--- title: "Best Lipless Crankbaits for Bass" description: "We picked the best lipless crankbaits from large bluegill imitators to finesse crankbaits. Check out our picks in this review." date: "2022-02-16" modified: "2022-09-01" authors: - name: "Pete Robbins" job_title: "Fishing Writer" link: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/authors/pete-robbins/" url: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/gear/best-lipless-crankbaits/" categories: - "Baits, Lures, & Flies" - "Fishing" - "Fishing Gear" - "Freshwater" - "Gear" tags: - "Evergreen" - "Gear Reviews" --- # Best Lipless Crankbaits for Bass ![Four of the best lipless crainbait bass lures]() *Finding the best lipless crankbait starts with figuring out the environment you're fishing in. Berkley, Bill Lewis, Cotton Cordell, Rapala* Lipless crankbaits are simple lures that can be fished effectively by anglers of all skill levels. Beginners can cast one out and reel it back and expect to see results, while more advanced anglers know that bouncing them off rocks and switching up retrieve speeds generate even more bites. It all starts with choosing the best lipless crankbait for the particular job at hand. One that works in super-shallow water might not excel when bass are suspended deeper, and one that’s great in submerged grass might not be as good around timber or rocks. Here's a lineup of lipless crankbaits that you shouldn't leave home without: - **Best for Burning:** [Berkley Warpig]() - **Best for Generating Bites on the Fall:** [Strike King Red Eye Shad]() - **Best Suspending:** [IMA Suspending Vibration]() - **Best Magnum:** [Imakatsu Magnum Gillsonic]() - **Best Floating:** [Floating Rat-L-Trap]() - **Best Budget:** [Cordell Super Spot]() - **Best Finesse:** [Rapala Ultra Light Rippin’ Rap]() ## Best Lipless Crankbait for Burning: [Berkley Warpig]() **Why It Made the Cut** This is the best lipless crankbait for burning because it has a natural shad shape, and it runs true when reeled fast or slow. **Product Description** [Berkley]() reentered the hard-bait game with a vengeance several years ago, and while topwaters like the [Choppo]() made an immediate impact, the Warpig flew under the radar. That's a shame, because it catches fish and is easy to work. It draws in strikes with a high-pitched, loud rattle. It's profile has a deeper belly than many other lipless crankbaits. The Warpig can be burned, killed, yo-yoed, or hopped, and it'll always remains upright, ready for your next direction. ## Best Lipless Crankbait for Generating Bites on the Fall: [Strike King Red Eye Shad]() **Why It Made the Cut** The Strike King Red Eye is best for generating bites on the fall because it imitates a dying baitfish and thrives in shallow water. **Product Description** [Kevin VanDam]() introduced this lure to the world when he used it to win the 2010 Bassmaster Classic on Alabama's Lay Lake. Retrieved steadily, the [Red Eye Shad]() looks like a standard lipless crankbait. The real magic happens when you pause or "kill" it—at that point, it does a death shimmy reminiscent of a dying baitfish, which looks like an easy meal for a bass. Fish that are following or lying in wait will be triggered to bite. Strike King has added a "Tungsten 2 Tap" version for a different sound profile in recent years. ## Best Suspending Lipless Crankbait: [IMA Suspending Vibration]() **Why It Made the Cut** The [IMA Suspending Vibration]() is the best suspending lipless crankbait because it's the one I reach for when fish demand a dead stop to trigger bites. **Product Description** Japanese manufacturer IMA took the basic shape of their popular Rock-N-Vibe lipless crankbait and increased the size while decreasing the weight to make it suspend perfectly. It acts like many other lures in its class on a straight retrieve but comes to a sudden and abrupt stop when you pause or kill it. That pause gives hesitant fish that are unwilling to leave their territory extra time to make their decision. ## Best Magnum Lipless Crankbait: [Imakatsu Magnum Gillsonic]() **Why It Made the Cut** Bigger bass sometimes demand a bigger lipless crankbait and that's when I tie on the best magnum lipless crankbait, the Imakatsu Magnum. **Product Description** While the [Magnum Gillsonic]() mimics a bluegill, it can be employed any time bass feed on larger forage—including gizzard shad, tilapia, and crappie. This is not just a larger lipless crankbait. Instead, it takes the styling and engineering normally found in expensive swimbaits and brings them to lipless crankbaits. It also features two different line ties to adjust the diving angle and an extra eyelet on the nose for adding weight to adjust the sink rate. ## Best Floating Lipless Crankbait: [Floating Rat-L-Trap]() **Why It Made the Cut** The Rat-L-Trap is the best floating crankbait because you can fish it over shallow cover without snagging. **Product Description** The [Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap]() was one of the first popular lures in this category, and remains a staple for serious anglers today. What's really impressive is how the company has expanded the lineup, creating dozens of productive colors and different sounds like the Knock-N-Trap. The floater has the same shape and sound as other Rat-L-Traps, but adds the ability to stay high in the water column. If you're fishing shallow grass or other cover, this is the best lipless crankbait to tie on. It stays just above the cover, preventing snags and allowing you to fish cover effectively. If you want to fish the floating Rat-L-Trap a little deeper, you can add lead tape to make it sink slowly or suspend. The floating Rat-L-Trap is one of the[ best spring bass lures](). During that time of year, use one in red to fish shallow cover. It's especially effective when you knock it against cover and it suddenly breaks free. ## Best Budget Lipless Crankbait: [Cordell Super Spot]() **Why It Made the Cut** If you want the best budget lipless crankbait you can't do better than the [Cordell Super Spot](). It's a proven winner with a low price tag. **Product Description** [Bass Fishing Hall of Famer Cotton Cordell]() designed and produced a number of legendary products, and one of them is this early lipless crankbait. Its design is both aerodynamic and hydrodynamic, which makes it easy to cast and work. Even though it's got a relatively low price tag, it competes with its more expensive brethren on any given day. ## Best Finesse Lipless Crankbait: [Rapala Ultra Light Rippin' Rap]() **Why It Made the Cut** Sometimes bass want a lipless snack rather than a lipless meal, and that's when you go to the the Rapala Ultra Light Rippin' Rap. **Product Description** Even on the big bass factories of Texas, Florida, and Mexico, sometimes the fish feed on smaller prey and aren't tempted by large lures. That's when this little [Rippin' Rap]() comes into play. It also shines in areas that receive a lot of fishing pressure. The Rippin' Rap can be cast a country mile on conventional bass gear and maintains its posture whether it's being burned, ripped, or hopped. Rapala's legendary construction and tuning mean that this is a great choice in clear water, when fish are hunting by sight, or in stained environments when they're relying on vibration to feed. You can also use this lipless crankbait to catch trout and panfish. ## How to Choose a Lipless Crankbait Lipless crankbaits differ from one another not only in terms of size and shape but also in their sound profiles. The diameter and composition of the pellets inside determine whether they create a deep sound or something more shrill. While some contain many BBs, others have a single tungsten ball for the "one knock" sound. Choosing the right color depends on your conditions. The classic silver with a blue back is always a great choice. Natural baitfish colors are best for clear water. Red is best for early spring. Sometimes, when fish are pressured, it pays to get creative and try a color like bubble gum. ## Methodology To whittle down the huge selection of lipless crankbaits, I did the following: I shook them to figure out the aggressiveness of their sounds. I banged them off rocks and dock poles to test their durability. I also used my years of fishing experience and covering professional bass fishing to make my selections. In the end, there are lots of really good options available, but these seven excelled more than others. No matter which style you prefer, make sure the hardware (line ties, eyelets, and treble hooks) is top-notch because these lures are notorious for losing jumping fish—especially the big ones. ## FAQs ## Final Thoughts No single lipless crankbait is the best for all situations. Depending on the fish's mood and what they're eating, two anglers fishing side by side with comparable but different lures may have wildly varying results. Fortunately for serious anglers, there are a wealth of lipless crankbaits available. By fine-tuning your choice of profile, sound, and color, it's possible to find the one that triggers the most strikes from the biggest fish. ## Author Pete Robbins is one of Outdoor Life’s fishing tackle specialists and angling travel experts. He has written extensively about the bass tournament scene for nearly two decades. Recently, he’s expanded beyond that niche to include adventure travel and bluewater angling. He lives in Vienna, Virginia, with his wife Hanna (who often outfishes him) and their Australian Shepherd Rooster, who is now banned from their bass boat for pressing too many buttons at inopportune times. The Robbins family calls the Potomac River their home water, but they (minus the dog) have also fished in Africa, Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, and Alaska, as well as most of the United States. ### Author social links [Instagram]()