BFM_DecJan_2024 | Page 35

PHOTO BY BRANDON ROWAN

erhaps the worst sin of omission in bass fishing is stowing away one ’ s lipless crankbait collection after prespawn . Just about every angler knows the power of cranking and ripping lipless baits through grass each spring , yet most proceed to bury their lipless boxes under half a dozen tackle trays for the rest of the season .

It ’ s a mistake that stems from underestimating the versatility of a lure category that can do far more than trigger strikes around growing grass . These baits can catch bass from a foot of water to 40 . Most importantly , their tight action makes them one of the deadliest tools in your tackle arsenal once your lake catches a chill .

“ A lipless bait is always a staple for me when the water is cool , starting in fall and right through prespawn , and sometimes even postspawn ,” says Texas pro Dakota Ebare . “ It can get fish to bite that don ’ t want to bite anything else .”

So , why do no-lips get such little respect this time of year ? Designation as a “ crankbait ” explains part of the misguidance . All too often , anglers expect the vibrating rattle baits to do all the work for them .

“ A standard crankbait is down there rooting around , deflecting , doing its thing ,” says Ott DeFoe , who finished third in Angler of the Year points during the 2023 Bass Pro Tour season . “ But a lipless doesn ’ t deflect as much on its own . Rod tip movement gets it

to lift like a regular crankbait would deflect . I ’ m always twitching my rod tip , making the bait move erratically , but not like a jerkbait … just adding subtle twitches .”

Many anglers pigeonhole lipless baits solely as shallow grass fishing tools — another mistake .

“ The lipless crankbait carries the stigma that it ’ s a grass-oriented , shallow water bait ,” says BPT angler Jared Lintner . “ I ’ ve managed a lot of wins and top performances with it in non-grass situations . I fish it at a lot of depths and with a variety of retrieves .”

Cold-water killer

Indeed , versatility is the hidden virtue of lipless crankbaits . A quiet minority trust in them as four-season tools , but all agree that when water temperatures occupy the 40- to low 60-degree range , lipless crankbaits are tough to beat .

“ Historically , a lipless crankbait is the last moving bait they bite in fall and the first one they bite in spring outside a jerkbait ,” says Brandon Coulter , a Bass Pro Tour pro from Knoxville , Tennessee . “ When the season is winding down or picking up , it ’ s a necessity . And the colder , the better !”

Boyd Duckett links their effectiveness in cold water to two traits .

“ When the water is cold , the bait you need is one with a really tight wobble that you ’ re still able to fish slow ,” he explains .

Extracting the cold-water magic of a lipless calls for an array of presentations and attention to detail to dial in the day ’ s pattern . The biggest key can be gleaned from that familiar springtime pattern , when a lipless bait ripped free from the tips of emerging vegetation is notoriously deadly .

That rod tip action produces a variety of lure responses that can trigger a reaction strike — sudden change of direction , a nervous rattle , increased vibration read by the sensory receptors of the bass ’ s lateral line . All signal the desperate flight of a crawfish or forage fish . A bass senses an easy meal as the bait lunges , pauses , falls and then flees .

Any one or a combination of these stimuli can trigger a reaction strike — vegetation optional .

“ Guys too often fail to experiment and change up their retrieve ,” Lintner says . “ Stop it , lift it , burn it , twitch it , slow it down , change the cadence . What you do with your rod tip is critical .”

Jacob Wheeler employs a wide range of retrieves with his lipless arsenal to match the mood of the fish , from a slow yo-yo to sweeping the bait to a traditional cast and wind . Same goes for Ebare , who warns that subtleties matter even more than usual during the cold-weather months .

“ Every day you have to change up your presentation with a lipless ,” says Ebare , whose bait of choice is Strike King ’ s Red Eyed Shad . “ Pay attention to every bite . A subtle , dying action can be very effective . Sometimes it ’ s stroking it , like a jig . Sometimes it ’ s a small rip . Sometimes it ’ s a sweep .”

DECEMBER-JANUARY 2024 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 33