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First Cast Fishing
  • Strike King Red Eyed Shad Lipless Crankbait, 1/2 oz, Delta Red

Quick take

A 3-1/4 inch lipless crankbait with red eyes and VMC treble hooks for bass in clear water.

The Red Eyed Shad in Delta Red is a half-ounce lipless crankbait about 2.5 inches long with free-floating rattles. The red pattern is a go-to for crawfish-feeding bass in spring. It can be ripped, yo-yoed or burned across the flats.

Best for

  • Casting over shallow grass beds and structure
  • Situations where rapid vibration and flash attract strikes
  • Year-round bass fishing in various freshwater conditions

Skip if

  • You fish deep water beyond 8 feet
  • You need a slow-sinking option

Strengths

  • Lipless body design dives quickly and maintains tight vibration throughout retrieve
  • Red eye detail adds realism and attracts closer fish
  • VMC treble hooks are consistently sharp and reliable

Trade-offs

  • Lipless design lacks a lip, so it dives only moderately deep
  • Can snag easily in heavy vegetation or wood
  • Tight vibration requires fast, steady retrieve to work properly

Fishing fit

Water
  • Freshwater
Techniques
  • Casting
  • Jigging

What can I catch with this?

At 1/2 oz, this lipless crankbait is sized for bass and walleye.

  • Bass
  • Walleye

When and where to fish it

Its rattle helps fish find it in stained or muddy water and in low light. Its craw or red pattern suits cold to cool, stained water in early spring.

Season
  • Spring
  • Fall
Water
  • Pond
  • Lake
  • Reservoir
  • River
Clarity
  • Stained
  • Muddy
Light
  • Low light
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

At 1/2 oz it covers water from just under the surface down to about 10 ft, depending on how long it falls.

  1. Surface
  2. Shallow (to 5 ft) (this product)
  3. Mid (5 to 12 ft) (this product)
  4. Deep (12 to 25 ft)
  5. Very deep (over 25 ft)
Depth zone
  • Shallow (to 5 ft)
  • Mid (5 to 12 ft)
Cover
  • Open water
  • Grass

What you need with it

A 1/2 oz lipless crankbait is usually fished with a casting rod, a baitcasting reel and 12 to 17 lb line.

  • Casting rodsA medium or medium-heavy rod with a moderate-fast action has the tip to rip the lure free of grass.
  • Baitcasting reelsA faster gear ratio picks up slack quickly on a lift-and-fall retrieve.
  • Fluorocarbon lineSinks and has little stretch, so you feel the lure vibrate; 12 to 17 lb for this weight.

Pairs with

A 1/2 oz lure pairs with a medium or medium-heavy rod with a moderate-fast action and with 12 to 17 lb line.

Tackle ranges for this product
ItemRange
Rod powerMedium or medium heavy
Rod actionModerate fast
Rod lure weight1/4 to 3/4 oz
Line test12 to 17 lb

What it imitates

Its craw or red pattern imitates crawfish.

  • Crawfish

How to choose a color and size

Color

Colors and when to pick them
OptionsWhen to pick itConditions
Brown Orange Belly Craw, Chartreuse Baitfish, Chartreuse Belly Craw, Chartreuse Sexy Shad, Chartreuse Shad, Citrus Shad, Orange CrawStands out in stained or muddy water and in low light.
  • Stained
  • Muddy
  • Overcast
  • Low light
Clear Ghost Sexy ShadGives a see-through baitfish look in clear water and bright sun.
  • Clear
  • Bright
Bleeding Chrome Black Back, Bleeding Gizzard Shad, Chrome / Black Back, Chrome Blue, Chrome Sexy Shad, Gizzard Shad, Green Gizzard Shad, Natural Shad, Olive Shad, Sexy Blue Back Herring, Sexy Shad, Smokey Chrome / Blue and 1 moreFlashes like a baitfish in clear to lightly stained water.
  • Clear
  • Stained
  • Bright
  • Overcast
  • Shad
PearlStays easy to see in lightly stained water and under cloud.
  • Clear
  • Stained
  • Overcast
  • Shad
Bluegill, Brown Gourd, Green Gourd, Green Pumpkin Craw, Green Tomato, Natural Bream, Neon Bluegill, Orange Bream, Phantom Watermelon Red CrawLooks like real forage in clear water, where fish get a long look.
  • Clear
  • Bright
  • Overcast
Blue Craw, Bone Craw, Brown Craw, Chart Spring Craw, Chili Craw ounce, DB Craw, Delta Red, Demon Craw, Fire Craw, Rayburn Red Craw, Royal RedThis oneMatches crawfish in cold to cool, stained water early in the season.
  • Stained
  • Crawfish
Gold / Black Back, Gold Sexy ShadFlashes in stained, tea-colored water and on dark days.
  • Stained
  • Overcast
  • Low light
Blue Gizzard, Pro Blue, Royal PurpleShows 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
0.375 ounceAn all-round size for bass and walleye on medium spinning or baitcasting gear.—
0.5 ounce, 0.5 ounce (Pack of 3)This oneCasts farther and handles wind and bigger fish.—

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 weightLengthMaximum diving depthColorSuits
Strike King Red Eyed Shad Lipless Crankbait, 1/2 oz, Blue CrawLure weight:1/2 ozLength:2.5 inMaximum diving depth:—Color:Blue CrawSuits:Shallow (to 5 ft) and mid (5 to 12 ft), stained and muddy water, bass and walleye
Strike King Red Eyed Shad Lipless Crankbait, 1/2 oz, Clear Ghost Sexy ShadLure weight:1/2 ozLength:2.5 inMaximum diving depth:—Color:Clear Ghost Sexy ShadSuits:Shallow (to 5 ft) and mid (5 to 12 ft), clear, stained and muddy water, bass and walleye
Strike King Red Eyed Shad Lipless Crankbait, 1/2 oz, Delta RedLure weight:1/2 ozLength:2.5 inMaximum diving depth:—Color:Delta RedSuits:Shallow (to 5 ft) and mid (5 to 12 ft), stained and muddy water, bass and walleye
Strike King Red Eyed Shad Lipless Crankbait, 1/2 oz, Olive ShadLure weight:1/2 ozLength:2.5 inMaximum diving depth:—Color:Olive ShadSuits:Shallow (to 5 ft) and mid (5 to 12 ft), clear, stained and muddy water, bass and walleye
Strike King Red Eyed Shad Lipless Crankbait, 1/2 oz, Orange CrawLure weight:1/2 ozLength:2.5 inMaximum diving depth:—Color:Orange CrawSuits:Shallow (to 5 ft) and mid (5 to 12 ft), stained and muddy water, bass and walleye
Strike King Red Eyed Shad, 3-1/4 in, 1/2 ozLure weight:1/2 ozLength:3.25 inMaximum diving depth:8 ftColor:Sexy ShadSuits:Shallow (to 5 ft) and mid (5 to 12 ft), clear and stained water, bass and walleye

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
Lure weight1/2 oz
Length2.5 in
LipNone
RattleYes
ColorDelta Red
Color familyCraw and red
Target speciesBass

Common questions

How much does it weigh?

It weighs 1/2 oz.

How long is it?

It is 2.5 in long.

What color is this version?

This version is Delta Red.

Updated