New Crankbaits Need Help??? 2024

wwarren8200 reply :

I'm buying about $180 worth of crankbaits. I need help choosing. I'm somewhat experienced with crankbaits and need about 5 that are geared towards big bass and power fishing that way I can cover all depths and scenarios with per say 5 baits with 5 colors for each as opposed to 10 baits with 2-3 colors apiece. Thanks, Will W.

gripnrip reply :

Only $180???? LOL. I'd go with SK if I were starting out. They are good baits to start out with. Just make sure and get some quality replacement hooks.

Go to their website www.strikeking.com and research what you like to purchase.

wwarren8200 reply :

I know i know... $180 ain't much but it's all i have extra right now. Thanks for the advice. Thanks,Will W.

Montanaro reply :

I don't mean to be rude...but I don't think you should be buying $180 worth of anything if you don't know much about it.

Start off with different sized strike king kvd to cover different depths and sizes. This shouldn't run you more than 50 bucks. To be honest you could just buy 3 or 4 shallow running squarebills to gain confidence.

wwarren8200 reply :

I've fished cranks before I fish tournaments and I was just going to see what people rely on now the most so I dont have to spend too much on stuff that I wont use. Thanks, Will W.

flyfisher reply :

Maybe I am a little confused but if you have used cranks what did you use and what did you like or not like about them? I personally prefer rapala cranks in their DT series to cover all the depths and i also like their square bills along. I do like the SK in the mid ranges but not a fan of the square bills.

I like fishing cranks for sure and fish them often but i am not at the level where i can tell the major differences between the various brands even though i do have a bunch of different manufacturers

Depending on your lake just get some to cover the depths you want to fish and then see hat you like and get more in different colors later on....i wouldn't be able to spend that kind of coin all on something i wasn't sure what i wanted.

wwarren8200 reply :

I'm sorry if I confused you. I just stopped throwing them because of high prices. I sold all my cranks about a year ago. I'm getting back with their awesome power as I realized that I can't win many tournaments without them. Thanks, Will W.

brandonss reply :

I like spro cranks really like the Russian lane series fat poppa 55 an 70

wwarren8200 reply :

Thanks I wish I could afford those Will W.

NathanW reply :

My opinion. You only need three colors. A Shad pattern. A ghost pattern. A bright pattern. Build confidance in those three and buy spares of each. If i had to choose only 5 baits for my waters it would be so easy. Sk 3xd, sk 5xd, rapala dt4, dt6, and sk red eyed Shad. Good luck with your search.

wwarren8200 reply :

Thanks for the input. Thanks, Will W.

iabass8 reply :

that's going to be a tough one. i don't like one specific brand for all cranking needs. SK squrebills and their 4s series are good, inexpensive squarebills/shallow divers. the 4s/1s series are more buoyant than the 1.5s as well. spro fat johns are fantastic little squarebills that i like around wood and super shallow docks/wood, i like the lc 1.5 for scattered rock but the prefer the kvd 1.5 if i'm around a huge amount of zebra muscle rip rap because they just get tore up. i still have some zoom WEC cranks that i throw in certain backwater areas that have a little more clarity and wood cover. this is just shallow divers too. Mid divers, the SK 3xd and 5xd are hard to beat based on price vs performance.

If you're planning on buying 180$ worth of cranks, I'd scour the internet message board market places or flea bay and look for people selling various lots of cranks. you'll get so much more that way than you would at a major retailer. you'll be left with a lot more for quality hooks as well. if you aren't going to blow all the cash at once, just pick up a few quality cranks here and there and find the ones you like the most. if you're in an area that has fishing expos (expo season is starting right now) you can often times find a lot of crazy deals at them as well.

wwarren8200 reply :

Thanks for the AWESOME feedback! It'll really help, thanks, Will W.

JeziHogg reply :

Honestly, go with SK's. They work and they're pretty cheap even when upgrading the hook. You have to remember to use a crank bait properly you have to throw them and deflect them off of some structure and cover, therefore loosing baits. Why get a super expensive on like a Megabass when you will eventually loose it.

