with a tighter action are also better for cold water. 

But what truly shines about the Ripping Rap is how it falls. As it sinks, it shimmers and darts around from side to side. 

These two qualities make it perfect for Yo-Yo fishing or a reel and flutter retrieve. 

It also has a killer bait fish profile that looks exactly like what bass are feeding on with a textured finish and 3D eyes that put it over the top.

What Are Lipless Crankbaits Good For?

First off, lipless crankbaits are dynamite for covering water fast. 

When you’re out there on the water and you need to search for those active bass, there’s nothing quite like a lipless crankbait to help you do it. 

You can cast them a mile, and they sink fast, allowing you to fish effectively at various depths.

Now, when it comes to action, these lures have got it going on. 

That signature tight wobble combined with the rattling noise they make drives bass absolutely crazy. 

It’s like ringing the dinner bell for those hungry predators lurking beneath the surface from the spring time all the way into winter.

Lipless crankbaits are also a terrific reaction bait. Real it in quickly and aggressively past the bass. 

The bass won’t have time to think about it, they will just react, and bite.

What is the Loudest Lipless Crankbait?

the loudest lipless crankbait

Sometimes to catch a bass you need to make a little noise. That is the premise behind the new River2Sea Ruckus Lipless Crankbait. 

Built to be one of the loudest lipless crankbaits on the market, the Ruckus has a dual frequency rattle system that imparts low and high frequency rattle noises into the water. 

The Ruckus also has the profile of a big baitfish, which helps it appeal to large bass that are in the mood for a big bite.

Best Lipless Crankbait Colors

I like to keep my lipless crankbait colors simple. I pretty much only use three styles of colors.

  • Shad: Use a shiny silver, sexy shad, or white when the water is warm. And use a grey or pale white when the water is cold.
  • Bluegill: When fishing shallow water, it can be hard to beat a bluegill imitation. 
  • Crawfish: I like red craw colors when the water is warm, and brown or pale red when the water is cold.

Reeling this In

In the realm of bass fishing, the selection of the right lure can make all the difference between a successful outing and a day of frustration. 

As we’ve explored the diverse offerings of the best lipless crankbaits, it’s evident that these lures are not created equal. 

From the tried-and-true classics to the cutting-edge innovations, each bait brings its own allure and effectiveness to the table. 

Whether you’re probing shallow flats, dissecting submerged vegetation, or working deep structure, there’s a lipless crankbait tailored to meet your needs and entice those elusive lunkers.