Lipless crankbaits are an excellent choice for a myriad of bass-fishing situations. Whether you need to cover large expanses of water in short order or draw reaction strikes from big bass hanging around submerged vegetation, these lipless crankbaits are an outstanding way to elicit violent bites and catch a lot of fish.
It’s important to understand, however, that the market is saturated with these bass-fishing lures and it can be quite difficult to make a decision when you’re staring at a wall of lures before you head to the checkout line or finalize your online shopping cart. We can get in the weeds pretty easily when it comes to figuring out which lipless crankbait to buy but to be honest, it doesn’t have to be very complicated.
When choosing the best lipless crankbait for fishing, we recommend considering the following factors when making your decision:
- Price
- Sound
- Action
- Components
- Size
Before we get into the details about particular lures, I think there are a few important things to think about before you make a decision.
LIPLESS CRANKBAIT SIZE RECOMMENDATIONS
Again, you can get carried away in a hurry when you’re looking at a bunch of different lipless crankbait sizes. In my opinion, however, I think you can break it down into just a few different categories. Keep in mind as we run through these various sizes, that each manufacturer has different weights and sizes so each lipless crankbait you find isn’t going to be these exact weights. But as long as you can get close, you will be just fine. Here are the most common size options for anglers:
1/4-ounce: Great for casting on a medium-action casting or spinning rod for schooling bass near the surface. You’ll see this activity most often during the fall and summer months, so it’s a good idea to always have a smaller lipless crankbait rigged and ready to cast at a moment’s notice.
1/2-ounce: This is probably the most all-purpose size, if that makes sense. Whether you’re bombing casts around flats in the fall as bass ambush baitfish or ripping the lure through aquatic vegetation, it’s tough to go wrong with this lipless crankbait size. I’m a fan of a medium-heavy rod to help facilitate longer casts. If you’re overwhelmed, confused or just looking to dip your proverbial toe in the lipless crankbait game, I certainly recommend grabbing a few 1/2-ounce baits and going to town. You can catch a bunch of fish on ‘em without buying a specialized rod.
3/4-ounce: These heavier lipless crankbaits are pretty popular around big-bass fisheries that feature a lot of submerged vegetation. The added weight allows you to make insane casts and cover a bunch of water, which is a huge benefit when you’re trying to dissect trophy fisheries filled with vegetation. You’re going to need 40- to 50-pound braided line for this and a heavy-action, parabolic rod. It’s a big more of a specialized technique but when you get on a bite like this, it can absolutely blow your mind. If you frequent fisheries in Texas, Alabama or California, don’t overlook these larger lipless crankbaits.
LIPLESS CRANKBAIT LINE SIZE
I prefer to keep my fishing line selection fairly simple when I’m fishing a lipless crankbait. Although it’s not terribly complicated, I wanted to quickly touch on this to ensure you have a good experience with these lures.
12- to 15-pound fluorocarbon: If you’re fishing a 1/4-ounce lipless crankbait around open water and balls of baitfish, I recommend using these two diameters. The smaller diameter, the longer casts you’re able to make. So if you want to reach schooling fish, I’d probably suggest using 12-pound fluoro. But if you’re simply running down the bank covering water and possibly encountering hard cover, 15-pound is likely a better option.
20- to 25-pound fluorocarbon: I like to use these two sizes when I’m using a 1/2-ounce or 3/4-ounce lipless crankbait covering a bunch of water. You never know when you’re going to run across stumps, submerged laydowns or other impediments so it’s good to use a bit larger diameter with these heavier lures.
40- to 50-pound braided line: If you’re targeting any type of vegetation with a 1/2-ounce or heavier lipless crankbait, I strongly suggest using braided fishing line. Heavier fluorocarbon will work in a pinch, but the coarser braided line cuts through the grass really well. Essentially, when you’re working that lipless crankbait through the salad, you can jerk and pop your rod tip when you feel your hooks bogging down in the grass. The braided line in front of your lure will actually cut through the vegetation and free your lure quickly. When the bass are buried in this stuff, they’ll often smoke your lipless crankbait right when you jerk it free from the grass.
Now that we have the basics out of the way, let’s dig into the best lipless crankbaits for 2024. I’ve spend hundreds of hours on the water with these lures and I can personally vouch for each one of them. No matter what you choose from this list, I don’t think you can go wrong.