Bluebasser86 reply :

I agree with going with the Strike King series of baits. Great color options, proven baits, and they cover all depths. If you were just trying to stay with 1 brand of bait, that's what I'd go with. As far as which baits, for me it would be a Series 1, KVD 1.5, series 3, series 5, and 6XD. As far as colors go, I'd have to have chart/black back, sexy shad, green gizzard shad, sexy ghost minnow, and neon bluegill.

ww2farmer reply :

Three colors will do...........a craw color, a shad color, and a bluegill color.

The baits;

SK KVD 1.5

SK 1/2 oz. RES

Storm Wiggle wart

SK 5xd

Manns Baby 1-

Those will cover you from top to bottom, cold to warm water, all 4 seasons, and can be thrown on "regular" tackle...IE not cranking specific gear. Which is nice to have, but IMHO not needed for those baits.

wwarren8200 reply :

Thanks man thats some great input! Thanks,Will W.

big poppa reply :

Go with Strike King. 3xds and 5xds are my go to. 4s for the square bill in heavy cover. Honestly you only need a few colors, match the hatch and youll be good.

wwarren8200 reply :

Thanks for the tip, Will W.

Volboy reply :

Here's my shopping list:

2 #5 shad raps

2 # 7 shad raps

4 200 series Bandit

4 300 series Bandit

4 SK square bills (KVD 1.5)

4 SK Series 5

4 SK Series 6 xd

2 SK 1/2 Red Eye Shad rattle baits

Assortment of #2,4,6 Owner Stinger trebles to replace all the hooks

You can cover pretty much all depths and situations without breaking the bank here. Buy more craw colors for the Spring/ shallower models, and for the 300's and deeper get mostly shad and chartreuse baits.

Jrob78 reply :

On 2/8/2014 at 11:39 AM, brandonss said:
I like spro cranks really like the Russian lane series fat poppa 55 an 70

Huh?

Figure out the depths you want to fish and buy crankbaits to cover those depths. You've already been given good advice. Strike King, Rapala, Bandit, Bomber, XCalibur and H20 Xpress at Academy all make good baits that don't cost a fortune. Buy a few you like and start fishing. You will figure out what works for you and what doesn't.

wwarren8200 reply :

Thanks for all the good input,Will W.

Fishes in trees reply :

Where you gonna fish em? For normal crank fishing, points & bumping bottom and stuff like that, the previous suggestions are all ok. If you are going to be fishing wood, crowns of sunken trees, sunken bushes, stuff like that, there isn't any substitute for Timber Tigers. hey come through wood & bushes better than any other crank I've found.

jhoffman reply :

As much as you were all hyped up about the 10xd's on the board I cant believe no one mentioned it. I personally dont throw it but if youre not considering 20ft plus mid summer, forget about it. You can catch em up tight on cranks mid summer but that bite is usually so short lived first thing in the morning that youve gotta be ready to back out shortly after daybreak.

flyfisher reply :

On 2/10/2014 at 3:17 AM, Fishes in trees said:
Where you gonna fish em? For normal crank fishing, points & bumping bottom and stuff like that, the previous suggestions are all ok. If you are going to be fishing wood, crowns of sunken trees, sunken bushes, stuff like that, there isn't any substitute for Timber Tigers. hey come through wood & bushes better than any other crank I've found.

Haven't heard of those but they look pretty cool. I may have to add a few to my next order

hawghunters reply :

My suggestion would be look for the most bang for your buck. It will allow you to have even more crankbaits. Honestly I get a lot of my crankbaits at dicks sporting goods. The Excalibur crankbaits the have there are like $3 as well as miscellaneous strike king and bomber cranks will be on sale. Take on of those $25 off $100 purchased coupons and that will be a TON of crankbaits haha. I throw a lot of my crankbaits in cover so buyin lucky strike isn't much of an option. I only use their pointers cause most decent jerkbaits are over $10.

roadwarrior reply :

Don't spend all of your money at once, other things pop up all the time.

wwarren8200 reply :

Thanks for the tips I might check out Timber Tigers but Im going to for sure buy some 10XD's. You guys should go check out a very good friend of mines website www.BERcustompainting.net/blog he does custom paint jobs on crankbaits and has a fair price for it too. Thanks,Will W.

