I’ve long been a spoon man for walleye under the ice, but with each passing winter I become increasingly fond of the lipless crankbait. The action and vibrations of these hard baits are distinct from other presentations and catch walleye from first ice to the season’s end.
Lipless crankbaits get noticed
There is a lot to like about lipless crankbaits. Their rattling chambers and hard-vibrating action create commotion perfect for attracting walleye.
A loud lipless crankbait’s ability to draw a walleye from far away makes it perfect for fishing flats. Here, walleye are typically mobile and chasing schools of wandering perch and other forage.
Walleye can be under your ice hole, then gone in moments. A lipless crankbait piques their interest, keeps their attention, and quickly triggers strikes.
This unfolded many times last winter using a two-and-a-half inch Rapala Rippin’ Rap. What was particularly fascinating was observing walleye behaviour using Garmin’s Panoptix LiveScope.
Many fish I caught on flats came in hot. Several quickly approached from the side, swimming from more than 12 feet away to attack. I always knew lipless cranks had drawing power but witnessing it using the latest ice fishing tech solidified my appreciation for these rattle baits.
In addition to the Rippin’ Rap, other productive baits include the Livetarget Golden Shiner, Jackall TN/60, and Yo-Zuri Rattl’N Vibe, and 3DS Vibe.
Awesome for covering water
Being able to attract walleye quickly is advantageous beyond fishing flats. As in warmer months, a lipless crankbait excels when searching for walleye and trying to put a pattern together. Points, mid- lake humps, drop-offs in front of bays, and feeding shelves are all areas to use these lures.
Reaction strikes? Yes please!
Walleye are rarely nibblers with a lipless crank. Fish tend to scream in and smash the bait. Match their enthusiasm with your jigging cadence by steadily working the bait and raising it in the water column (read on for specifics). Aggressive fish want to chase. Keep the bait within their strike zone while continuing to move it teasingly away from the fish, just like a baitfish trying to escape. This tactic drives walleye crazy.
Jigging strokes
A lipless crankbait’s appeal lies in its vibration signature and its tight wiggling swim and shimmying fall. These are easy to achieve following a typical lift-fall jigging sequence.
A lift of one to two feet will attract fish. Long strokes also appeal to aggressive walleye.
Shorter snaps moving the bait four to eight inches are also potent, especially with smaller lipless models. Using a double snap while raising the rod is another reliable combination.
As the bait falls be sure to follow it by lowering the rod tip. Staying in contact with the bait this way helps detect a strike on the drop. How much line tension is needed will vary. Certain baits perform best when allowed to fall on semi-slack line. Others roll unattractively and should be lowered on a controlled drop.
A basic lift-fall sequence is often all it takes for aggressive walleye to bite. When fish need convincing, remember to try the keep-away move mentioned earlier. If this doesn’t work, shaking a lipless crankbait so it rattles and rocks can seal the deal.
Sometimes walleye prefer the bait shaking at a constant depth. Other times shaking while raising your arm to pull the bait away heightens interest and makes walleye pounce.
Don’t overlook lipless crankbaits. These horizontal baits are great for covering water and trigger big bites all winter long.
For any active fish
At 21 ⁄2 to 3 inches, these horizontally oriented, wide profile baits have a meal-sized appeal. They are popu- lar on Bay of Quinte, Lake Winnipeg, and other trophy walleye fisheries.
Of course, it’s not just big walleye that eat these baits. I’ve caught aggressive walleye of all sizes jigging a lipless crankbait. Even pint-sized fish.
Smaller, softer-spoken
When fish are neutral, use a more subtle model of bait. The 2 inch Rapala Slab Rap and 15 ⁄8-inch Yo-Zuri Rattl’N Vibe Mini can be particularly good during tough conditions. You can also land jumbo perch and slab crappie with these.
Originally published in the Jan.-Feb. 2024 issue of Ontario OUT of DOORS
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