I've caught fish off lipless crankbaits, but can't never catch any with a lipped one. What ones do you suggest? I'm trying to target anything big; bass, pike, gar, etc. I'm trying to break my losing streak of never catching anything on a lipped crankbait...

Update since it doesn't seem to be a lot of people fishing these lakes on here;

 

What crankbaits are you using this time of year? My brother has been catching bass on spinnerbaits, but I can't hook anything with a crankbait.

what diving crankbaits are you using?

Tom

Bandit 200

In many NC lakes south and west of the ones you mentioned I have good luck with Bandit 200's,  Rapala DT's from 6 to 10, Rapala Ott's garage, and a few others.   

The BPS one, the Fat Free Shads for regular CBs. Haven't been there in a while though.

Can’t suggest what to use without knowing what isn’t working for the OP!

Tom

8 hours ago, WRB said:

what diving crankbaits are you using?

Tom

Recently I've tried Bill Lewis MR-6's, Mann's Baby 1's, Strike Pro, Pendulum's, and the Rebel ones that is shaped like a crayfish. But over the years I've used a bunch of random ones as well, ranging from different colors. With the exception of the Rebel ones, most of them looks like shads. I'm starting to wonder if shad is just a bad look around here.

7 hours ago, Woody B said:

In many NC lakes south and west of the ones you mentioned I have good luck with Bandit 200's,  Rapala DT's from 6 to 10, Rapala Ott's garage, and a few others.   

What type of fish do you generally try to imitate?

Mostly shad.  

 

 

 

The lures the OP listed are mostly shallow running 1/4 oz crankbaits and so is the Band-It 200 series etc.

Kerr and Gaston have 2 types of Shad and herring, lots of steeper rocky banks and points.

Shad colors should be good and crawdad colors are good everywhere, it’s not the color choice.

Not knowing if the OP uses a crank bait rod with bait casting reel or any details didn’t ask! 1/4 oz crank baits are popular today just not my choices because prefer lures that dive 8’ to 12’ or deeper. Everybody and his brother are pounding the shore shallow wood targets using shallow running square bills today and they do catch bass.

my suggestion is go deeper with medium or deeper divers that run at least 8’ to 10’ in the 2 1/2” to 3” length size, 3/8oz. to 3/4 oz.

Fish rocky wind blown points and pockets near points, marina rip rap break walls etc.

If you get back in creek arms then use the 1/4 cranks.

Tom

PS, Bomber 7A In shad and crawdad colors runs 8’-10’, 1/2 oz, slender profile. 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Rebel_Big_Craw_Crankbait/descpage-RBLBC.html

 

I do have a brown one of these. Apparently it drives 8-10 ft, just haven't used it but once this year.

 

And a few dredgers. 17.5, and I think dredger 25.5, but haven't opened them just yet. I think they dive to 19-22ft, but I'm not sure if that's too much right now or not.

 

 

If you’re catching them on a lipless, I’d try to mimic their action and sound (tight wiggle and loud rattles) with a crank that will run at the depth you were catching them with the lipless.  

I’d find some rocks and throw a Spro Rockcrawler 55

Huge fan of Rapala DTs 8-20, Azuma Timmy Horton z Boss, and Strike King 4s 5s and 5xds

 

i fish Shearon Harris south of Raleigh and have done pretty good on the Azuma and Dt10s

For Gaston, Bagley B-2, Bandit 200, & Spro Rkcrawler

 

For Kerr, KVD 2.5 wakebait, Rapala DT6-14

 

Anything with a shad dot that has blue on it for the color