Crankinstein reply :

definitely check out some cranks with different bill styles too. Luck E Strike RC Freak and Freak Jr have a deep diving square bill lip that offers some great action. River 2 Sea cranky M is another good one. If your looking for more main stream brands I'd recommend Rapala DT series as well as SK KVD series plus the original SK series as well. As always replace hooks and make sure your baits are running true. For colors I'd say fire tiger, craw, sexy shad, and natural shad are all good starting points depending on water color and available forage. You can always sub a few colors in and out depending on what you local lake has to offer.

wwarren8200 reply :

Thanks man I only wish I could afford Lucky Craft. I am getting some SK though, thanks, Will W.

wwarren8200 reply :

Thanks for the great advice, Will W.

NathanW reply :

Dont buy a 10XD unless you have a rod that can handle them, same goes for 5xd and 6xd. It would be a waste of money. I have not thrown the 10XD yet but I prefer to throw the 5 and 6XDs on a 7'11" MH glass rod. The 10XD might require a rod of the same length but with less bend like possibly a swimbait rod or a graphite crankbait rod.

On 2/10/2014 at 7:27 AM, wwarren8200 said:
Thanks for the tips I might check out Timber Tigers but Im going to for sure buy some 10XD's. You guys should go check out a very good friend of mines website www.BERcustompainting.net/blog he does custom paint jobs on crankbaits and has a fair price for it too. Thanks,Will W.

wwarren8200 reply :

My crankin rod can definitely handle 10XD's. It is 7' 11" Heavy and casts 3/8-1 1/2. Thanks,Will W.

WIGuide reply :

The 10XD comes in at just under 2oz. so that'd be stretching the limits of your rod.

Personally these are the majority of the crankbaits I throw:

Xcalibur Square bills

Rapala DT10's

Bomber Fat Free Fry -cover the same depth as the dt's but offer a smaller profile

Rapala DT 14's

Bomber Fat Free Shad

I've also got other cranks to fill in other specific niches I want covered, but this accounts for the majority of mine.

wwarren8200 reply :

Nice choices those would kill em here! My rod is pretty stiff as it is a mostly graphite rod. It handles 10XD's and bama rigs like a machine. Thanks,Will W.

mprestonSEK reply :

I agree with the majority here, SK squarebills are a good place to start. Pick up the some shad and bluegill patterns and go from there. Another crankbait series to take into consideration would be the Bandit series(100,200). Another great crank that always runs true and produces fish.

TorqueConverter reply :

I really like the BPS XPS cranks. I know they are a cheapy house brand but their actions are top dollar, atleast for the baits I have thrown.

Working your way down the water column:

The big size 3/4oz BPS The Egg is a killer wakebait and a big fish producer. I prefer it to the Ima Roumba because it can be powerfished down to about 10'' and tear through cover like a squarebill due to it's high stability.

My favorite squarebill is the BPS XPS Silent Squarebill. Its very high bounacy, light weight plastic and fantastic action have allowed me to have some great days on the water. It has consistantly kicked the crud out of every similar sized squarebill I own but it's not what I would call a big fish bait due to its size. It's rated up to 5 feet but don't believe it. It's a 3 footer all day long.

I really like the BPS XPS Deep Diver for the 15 foot range. It's got a nice tail kicking action with a bit of roll to flash those two tone colors at the fish. The action is a bit slow, but the movents are good. Loud knocker rattle, good color selection ect.

The Rapla DTs are great as well. I don't think there is a finer 6 foot crank than the DT-6. If there is, I'd loved to see it. The DT-20 is also a fine bait. I prefer the Dt-20s to the 6XD but the 6XDs are much cheaper and have a very similar action, just a bit slower.

wwarren8200 reply :

Thanks for the great advice! It really helped me out. Thanks,Will W.

backcast88 reply :

I have a few Strike King's and I don't really care for them.

I prefer Spro and Rapala crankbaits. I have used some Bandit's and Bomber's but find myself reaching for a Spro or Rapala b/c I seem to catch way more fish with them and I have more confidence with them. If I was spending $180 or so I would get:

Rapala Shad Rap 07 and/or 08

Rapala DT (any depth would be good)

Spro Little John

Spro Little John MD

Spro Little John DD

Spro Fat Papa 55 or 70

I would get a combination of the cranks listed above to cover all water depths. For colors, I would get a shad pattern, a craw pattern and something bright like chartreuse or citrus shad.

wwarren8200 reply :

Thanks for the advice. Thanks,Will W.

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New Crankbaits Need Help??? 2024

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