lures that produced a lower-pitched sound . About 15 years ago , this secret crept from hiding , sparking a one knocker renaissance . PRADCO now markets a Booyah One Knocker ( originally sold under the now defunct XCalibur brand ) beside its Hard Knocker series . Strike King has added a Tungsten 2 Tap version to its Red Eyed Shad line . Thanks to a tungsten weight in its body chamber , it is said to produce a “ double tapping cadence .”
Bill Lewis , now part of GSM Outdoors , revealed its own twist on the one knocker at ICAST 2023 with the Hammer Trap , a lipless crankbait with a wider nose and hard thumping action . Meanwhile , Duckett worked with the Bill Lewis group to design a co-branded lipless bait , the Duckett Trap ( five colors , 1 / 2 ounce ), now sold through Duckett Fishing . He wanted a bait with a resonance somewhere between a one-knocker and the prevailing higher pitched rattles .
“ It ’ s caught on , in part because it has such a different , unique sound ,” Duckett says .
Sound is just one factor to consider when choosing between the myriad lipless options on the market . Baits with weights located closer to their noses generally possess faster fall rates and a distinct shimmy on the fall , suiting them well to a wider range of depth zones . They are particularly deadly when fish are responding to a yo-yo presentation .
The trademark of the Red Eyed Shad is its shimmying movement during its descent .
“ That subtle dying action is very effective ,” Ebare says . “ When you kill it , the lure has a forward flutter .”
The blunt nose on the Berkley Warpig offers advantages on shell bars and other hard bottom structure , notes Coulter . “ It hits and deflects better ,” he says . “ Even the 1 / 4-ounce version fishes ‘ heavy ’ for its size . The blunt nose allows me to be more efficient . If I ’ m hung ( on grass ) I can rip it free . It stays centered on the fall , and it also has more shimmy , a more enticing action on the fall .”
Lintner launches his lipless attack with a Jackall TN 70 an estimated 90 percent of the time . The versatile bait features a tungsten lip weight , which helps deliver long casts and a stand-up fall . It excels with a lift / drop presentation , which is most effective in the coldest water conditions . In clear water or pressured conditions , Lintner will drill a small hole into the rattle cavity , fill it with water and plug the hole with a toothpick and epoxy .
“ It totally changes the sound ,” says Lintner , referencing a modification he accidentally stumbled upon during a winning tournament performance on California ’ s Clear Lake . “ Water changed the pitch of that rattle . I outfished other guys fishing lipless 5 to 1 .”
Size may matter , depending on forage preference or performance . Standard 1 / 2-ounce lipless baits might hang up too frequently in shallow water or might not deliver as good a result in water deeper than 8 feet , where a 3 / 4-ounce or a nose-weighted bait could work wonders .
“ When the water is really cold , I just pull the bait enough to feel vibration , then let it fall .”
The color palette is wide for most brands of lipless baits , and nearly unlimited for the Rat-L-Trap line . Shad and crawfish colors dominate among a wide range of match-the-hatch options , but be sure to add some perch / bluegill patterns for lakes and ponds in which these species are primary forage . Chrome baits shine — literally and figuratively — in sunny conditions . Red crawfish varieties rule during much of the early season . Chartreuse can be tough to beat in dirty water or low-light conditions .
“ Swapping out colors is important ,” says Wheeler , who emphasizes that preferences can change not only dayto-day , but hour-to-hour .
presentation tips
Shake the chuck-and-wind mentality . The first rule of fishing no-lips in the cold is to mix it up .
A “ straight reel mixed with little pops ” is a starting point for Coulter , who almost never fishes lipless baits solely by winding them back to the boat .
“ If I ’ m fishing a shallow bar with rock , that bait must hit bottom ,” he adds .
As water temperatures drop , bass ’ metabolism slows , making them less aggressive . That ’ s when a slow bottom crawl comes into play , with variations on a yo-yo delivery popular among lipless experts . But one yo-yo isn ’ t necessarily identical to the next . Nuance matters even here .
“ When the water is really cold , I just pull the bait enough to feel vibration , then let it fall ,” offers Wheeler . “ That ’ s my favorite retrieve when fish are lethargic . Often you find mud on the bass ’ bellies . They pin the bait to the bottom . If the water is a little warmer , I will pull the bait with more vibration — larger pulls , say from 10 to noon — and let the lure fall on a semi-slack line .”
Duckett fishes his lipless baits in five feet of water or less in winter using a yo-yo presentation with its own touch of subtlety .
“ I lift the rod and let the bait flutter back down , working it as slowly as I can stand ,” he says . “ If I hit grass , I feather it — just feather it — until it clears . That ’ s when they hit .”
Lintner often tackles the coldest water conditions by combing 10-footplus ditches with the TN 70 .
“ I let it hit bottom , then stroke it ,” he says . “ Let it hit bottom , pull it , follow the line back down , pull it again . It ’ s more like stroking a jig , not like your spoon technique .”
On the surface , lipless crankbaits might appear to rank among the simplest of hard lures , wiggling and rattling on their own when retrieved . But cold-water mastery calls for command of a wide spectrum of details regarding the baits themselves , as well as how , when and where you present them .
“ Take advantage of the uniqueness of these baits ,” advises Wheeler , emphasizing the importance of playing with variables . “ The bass may want a faster rate of fall — a bait that drops like a rock . When the water is cold , they will react to it .”
Most importantly , don ’ t forget to put them back in your boat this time of year .
36 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2024