Author: Brady Harp
It’s been cold outside. Miserably cold. There’s been snow in Dallas and ice on the lakes in Alabama as the 2026 season gets kicked off. This time of year can present a slew of difficulties in locating and catching bass across the country. One thing that’s paramount is having a bait that matches the mood of the fish. Since fish are cold-blooded animals, their metabolism is dictated on the water temperature: warm water means lots of movement and chasing bait, while cold water means lethargic behaviors and bass that don’t want something that requires an enormous amount of energy to go and eat.
Enter: the lipless crankbait. The lipless crankbait excels this time of year specifically for its narrow action. The bait doesn’t “hunt” like you’d see a typical squarebill crankbait do in its side-to-side movements. Rather, you get a tighter “wobble” during your retrieve that more closely mimics what the actual baitfish are doing right now. These baitfish are cold too-- they don’t want to waste much energy swimming around either! Depending on where you’re fishing, you can see the lipless crankbait’s effectivity in different arenas. The most popular place for a lipless to shine is on the outside edges of submerged vegetation. Ideally, you can keep your bait above the grass and rip it out if it gets snagged by the grass. In reservoirs without vegetation, I still opt for a lipless. Any sort of shallow, rocky point is prime real estate for a lipless crankbait. While you can fish these baits deep, the faster you reel it in, the more it will want to rise up the water column (and out of the strike zone). I typically look for a lipless to shine in up to 5-6’ of water. Anything more and it can be difficult controlling your bait.
As far as equipment goes, my ideal rod and reel setup is a 7:1 ratio reel (fast, so as to be able to retrieve my bait quickly if I need to speed it up and keep it out of the grass) paired with a CastAway Crankin’ Series Medium Heavy Casting rod (CC-72MH). This rod features a glass blank, which is pivotal when fishing this style of bait. You get more sensitivity to feel the tighter action of the bait in addition to a forgiving, parabolic bend that excels with treble hooks. Get the right equipment and get to fishing a lipless crankbait this spring!
