What is a lipless minnow?
Lipless translates as "without bib". These are sinking swimbaits, of varying weight, with no lip and a relatively elongated, pisciform shape. The line is attached at the nose of the lure, not on the top as with dart minnow or lipless (the latter, by extension, often refers to vibrations).
Their swimming action is very disconcerting, as lipless minnows are not very swimmable when cast or retrieved. They can, however, be reeled in slowly, like a wobbling spoon in certain positions. This swimming action is sinusoidal. This probably explains why they are rarely used.
On the other hand, they "swim" and are attractive as soon as they sink. They oscillate as they sink, and some models sink slowly horizontally. This is known as "free falling", a phase during which the lure oscillates on itself.
They also respond very well to twitching and jerking action, where they make wide lateral movements. They have little resistance in the water due to the attachment point at the nose of the lure and the absence of a lip.
You can also fish with a pull, i.e. let the lure sink and then reel it in very quickly through the water. This is a method that is regularly effective in triggering trout bites.
Versatile swimming fish
Lipless minnows can be used in a variety of ways and environments. In rivers, they are most effective when fished upstream (i.e. casting upstream and letting the lure drift downstream), simply letting them oscillate in the current while supporting the streamer. This provides a very natural drift and presentation of a fish imitation swept along by the current.
Still on rivers, in wide but shallow waters, the lipless minnow is ideal for crossing currents at any speed. This lure's slim profile offers little resistance to the current and it will adopt a straighter trajectory than a conventional swimming fish.
Finally, thanks to its density and lack of lip, the lipless minnow can be cast far and accurately.
In mountain lakes, these lures are also very effective. They cast farther than conventional bibbed swimbaits on windy days. The vibrations are very different from conventional swimfish, and lipless minnows work really well on heavily fished mountain lakes, where trout associate too much stimulus with danger.
The classic equipment for fishing lipless minnows is perfect. A reel with a high retrieve ratio is suitable in many cases because, as mentioned above, lipless minnows don't pull much through the line and don't require much torque on the retrieve.
Once you've mastered the subtleties of these lures, you'll be able to tell the difference on a regular basis.
