I’ve been throwing the LV Max 500 Lipless crank bait over the last few weeks and picking up some late risers. If you’ve fished the LV-500, you know this bait works differently than other lipless crankbaits as it appears more versatile. By that I mean it makes noise unlike other lures and seems to rip through early spring grass pretty well. This bait is at its prime for cold water scenarios slowly warming in spring. When bass are split – some are up shallow and some still staging or up shallow but hesitant due to weather conditions and barometric pressure changes, that’s where this bait can get them.
We’ve been dealing with acclimate weather here in Northern California, particularly in the California Delta with two to three days of cold fronts and rain but a week of sunshine and warm waters after, then a 3-day cold front with rain again and even snow at higher bay area elevations, and so on. It sucks. But the LV Max 500 is one of three moving baits that’s been getting bit for several reasons on the Delta and other lakes. It’s a top-ranking high-speed search bait for slightly deeper staging fish that needs to be in my lipless box every spring.
Color Options and Paint Job
Lucky Craft has a reputation for producing lifelike colors. The LV 500 is no exception, and the Max follows suit. They have some of the best pre-spawn craw colors such as Delta Craw, Aurora Craw, and Walkin. These are unbeatable colors during early pre-spawn out here on the California Delta. Their natural shad and bluegill colors are also the highest quality I’ve seen on the market. They would work perfectly on lakes where bluegill and other baitfish are heavily foraged. The paint job durability holds up well. I mistakenly flung the bait against the side of the boat, ripped it loose from chunk-rock several times, and slingshot it directly into rock banks (amidst hundreds of more accurate casts), and the paint hasn’t chipped once.
 LV Max 500 Lipless Crankbait Sound
At 3 inches and 3/4 oz, this bait vibrates and shoots sound through the water. It accomplishes this by using a variation of internal glass, brass, and tungsten beads emitting an enhanced brass-to-glass sound, even when rattled out of water – you can feel the difference as you shake the lure. It’s unique, and something the fish haven’t heard quite the same way. The fastest way to get bit is to fish the LV around grass, hang it up, and rip it free. As it slingshots free, that loud three-toned rattle is emitted.
This technique is where I’ve received a few massive strikes. You can fish it like a jig, pop it off the bottom, and achieve the same sound. The bait has a flat nose and points down as it should. This allows it to deflect the bottom structure while sending that unique sound across the water. The fall rate is quick. And the bait stays down at 6-9 ft on 12 lb fluorocarbon. I can understand why it’s considered elite around grass as it seems to want to hover right above early spring grass and it rips away nicely creating that iconic crankbait twitch and pop that sets fish off. Like the LV-500, this bait is built for grass.
LV Max 500 Hardware
The hardware on the LV Max 500 is pretty solid from the split rings to the treble hooks. I hung up a few times and placed a considerable pull on the treble hooks and split ring and they didn’t give way. The hooks are #6 tail and #4 belly and for the first few weeks fishing this thing, I never felt like I needed to change them out with sturdier models, but after some months or years on the water, I’d switch out with Owner Trebles.
Final Thoughts
Liuck Craft ups its game with the LV MAX. Although it comes at a higher price and might not work with every angler’s budget, it’s worth it if you can. Strong hardware, unique 3-toned sound, and tight wobble give this bait an aggressive edge while fishing pre-spawn and fall.
