Best crankbait for fishing lay downs? 2025
FryDog62 reply :
Looking for crankbait recommendations for throwing in shallow rivers with lots of lay downs... a hard balance to find something that sticks the fish but not all the branches.
Have heard 6th Sense has some good options as well as other brands. I’ve typically used KVD 1.5’s and DT Flat but my supply is running low.
Suggestions??
Yeajray231 reply :
I use a lucky craft square bill. A local store had them for like 5 dollars so I bought several. They catch fish...
Ever tried the DT fat1 (or3) ? Awesome bait
Super nice bait but I'm not the biggest fan of throwing trebles at trees. Underwater stumps and logs are one thing but fallen over trees I'm smacking with a TRUE Texas rig and fishing right underneath it.
Shimano_1 reply :
I'd say what u normally use would be my first choices for such cranking
Brett's_daddy reply :
Movement 80X! Shallow running crank (1 - 3ft.) but has a unique wide wobble and big bill to deflect off brush, rocks etc. It's reasonably priced at $8.99 and the 6th Sense paint jobs are as good as Mega Bass IMO.
primetime reply :
My buddy up north who loves to crank lay downs and throw square bills anywhere possible...Would without question suggest the Worden's Timber Tiger....Been around forever, and is designed to not hang up on wood and has a unique design and action after deflecting....They have some good colors also....They kind of look like a beefed up Speed trap with fins on the sides...Tackle warehouse has them...Think they are $6.99.
I believe they have 3 sizes, the biggest one is a good sized crankbait, and I think they are Balsa wood but may be mistaken.
LonnieP reply :
The Spro Fat John goes through brush quite well without hanging up. I’ve lost a ton of crankbaits in lay downs but this Spro squareblll comes out most of the time. I caught a 5 pounder with one in a nasty lay down earlier this summer.
FryDog62 reply :
On 10/2/2019 at 8:33 AM, primetime said:My buddy up north who loves to crank lay downs and throw square bills anywhere possible...Would without question suggest the Worden's Timber Tiger....Been around forever, and is designed to not hang up on wood and has a unique design and action after deflecting....They have some good colors also....They kind of look like a beefed up Speed trap with fins on the sides...Tackle warehouse has them...Think they are $6.99.
I believe they have 3 sizes, the biggest one is a good sized crankbait, and I think they are Balsa wood but may be mistaken.
I have 2 of these somewhere in an old tackle box. Thx for reminding me, will resurrect them.
On 10/2/2019 at 7:48 AM, Brett's_daddy said:Movement 80X! Shallow running crank (1 - 3ft.) but has a unique wide wobble and big bill to deflect off brush, rocks etc. It's reasonably priced at $8.99 and the 6th Sense paint jobs are as good as Mega Bass IMO.
I’ve heard good things about 6th Sense crankbaits. With the wider wobble would you say the Movement 80X! would be best in warmer water, and the tighter wobble of the Flat 75 better in cold temps?
Brett's_daddy reply :
On 10/2/2019 at 9:18 AM, FryDog62 said:I have 2 of these somewhere in an old tackle box. Thx for reminding me, will resurrect them.
I’ve heard good things about 6th Sense crankbaits. With the wider wobble would you say the Movement 80X! would be best in warmer water, and the tighter wobble of the Flat 75 better in cold temps?
I think they would both work...the bass will be up shallow gorging before winter so i think the Movement 80x would be killer!
Fishes in trees reply :
I'm a big fan of the Timber Tiger. My first choice when I tie on a square bill. They very seldom get hung up by the hooks, they very occasionally get wedged, happens when you throw into a V at odd angles. They come in various sizes. I'm a big fan of the DC 16 when throwing at trees and you're looking for a major horizontal limb about 10' down. For throwing at laydowns, I'd start with the DC 8 & 20 lb line, so you're maybe diving 6' max . These are plastic baits, not balsa. The DC 8 weighs half an ounce, so it is easy to throw. You can get a DC5 which is kinda thinner and weighs 3/8 oz, more or less.
wdp reply :
@FryDog62 I am a big fan of the 6th sense movement 80x. I’ve been fishing them for 2 seasons and they flat out catch fish, and caught my PB. As mentioned, they have some great color schemes for a reasonable price. Sometimes Academy will have a sale on them too.
They probably have the widest wobble of any crank I’ve ever used. Your rod tip will vibrate almost like throwing a chatterbait. With that said, I’ve never fished them around much timber or laydowns. They def float up slower than balsa, so they may not work best for what you’re looking for. But I have great luck using them in shallow open water or around shallow grass & ditches, etc. They’re killer with a stop & go retrieve.
