# Crankbaits



## WoodenShips (Aug 5, 2004)

How many of you use CRANKBAITS a lot? I have come to a point where I hardly USE ONE. I started landing more fish in the last three years by slow down and use soft plastic. I have 4700 PLANO boxes with all kinds of crankbaits just sitting there now. I know I will go back to them someday

So what's everybody go to CRANKBAIT?
My top 3:
1- #5 SHAD RAP
2-BOMBER Brown craw
3-BANDIT 200- CHAR/BLK


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## leeabu (Apr 10, 2004)

I throw a crankbait 90 % of the time. I use almost exclusively a Yozuri 3D Crank or Rattlin Vibe.


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## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

I throw cranks quote often. I typically start with them, and move to the slower presentations when they are not hitting cranks.

Shallow/medium
1. LC BDS 3 in MS America Shad
2. Strike King Series 3 in Bull Gill
3. Rapala DT3 in chart/purple

Lipless
1. Strike King red eye shad in sexy shad
2. LC LV500 in MS America Shad
3. Spro Aruku Shad in Magic Shad

Deep
1. LC Flat CB D20 in MS America Shad
2. Rapala DT15 in chart/purple
3. Strike King 5 series in Sexy Shad

To fish them properly, you need to bounce them off cover and structure.


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## Tiny Tim (Sep 19, 2006)

My top 3 
# 1 - Timber Tiger Dc5 in bleeding shad
# 2 - Norman Deep Little N in Sunshine Gell Coat Fire Tiger
# 3 - #7 Perch color Shad Rap


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## Bassthumb (Aug 22, 2008)

I am with you. I have tons of cranks cause they looks so pretty in the store but rarely fish them. Others have way more success than I do for some reason. I will troll them occasionally but if I am casting 90% is with soft plastic dropshot or texas rig. My perception recently has been that the best bang for buck crank is the bandit 200.....hate lucky crafts cause I just feel stupider with every no fish cast at $20 a pop. Yozuris are my fave premium baits. Have done ok in erie with their stickbaits. Red eye shad is most productive lipless for me. I have $100 dollars woth of lucky crafts with one bluegill to boast of. They dont even come out in the most dire situation anymore.

Bassthumb


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## RiverRunner88 (Jun 15, 2006)

cranks are by far my favorite..and i love to use a varity depending on the conditions..but id say

#1 Bomber Fat A in tenn shad or Firetiger
#2 River2sea V-joint minnow
#3 DT 3 in bluegill, shad,firetiger


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## JF1 (Mar 25, 2008)

#1 Koppers live target
#2 Bandit 200 or 300 series
#3 Bonber

Those of you who said you have switched away from cranks to slower plastics, I have been the exact opposite. I went from fishing mostly T-rigged plastics, creature baits, and jigs to fishing 70% of the time with cranks! I have noticed bigger bites on the cranks, prob. because I am fishing more offshore structure than before.


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## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

Bassthumb said:


> I am with you. I have tons of cranks cause they looks so pretty in the store but rarely fish them. Others have way more success than I do for some reason. I will troll them occasionally but if I am casting 90% is with soft plastic dropshot or texas rig. My perception recently has been that the best bang for buck crank is the bandit 200.....hate lucky crafts cause I just feel stupider with every no fish cast at $20 a pop. Yozuris are my fave premium baits. Have done ok in erie with their stickbaits. Red eye shad is most productive lipless for me. I have $100 dollars woth of lucky crafts with one bluegill to boast of. They dont even come out in the most dire situation anymore.
> 
> Bassthumb


Wanna sell the LCs?


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## smalliediehard (Oct 28, 2005)

1. lucky craft (can't specify my favorite color or model)
2. koplers live target
3.DT6 in bluegill


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## soua0363 (Jun 10, 2005)

These are what I use but I do not prefer one over the other. It all comes down to what the basses want that particular day. All the colors I use are natural colors like shad, perch, bluegill, and firetiger.

-BPS Nitro Series
-BPS Rattle Shad
-Strike King Pro Model 4S
-Strike King Red Eye Shad 
-Rapala DT Series


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## BASmead (Jan 11, 2008)

Can't go wrong with a shadrap. I usually like to have some kinda fat-bodied style on hand when fishing rivers fer smallies. I had some some success this fall with strike king red eye shad at the suggestion of a few members here, thanks fellas. I've never done any good with lipless style cranks in the past, so that was really cool... by and large i try to avoid trebles because of my history of hooking myself... not fun, the last one went through my thumbnail, so i went ahead and swallowed an ER bill for that one, i ain't that much of a tough guy. Anybody familiar with the flatfish? the old style ones had tandem trebles in the front and one in the back, they're brutal. That was my late father's confidence lure, so i pull one out sometimes when the bite's tough and it usually produces something for me... We have a monster smallie on the wall that he caught trollin one behind his rowboat when he was a kid. X-4 in frog pattern. They still make 'em but it seems the old ones produce better for me. Maybe it's just the old man's mojo workin' for me...


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## legendaryyaj (Nov 1, 2005)

Tokugawa said:


> Wanna sell the LCs?


x2

I want the list first!


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## mystic4314 (May 20, 2006)

CRANKBAITS!!!!!! love throwin crankbaits hard to pick favorites i guess i have favorites for each area and situation.But as we all know what did well this year will be like throwin poison in the water next time. Oh these were so great im gona get a halfa dozen more and five of those are still in the packages cuz nutin hit it ever again.but if i had to pick a top three

#1 bomber square As
#2 bandit lures 100-200-and flat max
#3 smack tackle gizz bait in pearl or translucient in 3s and 4s


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

Tokugawa said:


> To fish them properly, you need to bounce them off cover and structure.


amen brother


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

lucky craft easily makes the highest quality baits on the market and in my opinion you get what you pay for. i too am not going to post models and colors but in many conditions they are the near fantasy "magic bait" that no one thinks exists.


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## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

lordofthepunks said:


> lucky craft easily makes the highest quality baits on the market and in my opinion you get what you pay for. i too am not going to post models and colors but in many conditions they are the near fantasy "magic bait" that no one thinks exists.


I didn't give out ALL of my secrets.  Just enough to make people think I did. Ha!

LCs are beautiful and effective.


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## kadas (Oct 6, 2009)

Have always been going to try BPS crankbaits but have been unsure of quality-have you had good luck with durability and proper tracking of BPS cranks? thanks,Dave


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## soua0363 (Jun 10, 2005)

Kadas,

I cannot speak about the other BPS crankbaits but the Nitro's that I have bought all ran true out of the box. To me they are a cheap set of Rapala DT's since they are available in mulitple depths. 

As already stated, crankbaits works the best when they run into structures whether it be rock, gravel, or log. A lot of the basses that I have caught on cranks were caught as soon as I stop reeling when the cranks have been digging into the gravel or mud. 

You can catch basses without the cranks running into structures but you will have a lot more success if you do. The only downside is that you WILL lose more baits this way.


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## BassCrazy (Oct 11, 2007)

A little old school here...

I like a Shad Rap or a Rattle Trap in clear water.

I reach for a Bomber 6A or 7A in stained water and I like crashing them into rock or wood. Can't beat the Tennesse Shad or Bream colors...


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## JignPig Guide (Aug 3, 2007)

Timing is everything. And at times, these will fish fast and catch'em pretty quick.
The Bomber Model 4-A runs between 3-6 ft. deep. And the other Bomber Fat Free Shad models... some run between 10-14 ft. deep and others run between 14-18 ft. deep.


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## spfldbassguy (Mar 23, 2009)

the rapala dt series is very hard 2 beat if you ask me.their what i turn to.


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