Shallow diving BIG Crankbaits 2025
preach4bass reply :
I want to fish a BIG crankbait, but don't want it to go 25 feet deep. Are there any big shallow diving (4-6 feet) crankbaits out there? I want the depth of a Bandit 200 series, but two or three times the size.
A-Jay reply :
Lucky Craft SKT Magnum 105 Mag MR Crankbait
| Lucky Craft | Length | Weight | Depth | Class |
| SKT Magnum 105 Mag MR | 4-1/8" | 1-1/2oz | 4ft | Flo ating
|
Strike King KVD 8.0 Magnum Squarebill Crankbait
| Strike King | Length | Weight | Depth |
| KVD 8.0 Magnum Squarebill | 4-1/2" | 3/4oz | 3-7ft |
preach4bass reply :
Yes! That 8.0 is exactly what I've been looking for. Thanks!
Bluebasser86 reply :
Academy offers a magnum squarebill similar in size to the 8.0.
Advantage reply :
I've yet to catch, but rarely throw, anything on the 8.0 because it dives too deep (8ft) for what I need but have caught quite a few, including several toads, on the SKT Mag (which only dives to 4ft max). 
On 11/7/2016 at 2:06 PM, Bluebasser86 said:Academy offers a magnum squarebill similar in size to the 8.0.
Guess I need to look into this one since Academy's baits are actually pretty good baits and way cheaper than other brands.
Catt reply :
They are called Alphabet Baits & consist of names like Bomber's Model A, Bagley's Balsa B, Bill Norman's Little N, Fred Young's Big O, or Rebel's R.
In case y'all been asleep they are making a huge resurgence on the Pro circuit.
Megastink reply :
If you can find them, the Strike King King Shad's were awesome. Only dove about 3' and I really hammered some pigs on them.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 11/7/2016 at 7:52 PM, Catt said:They are called Alphabet Baits & consist of names like Bomber's Model A, Bagley's Balsa B, Bill Norman's Little N, Fred Young's Big O, or Rebel's R.
In case y'all been asleep they are making a huge resurgence on the Pro circuit.
On 11/7/2016 at 8:09 PM, Megastink said:If you can find them, the Strike King King Shad's were awesome. Only dove about 3' and I really hammered some pigs on them.
All these baits are only about half the size of the magnum squarebills listed. Not saying they aren't good baits, but for a guy looking for a BIG squarebill, they're a bit on the small side.
Catt reply :
On 11/7/2016 at 8:48 PM, Bluebasser86 said:
All these baits are only about half the size of the magnum squarebills listed. Not saying they aren't good baits, but for a guy looking for a BIG squarebill, they're a bit on the small side.
Yelp they small baits 
KDW96 reply :
Strike King KVD 2.5 maybe ?
Dogmatic reply :
Megabass Grenade.
j bab reply :
On 11/7/2016 at 9:51 PM, Catt said:Yelp they small baits
He didn't say small, he said a bit on the small side for a big squarebill, which is correct as the 8.0 is significantly larger
Catt reply :
On 11/7/2016 at 11:20 PM, j bab said:he said a bit on the small side
Not the same as small!
Right! Got it!
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 11/7/2016 at 9:51 PM, Catt said:Yelp they small baits
Compared to the baits the OP is asking about, yes, they're a bit on the small side.
Megastink reply :
On 11/7/2016 at 8:48 PM, Bluebasser86 said:
All these baits are only about half the size of the magnum squarebills listed. Not saying they aren't good baits, but for a guy looking for a BIG squarebill, they're a bit on the small side.
The King Shad is a 4" body. The SKT mags and 8.0's are both 4.5". The OP asked for SHALLOW big bodied divers, which the 8.0 dives too deep for. It's the perfect solution for the OP's question.
Catt reply :
On 11/8/2016 at 1:54 AM, Bluebasser86 said:Compared to the baits the OP is asking about, yes, they're a bit on the small side.
Don't let their lack of size deter you
I fished shallow timber/brush for 3 hrs last week, caught 17, & it looks like I aint going back till this bite over!
iceintheveins reply :
I would also look into the Castaic Boyd Duckett 3.5 and 4.5 Squarebills. They are 3.5" and 4" respectively. For a small "bigger sized" squarebill, the KVD 2.5 is good. I use it a lot in dirty water conditions.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 11/8/2016 at 5:25 AM, Megastink said:The King Shad is a 4" body. The SKT mags and 8.0's are both 4.5". The OP asked for SHALLOW big bodied divers, which the 8.0 dives too deep for. It's the perfect solution for the OP's question.
