04 Lures / Hard Baits / VIB (Lipless Crankbait)
03 · Lipless Crankbait / Vibration
VIB (Lipless Crankbait)
バイブレーション · Also called VIB, Lipless crank
A sinking hard bait with no lip, a flat body and the line tie on its back. It comes through the water with a rapid, tight vibration, and most have rattles inside. A top choice for long-cast searching.
Typical depth
0–5m
Typical weight
7–28 g
Typical size
5–9 cm
Beginner-friendly
●●●●●
Snag resistance
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Depth zone
Mid · Bottom · Upper
Sinking; count it down after splashdown to control depth, from just under the surface to on the bottom.
AMotion
Action Demo
FIG.1VIB (Lipless Crankbait) · Lift & FallLift ↑ · fall ↓ · reel slack
BHow it works
How It Works
- With the line tie on the back, water hits the flat forehead and creates a fast, tight side-to-side vibration that you can clearly feel in the rod tip.
- Rattles inside knock against the body cavity and make noise, especially effective in muddy water and chop; silent versions exist for clear and heavily pressured water.
- A compact body with concentrated weight casts far and sinks fast.
Main Types
| Type | Notes |
|---|---|
| Plastic VIB | The most common type, in rattling and silent versions. |
| Metal VIB | Made from a thin metal plate: smaller and heavier, it casts farther and sinks faster with a sharper vibration. Popular for topmouth culter, sea bass and winter bottom hopping. |
CRetrieve
Techniques
- Count down: after splashdown, count “1, 2, 3…” before reeling. Remember which count gets bites and you can lock in the depth.
- Steady retrieve: medium to fast, keeping a constant vibration in the rod tip.
- Lift & fall: once on the bottom, lift the rod to pull the bait up, then lower it to let the bait fall. Bites often come on the fall.
DWhen & Where
When & Where
● Good for
- Open water, flat shallows, the tops of submerged weeds
- Long casts to culter and bass chasing schools of baitfish
- Muddy water and chop (sound and vibration)
- Hopping deep water in winter
○ Not ideal for
- Wood, rock crevices and other snaggy structure; on the pause it sinks straight down and hangs up
ETackle
Recommended Tackle
FTarget & Tips
Target Species & Tips
- Keep slight tension on the line as it falls (tension fall) so you can feel bites on the fall.
- When it touches weeds, rip it free hard; that moment often triggers a strike.
- Reeling too fast makes it roll and lose its vibration; go by a steady vibration in the rod tip.