With the aggressive wide wobble, might not be best choice for cold water applications. Flat sided would prob be be suited. But I’ve never tried them in really cold water. They work great in spring when water temps 1st start warming tho. Hope this helps.
Harold Scoggins reply :
I like using cranks made of wood when fishing laydowns, mainly because they rise quickly after making contact.
Smalls reply :
6th Sense are definitely a good choice. They come stock with some good short shank EWG’s too, so no need to swap em out.
If you haven't, I’d swap the hooks on whatever other baits you’re using to short shanks, too. You’ll get hung up a lot less.
If I know I’m gonna be around a lot of wood, I’ll take a couple of my daughter’s pony tail rubber bands and put it arothe squarebill so that it holds the front hook against the body. Still get great hook ups, but that hooks not dangling and swaying around to get hung up.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Black Market Balsa/Dave's Customs. Only thing that comes through a tree better is a squirrel. Being that you're likely dealing with potential toothy fish too though, they may be more than you want to spend on a bait. By far the largest bass I've caught on a crankbait this year fell for a chartreuse black back one I was cranking laydowns in a river with about a month ago.
Catt reply :
6th Sense Movement 80X ????
Deflects off of cover of any kind!
scaleface reply :
I fish a variety of square bills in old timber and stumps but when it comes to new laydowns with a lot of small limbs , I have a hack for that ,it requires a knife or clippers . Cut the line and tie on a spinnerbait .
FryDog62 reply :
On 10/2/2019 at 12:28 PM, Bluebasser86 said:Black Market Balsa/Dave's Customs. Only thing that comes through a tree better is a squirrel. Being that you're likely dealing with potential toothy fish too though, they may be more than you want to spend on a bait. By far the largest bass I've caught on a crankbait this year fell for a chartreuse black back one I was cranking laydowns in a river with about a month ago.
With the Black Market Balsa, and also 6th Sense Movement 80X - is it a tight enough wobble to work effectively when water temps get into the 40’s-50’s (in a couple weeks here)?
On 10/2/2019 at 12:58 PM, Catt said:6th Sense Movement 80X ????
Deflects off of cover of any kind!
Same
Harold Scoggins reply :
On 10/2/2019 at 12:28 PM, Bluebasser86 said:Black Market Balsa
X2
FryDog62 reply :
On 10/2/2019 at 9:44 PM, Harold Scoggins said:X2
Couldn’t tell price from the site. 110’s are $20, same for the Balsa squarebills?
J Francho reply :
Any balsa square bill will work well. It's more about learning to finesse the crank through the cover, and knowing what the bait will do when you kill it. You want one that backs up after the pause. Most have the right angle bill for that.
Dens228 reply :
On 10/2/2019 at 12:58 PM, Catt said:6th Sense Movement 80X ????
Deflects off of cover of any kind!
Currently my favorite lure. Mainly because I've been kicking bass with it the last three times out until the sun gets a bit over the trees. I've used it in a foot of water all the way up to 8 feet over receding weeds as well as along the edge of steep drop offs. It's rattles so loud and creates such a wake that the bass can't seem to resist it right now.
Catt reply :
On 10/2/2019 at 9:55 PM, J Francho said:It's more about learning to finesse the crank through the cover, and knowing what the bait will do when you kill it.
This should be everyone's thoughts regardless of lure!
A good crankbait helps but in my opinion it's got a lot to do with angler.
J Francho reply :
On 10/2/2019 at 10:29 PM, Catt said:
This should be everyone's thoughts regardless of lure!
A good crankbait helps but in my opinion it's got a lot to do with angler.
There's a lot of truth to that. I also think it helps to stick with the same bait, instead of having 10 different square bills. They all seem to act a little different.
Brett's_daddy reply :
On 10/2/2019 at 11:01 PM, J Francho said:I also think it helps to stick with the same bait, instead of having 10 different square bills.
What's the fun in that? I think you are bait monkey prejudice!!!
Harold Scoggins reply :
On 10/2/2019 at 9:51 PM, FryDog62 said:Couldn’t tell price from the site. 110’s are $20, same for the Balsa squarebills?
