Lipless Vs. Lipped Crankbait

If you are an absolute novice fisherman, you might have trouble finding the right kind of bait. In fact, when I was at your stage, I could not set the lipless vs lipped crankbaits apart.

This is the reason why my initial fishing stages were quite a disaster! It was all thanks to my dad, who finally stepped in and explained the differences to me in simple words. It was only after that that I finally started enjoying my fishing expeditions. 

Keeping my own initial struggle in mind, I am about to guide you about the basic differences between the two most commonly used baits these days, namely the lipless and the lipped crankbaits. So, I suggest you pay close attention to the following article.

Lipless Vs. Lipped Crankbait

Lipless Crankbaits

What Is A Lipless Crankbait?

A lipless crankbait, as the name suggests, is the kind of bait that resembles a small fish and does not have a transparent protruding lip. Since they do not have a lip to counteract the buoyancy of the waves. 

These baits are made up of hard plastic or wood and have tiny hooks that stick to the mouth of the fish when they bite the bait. Furthermore, when the line is retrieved, these baits wiggle like an actual fish, thus making it look like a small fish is moving in the waters. Hence, it attracts the fish much faster.

Lipless Crankbaits In Action

The lipless crankbaits are highly efficient for target fishing. The reason is that they have practically zero buoyancy; hence, they do not resist the waves of the water. These baits can delve deeper into the water to catch the bigger bass that inhabit deep waters.

Other than that, these lipless crankbaits wiggle and cause tiny ripples when the line is retrieved. However, as soon as the line goes slack, the bait stops wiggling and delves even deeper into the water. This movement catches the attention of the fish and attracts more fish to bite the bait than the other kinds of bait currently abundant in the market.

Lipped Crankbaits

What Is A Lipped Crankbait?

A lipped crankbait is hands down one of the best and most dangerously effective baits that are currently present in the market. These crankbaits are even more effective than a lipless crankbait.

The reason why these baits are so effective is that they have a protruding transparent lip-like structure at the mouth of the fish-like bait. The purpose of this lip is to provide resistance to the water waves so that the bait can stay closer to the surface.

Hence, it keeps afloat and constantly wiggles, causing perpetual ripples in the water. This movement calls upon the predatory instincts of almost all kinds of fish, and they get attracted to bite the bait more often than the lipless crankbaits.

Lipped Crankbaits In Action

The best thing about a lipless crankbait is that these bounce off of and cut loose from tangles and rough patches. As a result, you will not have any problem untangling these crankbaits from fallen tree limbs or rocky patches.

The lipped crankbaits specifically target the predatory instincts of the fish, thereby making them bite the bait even if they are not hungry. This is the most prominent difference between the flipped vs the lipless crankbaits. A lipless crankbait only calls upon the fish that are hungry and looking for prey to feed upon, whereas a lipped crankbait lures the fish even when they are not specifically hungry! You can also check the best crappie lures, I have reviewed!

FAQs

What is the difference between a lipped crankbait and a lipless crankbait?

A most common and obvious difference between a lipped and a lipless crankbait is that a lipped crankbait has a small protruding transparent tongue-like structure at the mouth of the bait. At the same time, a lipless crankbait does not have this structure. Hence, a lipless crankbait sinks deep into the water while the lipped crankbait stays afloat on the surface of the water.

What are lipless crankbaits good for?

Lipless crankbaits are good for catching deep-water fish. These fish do not tend to come towards shallow waters in the daytime. Hence, you can use the lipless crankbait to catch these fishes even during broad daylight.

What is another name for a lipless crankbait?

There are a lot of other names for the lipless crankbaits. For instance, they are called rattle baits by some and traps by others. You may even hear some people calling them vibe cranks.

The Bottom Line

So, this was all that I could tell you about the lipless vs lipped crankbait as per my own personal experience with both these kinds of baits. I would say that they are both equally effective if used for the right purposes. Lipless crankbaits are most suitable for catching deep water fish, whereas a lipped crankbait targets the predatory instincts of shallow-water fish and attracts them to bite the lure.

So, I would suggest that you first set your mind on the kind of fish you want to catch. After that, choose the suitable bait according to the fish type of your choice. In this way, you will be able to catch more fish, and that too in a lot less time than you would have to spend if you do not plan things beforehand.