crankbaits: your favorite 5-9 ft'ers (mids) 2025
Jeff H reply :
Curious what you guys have as favorite mids. I think overall mine would be the Rapala DT Flat 7 and the old #7 Fat Rap.
Munkin reply :
Bandit 200
Rebel Deep Wee-R
SK 4 series
Allen
Bankbeater reply :
Cordell Big-O.
The Kangler reply :
Love the Spro Little John MD. Citrus Shad kills in my lakes.
Jelvas reply :
Rapalas DT6/DT10! I love the entire DT series, they flat out catch fish.
ww2farmer reply :
Around here 5'-9' feet of water is usually covered in thick milfoil, coon tail, or other assorted grasses, so any thing that dives down into it is an exercise in frustration and futility. Early in the year when it's only a couple feet tall, I use a lipless crank that I let sink into the grass and "rip" it out or a suspending jerkbait that hovers over the top of the grass. Then later, once the grass starts getting near the surface, I use a squarebill that will dive down a couple feet, tick the top of the grass, and use a pause and pop retrieve to trigger strikes. I will also parallel the "wall" of grass on the deep side with a 5xd, letting it bang bottom, and/or get hung on random clumps of grass out side the main weed bed and again use a "pause and rip" to trigger a bite. I'll do the same on the shallow inside grass line with a squarebill, or an ultra shallow diving crank that only goes down a foot or so.
In rocky area's of this depth zone, or where the grass is a little more sparse, a 3xd gets the call, I'll toss it right up to the bank and let it bump and grind all the way back to the boat. Some guys like flat sided balsa bodied baits for this in cold water, like a shad rap, etc...but I have found the 3xd to out fish them on my home lake, no matter what time of year.
My favorite baits/colors for each situation listed are:
Lipless: 1/2 oz Strike King Red Eye Shad in Chili Craw for stained water, and Natural Bream for clear.
Jerkbaits: SK KVD 200 in Yellow perch on sunny days as it's translucent, and Natural bream on cloudy days, as it's a solid color. I tend to reserve jerkabaits for clear water conditions.
Squarebills: SK KVD 1.5 in spring, in natural bream in clear water, orange belly craw in stained water. I switch to the 2.5 when I am looking for a big bite, or if this bite is on fire. I'll alternate between the 1.5 and 2.5 all year long depending on the mood of the fish. During our summer algae blooms, I switch to Chart. black back on cloudy days, and Chart. Sexy Shad on sunny days.
3xd's + 5xd's: I like Sexy Ghost Minnow in clear water, Chart. sexy shad in stained water on sunny days, Chart. belly craw on dark days in stained water, and Rootbeer any time smallmouth come out to play.
That's my K.I.S.S. approach to cranking from the inside grass line (usually 4-6 feet) through the grass, and then the out side edge (usually 8-12' feet)
Bigchunk reply :
Spro fat poppa 55
NHBull reply :
The new dredgers are havi me rethink this.....so far they all are outstanding!
iceintheveins reply :
Rapala DT6
Storm Wiggle Wart
Bandit 200
Norman Middle N
Bomber 6A
RoLo reply :
I'd have to go with the Bomber 6A (citruse)
followed by the Rapala DT 7 (parrot)
Roger
scaleface reply :
I use my old standby's . Rapala Fat Rap, Rebel Deep Wee R , Storm Wiggle Wart an Bomber Model A ..
Bluebasser86 reply :
Wiggle Wart, Wild Thang, Digger, Bandit 200.
Turkey sandwich reply :
Fat Raps and Fat Free Shad/Fry/Fingerlings are probably my best producing in that range, but the DT series have also served me well. My collection has grown quite a bit for that range, so hopefully I'll have some new favorites by the end of the year.
Also, post frontal and in cool water, it's still really hard to beat the Shad Raps/Shallow Shad Raps.
smalljaw67 reply :
Bagley Sunny B, Rapala DT-6, DT Flat 7, and the Bomber 6A. Honorable mentions goes to the Bomber Fat Free Shad BD5 Fingerling and the Rapala DT-10 only because I tend to use these less as I'm usually fishing shallower water and these run slightly deeper but make no mistake, those are fish catchers and when I break them out I normally will catch fish.
Hez reply :
On 5/15/2017 at 6:26 AM, The Kangler said:Love the Spro Little John MD.
X 2...love the flat sided wobble they provide. Gives the fish a different look
Scarborough817 reply :
L.C. RTO DD 1.5 & 2.5
Ima Pinjack 200
Rapala DT6
Megastink reply :
I think the Strike King Series 4 is very underrated.
A-Jay reply :
Spro Rock Crawler
A-Jay
Scarborough817 reply :
On 5/15/2017 at 8:35 AM, NHBull said:The new dredgers are havi me rethink this.....so far they all are outstanding!
have you noticed more depth with them? and what do you fish them on?
fishballer06 reply :
DT6
Shad Rap
Wiggle Wart
LC Flat CB DR
NHBull reply :
On 5/15/2017 at 9:07 PM, Scarborough817 said:have you noticed more depth with them? and what do you fish them on?
They get to depth quicker.
i use a 6:1 ratio and the cadence is comfortable
Have used 8 lb Tatsu and 10lb 832
Hope that helps
WIGuide reply :
Rapala DT 6's & 10's, Bomber Fat Free Fingerling, Spro Little John & Little John MD
whitwolf reply :
Rebel deep wee r's and Norman deep baby n's.
WRB reply :
Bagley Killer B
Norman DD14* and Bomber 7A both really good at 9'.
Iovino Zoner Hunter (original Wiggle Wart).
Tom
Columbia Craw reply :
These,
buzzed bait reply :
i like the damiki dc 200, but i've admittedly had a couple that ran terribly out of the package. BUT the ones that did run good have caught some fish for me!
Attila reply :
I've been using Rapala Shad Raps and Shallow Shad Raps for years with great success. I've tried using the DT series but am just not a fan of anything with rattles in it...silence is golden for me.
I'll be trying out some silent Strike King's this year to see how they compare to my beloved Rapala's.
Crank Bait Nut reply :
Wiggle Warts & Rapala SR 7's & 8's Craw Patterns.
Bucky205 reply :
Rapala DT6 in either shad or crawfish.
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