Lipless Crankbait Retrieve Tips

A lipless crankbait is a hard-bodied lure that is designed to mimic the swimming action and vibration of fleeing forage, which can be very effective in attracting all species of bass and other gamefish.

When fishing lipless crankbaits, you can vary the speed and action of your retrieve to see what works best on a given day or on a particular body of water. Some of the more popular retrieves include:

Cast and retrieve: This is the most basic retrieve and involves simply casting the lure out and reeling it back in at a steady pace when fishing open water. Vary your retrieval speed and lure action to make the lure look more natural and like struggling forage.

Rip and pause: This technique involves ripping the lure through the water with a sharp upward jerk of the rod, then letting it sink and pause for a moment before repeating. This can mimic the erratic movements of a wounded baitfish and trigger a reaction bite.

Yo-yo retrieve: This presentation involves casting the lure out, letting it sink to the bottom, then quickly reeling it up and letting it sink again. This can imitate a baitfish that is darting up and down in the water column, which can be particularly effective in moderately deep water.

Burn and kill: This technique involves reeling the lure in as fast as possible for a short distance, then suddenly stopping and allowing it to sink. This can imitate a fleeing baitfish that suddenly becomes exhausted and vulnerable.

Mow the grass: A steady to slightly erratic retrieve you can use when fishing the lipless crank over submerged grass beds. Cast the lure out over the bed and allow the bait to sink then start a slow to moderate retrieve when the bait reaches the top of the grass bed. Adjust the speed so the bait ticks the tops of the grass stems and add in occasional pops to trigger strikes from bass holding in the top of the bed.

Don't be afraid to experiment with different depths and types of cover. Lipless crankbaits are effective in a variety of situations, including over and around weed beds, isolated rocks and boulder fields, over points, along creek channel edges or transitions in bottom composition (sand to rock, etc.).