May 13, 2015
By John Geiger
Crankbaits are undeniably one of the most popular lures of any die-hard bass addict's arsenal. From the square bill in early spring to deep divers in the summer months along deep ledges and channel breaks, they flat out catch em'.
No matter how you work them, crankbaits are an effective tool for covering tons of water and determining what depth the fish are. From a steady retrieve to the reliable stop-n-go, the crankbait is a tool you should be tossing in the water if you want consistent success. Having a variety of cranks to choose from can make a dramatic difference in your catch rate, allowing you to figure out which one is up to the fish.
Here's a rundown of 6 great deep-diving bass crankbaits you might consider:
Bomber| Fat Free Shad The
Bomber Fat Free Shad BD8F/BD8SF dives up to 19 feet. It really separates itself from other diving crankbaits with a rattling model perfect for when bass are aggressive, and a super-silent model for pressured bass wanting something less stimulating.
What We Like: The BD8F/BD8SF dives up to 19 feet. It really separates itself from other diving crankbaits with a rattling model perfect for when bass are aggressive, and a super-silent model for pressured bass wanting something less stimulating.
What We'd Change: Needs a weight-transfer system for longer casting
MSRP: $ 12.99
Koppers | LIVETARGET Crawfish Without question,
Koppers' LIVETARGET Crawfish looks and swims like a fleeing crawfish while diving to depths of 8 feet. Rig it on fluorocarbon and add a SuspendDot to get it down even deeper. We found the one-of-a-kind craw action provokes strikes even in cold water.
What We Like: Lifelike crawfish color patterns are to die for.
What We'd Change: Super-size it and add a suspending model for varying conditions.
MSRP: $ 12.99
Rapala | Scatter Rap The
Scatter Rap is a balsa-wood lure that thinks it's a
deep-diving crankbait. Is that even possible? Amazingly, Crank Deep can reach depths of 10 feet on long casts. Like all of the innovative Scatter Raps, its balsa heart and cupped bill give it a truly unique darting-hunting action.
What We Like: Lifelike scale color patterns.
What We'd Change: A clear coat would help protect the fragile balsa wood body.
MSRP: $ SPRO | Little John Deep Diver We threw the
SPRO Little John Deep Diver long-distance, and it does plummet to 20 feet with the help of its tungsten weight-transfer system. It's also quite a fish-catcher. Maybe it's the menacing eyes and compact body.
What We Like: Easy to work; sticky-sharp Gamakatsu hooks.
What We'd Change: Add custom-design color patterns
MSRP: $ Sebile | Action First Bull Crank For less than $7,
Sebile's Bull Crank is a good bait for the money. I'd recommend it for prespawn bassing. We used the 2-inch 1/4-ounce crank with an extended round bill. We heard some chatter about weak bills; we checked a few, and they seemed substantial to us.
What We Like: External weight does keep it on track.
What We'd Change: Packaging! It's almost guaranteed that the first thing you'll catch is your finger.
MSRP: $ Strike King | 10XD It's going, going, gone to 25 feet, once unheard of for crankbaits. If that's not impressive enough, check out the
10XD : It's ideal for reservoirs with giant bass and huge shad like TVA or highland lakes or most big-bass waters.
What We Like: 10XD will dive even deeper when fished on fluorocarbon and longlined.
What We'd Change: Make the front treble a short shank to eliminate hangups.
MSRP: $
