Lipless Cranks

[Oldtyme]

I was reading an article the other day about lipless crankbaits for crappies.

So like the good consumer/fisherman/sucker I am went out & bought a couple. (Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap 1/8oz)

Are these productive for crappie like they say? Or is it another case of ...."not the best lure for the job, but it will / may work"

Are these simply cast / retrieve ? Do they sink on their own?

I have one ready to go, but will it outfish 'traditional' crappie methods?

[slipperybob]

My thoughts are that plastic jigs seem to be the best, but it's also the most boring for me. It's wayyy funnn to catch crappies off of inline spinners, tiny spoons like kastmaster and dare devils, tiny hard baits like yozuri pins minnow and rapala sinking minnows, and then tiny little poppers like storm hoppers or even those fly fishing ones. I'm less likely to get a crappie but be assured that when I do, everyone sure is talking a lot about how I catch it.

[Coach1310]

In my experience it all depends. I like to use them as a search bait, specifically on weedlines on a new lake. They allow you to cover lots of water and seek out aggressive fish The downside is they attract the toothy critters so you will lose one now and again. Last summer I found a great walleye weed bite thanks to this technique. I also like them on lakes that receive lots of "traditional" pressure. By traditional I mean a lot of jig/minnow or jig/float pressure. Sometimes the "different approach" is the best approach.