Whats Your Most Successful Crankbait, Color & Size 2025
bigbill reply :
I guess you can call me more of a crankbait guy. When I purchase a brand of crankbaits and have success I go after every color it's offered in first. Then I go after the ones that run at different depths too. I did find out that all these colors do not catch us the fisherman. All these colors do catch fish at certain times when other colors don't work.
My hottest producing crankbaits are;
1. Bomber Shallow A in redapplecraw craw 0' to 3' this lure has a unique BB rattle sound to it. This redapplecraw craw is the hottest color in my area and I noticed the crawfish are a blend of red and brown. I use a shot of crawfish scent on it.
Presentations;
Cast it out and reel it slow enough to keep it under the surface. This great for over submerged weeds.
Cast it out and twitch it since it floats. I use this presentation over the open pockets in the weeds.
Make this lure look like it's an easy meal to the bass.
I use a lot of different colors in the bomber cranks but if your on a tight budget I'd go with a baby bass orange bottom, redapplecraw craw, green craw, Brown craw, silver shad and a firecraw/firetiger. You could also try to match the crawfish color in your area too.
2. Rebel BIG CLAW Crawfish crankbait. I been using the chartreuse with the green back. I also use a shot of craw scent on it.
Presentations,
Since this lure floats it can also be used topwater with a twitch too. Just let it sit and twitch it like it's wounded.
I cast it out. Then use the rod and sweep it back so it dives to the bottom(10' depth) then I slow reel it enough to keep it on the bottom. The bass love this lure. This is a very hot lure to use when the crawfish are dancing on the rocks looking for a mate in the spring or after the spawn when the bass are hungry. It seems to work most of the time too but sometimes are hotter than others.
3. Norman Thin "N" crankbait. In chartreuse killer. I like this color the best and so do the bass. I use yum shad scent on this one. I also use the other colors with success too.
Presentation,
I cast it out and slow reel it while twitching it. Or pause and twitch it since it floats.
I hope this helps the little guys just starting out with lures. Or someone trying lures with little success.
Please post your favorite crankbait with your presentation. The presentation is the key to success.
Remember on a cloudy day or in stained to muddy water it's the brighter colors like chartruese that will work.
flyfisher reply :
This year my big winner has been a Rapala DT10 in bleeding olive shiner fished along dropoffs or weed edges with your standard cast and retriece with the occasional twitch, stop or rip out of the grass motion.
I have used the same color in various other depths too and had good success so it is probably the color or my confidence as much as anything.
cast_and_destroy reply :
Kvd 1.5 square bill in black back chartreuse. ..I like to slow roll it especially past and around visible cover like stumps and laydowns.
ColdSVT reply :
done well with the 6xd in Tennessee shad the last few seasons
also done quite well with a kvd 1.5 and 2.0 squarebill in black back chart
AK-Jax86 reply :
KVD 1.5 square bill in crawfish color
roadwarrior reply :
Norman Fat Boy, Redear pattern
Bankbeater reply :
This year it has been a natural craw colored rat-l-trap in 1/4 size.
5dollarsplash reply :
Spro Little John in the Cell Mate color has been great for me this year pulling several fish almost every time out. It hasn't brought in a huge one yet, but I'm sure given time it will.
Goose52 reply :
Norman Deep Little N - in any color I pull out of the box....
derekxec reply :
live target bluegill with the round bill
flyfisher reply :
On 8/14/2013 at 12:38 AM, roadwarrior said:Norman Fat Boy, Redear pattern
I almost forgot about the norman fat boy.....i bought one based on your recommendation on another thread (i think) and that thing has flat out produced for me ever since.
Catt reply :
Bill Norman DD22 Nutter Shad 
Diggy reply :
sexy shad kvd 1.5 but the 1.0 seems just as or more effective at times
ww2farmer reply :
I have had good days on just about all types of Strike King cranks, and just about every color they make. Lots of variables play into why I am using what I am , where I am, when I am using it. Some seasonal, some weather related, A LOT of it is cover/depth/water clarity related.
mikeeasttn reply :
My most successful crankbait has been the Rapala Shad Rad in black and silver. There are days when other cranks will out produce it but overall it seems to produce a few fish no matter the conditions.
Bluebasser86 reply :
This year the crankbait bite has been almost nil. I caught 2 of the biggest bass I've ever caught in Kansas earlier this year on cranks though, a 7.51 on a green gizzard shad SK series 5 and a 7.76 on a chart/black back Spro Fat John.
Hattrick7 reply :
KVD 1.5 sexy shad (I think that's the name) is my go to crank. Kinami crankbait (yellowish sides black top).
papajoe222 reply :
On my home lake, it's been the Norman Deep Little 'N' and on my favorite lake it's been a Switch Back. Minnow imitating colors seem to out produce the craw patterns, but I still give them a shot before giving up on the cranks.
BuckMaxx reply :
For years, I threw a DT22 for summertime +/- 10' suspended bass. This is about the only time I throw a crank. This year I found a guy on FB OSS custom baits. I had him make me several 2.5's in various colors. My most successful was a Rainbow smelt ( which is our forage fish). It basically looks like a rainbow trout without spots. Grinding it on the rocks is where they really shine. Infact its my go to for a tournament tomorrow night. I hope it works!
bigbill reply :
I left out the Hank Parker Special it's the Mann's baby 1 crankbait in Brown craw he used in his fishing in NH tv show.
It's the first crankbait to ever catch fish for me and a decade later it's still working. I've caught many bass on it plus I had a giant salmon hit it too. Since it runs shallow a slow reel is needed.
My buddy used one in chartreuse with a dark back and it caught fish too. Again this proves all the different colors work at certain times.
I call my Mann's crankbait the "HANK PARKER SPECIAL".
CTGalloway21 reply :
Bandit 200
tholmes reply :
Bandit Squarebill in Pearl/Splatterback and Rootbeer.
Tom
basseditor reply :
6XD; chartreuse with blue back. It is a big fish bait/color combo. Including my PB.
whitwolf reply :
Marty Burns square bill....... TN. Shad......
basshavoc reply :
KVD 2.5 square bill black back chartreuse, deflecting it off of tree stumps
Cgrinder reply :
Shallow Shad Rap #7. Silver and black usually.
Shad Rap #5 in Firetiger is an honorable mention.
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