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First Cast Fishing
  • LIVE TARGET Sardine Twitchbait, Multicolored

Quick take

A 1/2 oz lipless crankbait with harmonic internal rattles and yo-yo retrieve action for reaction strikes.

This is a Live Target twitchbait in a multicolored finish with a slow-sinking fall. Its oscillating body produces a moderate wobble, and it can be worked on spinning or casting gear. Anglers wanting a realistic baitfish profile to twitch through the water will find it a fit.

Best for

  • Fast casting and covering open water quickly
  • Bass during feeding periods and seasonal transitions
  • Panfish in shallow vegetation and brush

Skip if

  • You need slow, subtle lure presentations
  • You fish extreme depths; lipless baits stay shallow

Strengths

  • Yo-yo action triggers instinctive strikes on pauses
  • Harmonic rattles carry far in murky water and wind
  • Lipless body casts far on all line weights

Trade-offs

  • Harmonic rattles may be too loud for clear water and spooky fish
  • At 1/2 oz, casting requires medium-power equipment
  • Internal rattle chamber can fill with water over time

Fishing fit

Species
  • Bass
  • Panfish
Water
  • Freshwater
Techniques
  • Casting
  • Jigging
Skill level
  • Intermediate

When and where to fish it

Lipless crankbaits are often fished in early spring and in fall, over grass flats and shallow points.

Season
  • Spring
  • Fall
Water
  • Pond
  • Lake
  • Reservoir
  • River
Water temperature
  • Cold (under 50°F)
  • Cool (50 to 60°F)
Fished from
  • Bank
  • Boat
  • Kayak

How to fish it

A lipless crankbait sinks, so you choose its depth by counting it down, then reel it, rip it or lift and drop it.

Count down and reel

  1. Cast and count as the lure sinks, about a foot a second, until it reaches the depth you want.
  2. Reel at a steady pace, fast enough to feel the lure vibrate.
  3. Speed up or slow down to hold it just above the grass or the bottom.

Ripping it out of grass

  1. Reel the lure so it ticks the tops of submerged grass.
  2. When it bogs down in the grass, snap the rod to rip it free.
  3. Be ready as it breaks loose; strikes often come right then.

Yo-yo

  1. Let the lure sink to the bottom on a tight line.
  2. Lift the rod to pull the lure up a few feet, then lower it and let the lure flutter back down.
  3. Watch the line on the fall; most strikes come as it drops.

How deep and around what

Cover
  • Open water
  • Grass

How to choose a color and size

Color

Colors and when to pick them
OptionsWhen to pick itConditions
Golden Shiner Silver/Blue, Golden Silver-Black, Silver/GreenFlashes like a baitfish in clear to lightly stained water.
  • Clear
  • Stained
  • Bright
  • Overcast
  • Shad
Albino WhiteStays easy to see in lightly stained water and under cloud.
  • Clear
  • Stained
  • Overcast
  • Shad
Emerald Brown, Emerald/brownLooks like real forage in clear water, where fish get a long look.
  • Clear
  • Bright
  • Overcast
Emerald RedMatches crawfish in cold to cool, stained water early in the season.
  • Stained
  • Crawfish
Gold/Black RattleFlashes in stained, tea-colored water and on dark days.
  • Stained
  • Overcast
  • Low light
Brown/Black, glow blueShows a solid outline in muddy water, at dusk and at night.
  • Muddy
  • Low light
  • Night

Size

Sizes and when to pick them
OptionsWhen to pick itConditions
1/2 oz, 1/2-Ounce, 2 1/2 in, 1/2 oz, 3-1/2- Inch, 1/2-Ounce, 3/4 ozCasts farther and handles wind and bigger fish.—
2 ozA big profile for pike, musky and striped bass in big water.
  • Striped bass

Which one should I pick?

Choose the weight by how deep and how fast you want to fish, then choose the color by water clarity.

Versions of this product on this site
VersionLure weightLengthColorSuits
Live Target Golden Shiner Rattlebait, 1/2 ozLure weight:1/2 ozLength:2.875 inColor:Golden Shiner Silver/BlueSuits:Shallow (to 5 ft) and mid (5 to 12 ft), clear, stained and muddy water, bass and walleye
LIVE TARGET Frog Hollow, 1/2 ozLure weight:1/2 ozLength:—Color:Frog HollowSuits:Shallow (to 5 ft) and mid (5 to 12 ft), bass and walleye
LIVE TARGET Sardine Twitchbait, MulticoloredLure weight:—Length:—Color:MulticoloredSuits:—

About this type

A lipless crankbait is a flat-sided, sinking hard bait that vibrates tightly when it is reeled.

It has no diving lip, so it runs as deep as you let it fall and casts a long way for its size.

Most hold rattles, and the line ties on the back, which keeps the nose down and the body shaking on the retrieve.

Compared with Crankbaits: A lipped crankbait floats at rest and dives to a set depth; a lipless one sinks and is fished at whatever depth you count it down to.

Facts

This version's specifications
BuoyancySlow sinking
ColorMulticolored

Common questions

Does it float or sink?

It is a slow sinking lure.

What color is this version?

This version is Multicolored.

Updated