I actually misread his reply, I thought he was speaking of another brand with "black" in the name. Regardless, if you were to see the work that some of these folks put into making these wood baits, you'd understand the price. The time that goes into one of these baits blows my mind sometimes. Knowing the work and quality that goes into some of these squarebills, I've paid up to $50 for some of them. That's not to say you can't find a good balsa bait commercially produced that are cheaper, there are many out there.
That being said, I have too many cranks, both plastic and wood, that I call my favorites. However, when it comes to cranking through the laydowns, I don't believe one can dismiss the value of a crank bait that quickly rises/backs out upon making contact with the wood. That is one attribute where a wood (balsa) crank really dominates other baits.
Brett's_daddy reply :
Another good one would be the Booyah Flex 2. It's made with an injected foam process that makes it super tough and it has the buoyancy of a balsa bait so it should be fast on the rise after deflecting off obstacles which I think would be handy in timber.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 10/2/2019 at 9:41 PM, FryDog62 said:With the Black Market Balsa, and also 6th Sense Movement 80X - is it a tight enough wobble to work effectively when water temps get into the 40’s-50’s (in a couple weeks here)?
Same
On 10/2/2019 at 9:51 PM, FryDog62 said:Couldn’t tell price from the site. 110’s are $20, same for the Balsa squarebills?
The 80X has a really wide wobble, the BMB is more of a subtle bait.
As for the price, from their website;
Black Market Series:
$50.00 per bait for the Black Market Balsa. sizes
available small (b1), medium (b2) and large (b3).
FryDog62 reply :
On 10/3/2019 at 11:26 AM, Bluebasser86 said:
The 80X has a really wide wobble, the BMB is more of a subtle bait.
As for the price, from their website;
Black Market Series:
$50.00 per bait for the Black Market Balsa. sizes
available small (b1), medium (b2) and large (b3).
Wow! I get the craftsmanship on a lure like that but yeah, one pike bite-off up here in the North and there she goes...
fishballer06 reply :
Best bait for fishing a laydown? This one is easy.
A spinnerbait 
Choporoz reply :
On 10/2/2019 at 8:33 AM, primetime said:My buddy up north who loves to crank lay downs and throw square bills anywhere possible...Would without question suggest the Worden's Timber Tiger....Been around forever, and is designed to not hang up on wood and has a unique design and action after deflecting....They have some good colors also....They kind of look like a beefed up Speed trap with fins on the sides...Tackle warehouse has them...Think they are $6.99.
I believe they have 3 sizes, the biggest one is a good sized crankbait, and I think they are Balsa wood but may be mistaken.
I got a couple Timber Tigers after reading about them here on BR. Never had one hang up. Never got so much as a bite on one, either, however.
Tizi reply :
6th Sense 75X is my favorite square bill to use around laydowns
primetime reply :
On 10/3/2019 at 10:05 PM, Choporoz said:I got a couple Timber Tigers after reading about them here on BR. Never had one hang up. Never got so much as a bite on one, either, however.
I used to use them when I lived in NY when younger since there were not alot of choices, the BIg O by cordell and Timber Tiger, Rapla Max Rap or Fat rap, forget the name were only ones i remember using...I think as someone mentioned above, Its about confidence and using the same bait to get comfortable and efficient worming it through timber....I still carry the timber Tiger in 2 colors in the 2 size which is shallow for when I come accross wood, and they float up quickly like most fat body cranks and balsa, and they have always caught fish for me, cant say any better or worse than other models. Now I just use a or Duel square bill or KVD as I feel like I can control them cause I have been throwing them the most, and I know for sure they both have quality hooks and are proven.
I know for sure that there is a guy who fishes the susquehanna river in Pa and all the lakes etc. in Ny region has won alot of tournaments with the Timber Tiger and is pretty much his main crank...But I guess 20 years of throwing it, he can recognize a good bait or one that needs adjusting right away. Buy 10 crankbaits and maybe 4 are perfect out of the box. Some never seem to track well....Most times I have no idea this is happening cause I am not a good crankbait guy, at least I would never start with a crankbait to fish wood deep or shallow, I go with soft baits or Jigs.
Only a few hundred nice cranks to choose from......I feel like I only use new baits or lures I have never caught fish on when I am not catching fish....So I am guilty of trying lures at times that are not ideal. Sometimes they won't hit a crankbait....Bass don't get a good look at it most times, especially if colored water, so If you don't have confidence in them, I wouldn't throw them either. I have tons of lures I know work well, I never use cause I would be changing out lures all day and not fishing.....
Bomber just introduced the older Fat A again, and that was always good for not getting hung up since it had a fat body and rose quickly.....
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