Fishing lipless crankbaits is often considered a seasonal technique, but many anglers vary their approach to catch bass all year long. 

For Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap pro Mark Daniels Jr., the lipless crankbait is one of the most important and versatile options in his boat. 

As with almost any bait, selecting the right lipless crankbait color can be overwhelming with so many options on the market. Daniels Jr. typically keeps his box separated into three categories: shad, bluegill, and crawdad colors. 

While he keeps a variety of different colors of each category, Daniels Jr. says keeping his options simple allows to him to spend more time fishing and less time thinking about fishing. 

Many anglers enjoy modifying their baits. While lipless crankbaits may not immediately strike you as a lure to customize, Daniels Jr. has found several tricks that he like to incorporate. Most notably, a simple change of upsizing the hooks can go a long way in improving your hookup-to-land ratio. Additionally, Daniels Jr. mentions removing the back treble hook to fish through heavy brush similar to how one may fish a squarebill or simply adding a blade for more flash. 

In this seminar, Daniels Jr. goes in-depth on not only color and modifications, but on the importance of the right rod, reel, and line. 

He also walks you through one of the most important parts of fishing a lipless crankbait: the presentation. Daniels Jr. explains several key retrieves – including sweeping and yo-yo-ing – that will help you catch more fish next time you’re on the water. 

Rat-L-Trap Fishing Basics

Daniels starts by talking about Rat-L-Trap basics for beginners, like color and size selection. There are tons of colors to choose from, how do you know the best colors to buy for the body of water you're fishing? Next, Mark talks about the types and sizes of Rat-L-Traps, from the Bill Lewis Stealth Trap to the Knock-N-Trap. Mark shares some spring color recommendations, and his go-to colors. He talks about the sound chambers, when he changes types and the conditions he usually fishes them.

Rat-L-Trap Modifications and Advanced Techniques

Mark Daniels Jr. also covers bait modifcations to help bring a Rat-L-Trap through wood cover, adding flash, better hookups at different times of the year and more!

Lipless Crankbait Fishing Tackle & Technique

Mark Daniels Jr. talks about the rod, reel & line he uses to fish these baits. He then demonstrates the technique for fishing a trap, which is not chunk and wind, despite popular belief. Mark spends a good deal of time talking about how to fish this bait around grass. Lastly, detecting and reacting to bites to ensure you land your bass.

• 0:40 Best Lipless Crankbait Colors
• 1:55 How To Choose the Right Lipless Crankbait Size
• 2:55 How To Choose The Right Lipless Crankbait Color
• 5:05 Best Rod For Lipless Crankbaits
• 6:17 How To Pick The Right Line For Lipless Crankbaits
• 7:26 How To Fish Lipless Crankbaits
• 12:24 Understanding The Different Types Of Strikes
• 14:19 Lipless Crankbait Modification Tips
• 17:24 Understanding Different Lipless Crankbait Sounds
• 20:38 Fishing a Rat-L-Trap through laydowns and other wood

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