Lipless crankbait

With no lip, depth comes from the sink rate and your retrieve speed instead of from the bait's design, which is what makes it so versatile. Cast it, count it down to the depth you want, then wind. Most are loaded with rattles, so they call fish in dirty water and cold water where a quieter bait gets ignored.

The signature use is grass. Wind it just above a submerged weed line until it catches, then rip it free with a sharp snap of the rod. That sudden tearing loose is one of the most reliable reaction strike triggers in bass fishing, and it is why the lipless is a pre-spawn staple.

The treble hooks that hang below it are also the reason it fouls in heavy cover. It is a bait for the edges and the tops of grass, not for the middle of it.