Lipless Crankbait

 Being relatively new to bass fishing, and in particular lure fishing, when I arrived in the US, there were many lures and styles of fishing that I had yet to experience. One such lure was the lipless crankbait. I have seen many videos on YouTube of people using this lure, but I only had the opportunity to do so once I started fishing here in the US. It is not that these lures weren’t available in SA, just that they are more affordable and widespread for the average angler around these parts.

 It is my understanding that they are called crankbaits because you simply crank your reel and the lure does all the work. Simple to use and a very old style of fishing. But the lipless crank is a newer, more recent, adaptation to this old style of lure. Not having the lip or spoon part to help this lure swim through the water, it relies on weight and its flat nose for its swimming action. Having the line attach to the back and not the head, adds to its unique swimming style.

More of an odd wobble rather than the normal smooth swimming motion. It is this strange action I believe, that this lure owes its success to. Rather than imitating some baitfish swimming around, this one seems like an odd, potentially injured fish, struggling about. A quick and easy meal for any predatory fish. This may be why this lure is referred to in the fishing community as a search bait. A simple quick cast and retrieve enables you to cover lots of water and find where the active fish are feeding.

My first few attempts with this lure did not produce any fish. Not that the lure was at fault, I simply was fishing a body of water with very few predatory fish in it. I was, however, quick to find some bass in Lake Mead using a simple retrieve. I started finding fish and hooking up, but I kept losing these fish. It was only after changing out the normal, stock-standard hooks for smaller slightly bent in hooks, that I started to catch and land the fish. At the end of the day, the lure does its part. But it is up to the angler to understand and wield the lure in the right way to ensure you get those fish.