20lb P line is what I fish my 8.0 on and it doesn't hit bottom in 5' on a normal cast. He actually said the depth of a Bandit 200 series, which is their mid depth bait rated 4-8 feet.
I like the King Shad, I own a bunch, but I wouldn't fish it in the same places I fish a squarebill. The jointed body doesn't allow it to deflect off cover the same and would result in more snags than I'd be willing to deal with. It is a great imitation of a prime sized shad and the bait responsible for my largest 5 fish bag ever in Kansas.
On 11/8/2016 at 7:40 AM, Catt said:Don't let their lack of size deter you
I fished shallow timber/brush for 3 hrs last week, caught 17, & it looks like I aint going back till this bite over!
I don't, I normally fish smaller squarebills, but that wasn't what the OP was asking about. The magnum squarebills have been somewhat of a hot item lately. They're good late in the year when the shad are at their biggest and the big bass are chasing that big meal.
Robert Riley reply :
So we've got a few of those SK 8.0s at work, I'm just curious what rod you would throw that on. I can't imagine throwing it on an 806cb (the rod I would use for such a big crankbait).
Megastink reply :
On 11/8/2016 at 6:00 PM, Robert Riley said:So we've got a few of those SK 8.0s at work, I'm just curious what rod you would throw that on. I can't imagine throwing it on an 806cb (the rod I would use for such a big crankbait).
Because the hooks are so beefy, I feel comfortable throwing it on a 7'6" MH rod, not a crankbait rod. It's a big plug and you need backbone to toss it. I think that rod is a good compromise.
Catt reply :
On 11/8/2016 at 5:41 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I don't, I normally fish smaller squarebills, but that wasn't what the OP was asking about. The magnum squarebills have been somewhat of a hot item lately. They're good late in the year when the shad are at their biggest and the big bass are chasing that big meal.
On 11/7/2016 at 11:47 AM, preach4bass said:I want to fish a BIG crankbait, but don't want it to go 25 feet deep. Are there any big shallow diving (4-6 feet) crankbaits out there? I want the depth of a Bandit 200 series, but two or three times the size.
The 200 Series Bandit is 2" 1/4 oz
2 to 3 times the size is 4-6"
Big O & Big N come in just under 4"
Due to a lengthy honey do list I did not get any "me time" yesterday!
Today WILL have an extended "me time" at the local tackle shops looking at mega square bills!
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 11/8/2016 at 6:00 PM, Robert Riley said:So we've got a few of those SK 8.0s at work, I'm just curious what rod you would throw that on. I can't imagine throwing it on an 806cb (the rod I would use for such a big crankbait).
On 11/8/2016 at 6:05 PM, Megastink said:Because the hooks are so beefy, I feel comfortable throwing it on a 7'6" MH rod, not a crankbait rod. It's a big plug and you need backbone to toss it. I think that rod is a good compromise.
I throw mine on a 7' 2" MH/MF.
I could probably use my deep cranking rod but I really don't want to use that long of a rod for it, especially since I'm normally making shorter cast around cover and at targets.
Advantage reply :
I've thrown the SKT Mag on as light a rod as a 7ft MH but it really is too much for it to handle especially for accurate casting. But also have thrown it on a 7ft H and also on a 7'6" XH with a Mod action. Line size definitely plays a role in depth control as well as rod tip height. At any rate, when targeting that 4 ft or less water with standing timber, laydowns and submerged timber with large gizzard shad as primary forage...the SKT Mag (on a 7'6" XH rod and 20lb P-Line copoly) is hard to beat!
scaleface reply :
Bagleys use to make a striper sized Natural shad It looked real . I bought that thing hoping to catch a big bass because they often had huge shad in their gullet . I was determined to catch a trophy bass on it and threw it so much the lip fell out . LOL , never did catch a fish on it .
Catt reply :
Went to Academy & looked at their H2O; good looking bait which runs 8-10', deeper than I like.
The SK 8.0 is on sale
Not a good picture, operator error!
preach4bass reply :
Thanks for all the replies and advice! I found a suitable bait at our local Walmart of all places, and it worked just as planned this morning. It helped me fill out my limit with a two and a quarter, but the jig was dominant today. Can't wait to try it out again when they are a little more active!
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