Stringjam

Supurb......as usual..... 8-)

Awesome as usual.....I think I see one that might be headed my way

The standard Wiggle Wart is actually a good choice for that depth range.....they aren't particularly steep divers, and the most you're going to see is about 10' with them - in that 3' -6' range, they'll be smacking and wiggling all over stuff in a very fish-enticing manner.

BUY A TELESCOPING POLE! At least 20' if you do any deep cranking. I also have a heavy knocker......tried that for about a year or so about 10 years ago or so, and compared to the pole, they suck. If you can't get it with a good pole, you probably won't get it with a knocker. BTW.....I fish crankbaits every time I'm on the water, and I only lost ONE crankbait this year (and that was just because of my own impatience).

That sounds like a Storm Lightnin' Shad.......does it look like this? I really like the 1/2 oz. version of this bait (the one pictured). They're good into the low teens or so.....deep flatsided cranks aren't something fish see very much of, and FWIW, I caught my biggest bass all last year on that bait. I also have the smaller versions, both shallow and diving, square billed versions, and the 1 oz. monster that can bust 20', but I've had only limited success with the others in the lineup.....my favorite is definitely the 1/2 oz. deep diver. The 1 oz. bait is such a cool crank though.....it's one of the only flatsidish baits I know of that can run that deep - but the thing is just so HUGE. BTW....these baits liven up considerably if you'll drop a hook size and put some nice light wire trebles (like a VMC) on there. The hunks of steel they come with stock kind of deaden the action. The rear hook makes the most difference, if you just want to change one.

It has a very wide, aggressive, and at times, irregular action. There is no other crankbait that I've used that acts quite the same way - there are just times when that action triggers fish better than anything I've got. I think it's one of the all-time great crankbait designs.

I bought one of the shallow ones.....really tight action - sometimes fish like that kind of thing, but not much buoyancy for a bait that appears to have been designed for cover fishing. Maybe something's wrong with mine, but it almost suspends.

I HATE wearing gloves while fishing, so the only gloves I will tolerate have to be very subtle without any stiffness at all (which rules out neoprene and many of the "fishing" gloves sold). The absolute best pair I've found to date is a pair of thin, super-soft Italian leather gloves with a thin wool lining. They're very warm, thin, soft, and it almost feels like I'm not wearing them. Plus, they're pretty much waterproof....especially treated with some Bees Wax. So don't limit yourself to "fishing" gloves....you might find what you really like at some fashion department store.... ;D

Fish don't always read BASSMASTER....... I was fishing a deep point last Saturday - - crystal clear water (vis 15+), schools of tiny little shad here and there, and temp in the high 40's-low 50's..........tried all the typical finesse stuff you're supposed to use under these conditions, and only caught a few dinks. So I whip out the biggest, baddest deep crankbait I have (courtesy of BIG M) and proceeded to catch the two biggest fish of the day on consecutive casts.

If I were you, and especially since the areas you fish have sparse cover, I would pick up a Bomber Flat A (shallow). Probably the most ignored and underused production crank out there - - and about the only one I can think of that gets close to the custom carved flatsides that are unbeatable in certain situations. The lure is BARGAIN.

Well I sure as heck have favorite baits - - - and I'll even throw them when they aren't even the best baits for the conditions... .......it's just more fun to fish crankbaits.

A Bagley Killer B1 - round lip. This, of course, changes by the minute. I just got a little crank from BIG M that I have a feeling is going to spending a lot of time occupying the "favorite" slot.

Heck yes they are - the RC 1.5 is a gold standard in my box for the "Bagley Killer B2" typa lure.

I consider it intermediate-deep. The 10'-15' zone is where I do 90% of what I consider "deep" cranking. From 15'-20' I consider it super-deep......simply because those are around the limits for normal casting of normal deep diving crankbaits. For the 10'-15' range, here's a few I really dig: Poe's Competition Cedars 4400 (my #1) Jackall Muscle Deep 15+ Poe's 400 Megabass Deep-X 200 (mainly for clear situations) Storm 1/2 oz. Lightnin' Shad The aforementioned Bomber Fat Free Shad and DD22's are also good bets, and relatively inexpensive as well. I've caught some really nice fish on the FF Shad in cold water for some reason.

Why? Did you buy "insulated"? Gore-tex has nothing to do with "warmth". (aside from wicking the perspiration away from your body and back out through the outer shell of the clothing. It's a 2 way fabric about as thick as tissue paper) No, I did not buy insulated - nor do I use it for "warmth." It is a Gore-Tex shell and I think they're great and all that stuff. I was pointing out the strength of the Frogg Toggs in that it is a lightweight, easy to put on piece that works great in the summer (where, around here, storms just blow in and blow out). Works for me.

Lucky Craft tends to take a lot of flack.....but they have their "stuff" down if you ask me. Extremely well designed lures......even though their finishes are pretty flimsy. I think I'm going to put a coat of Devcon 2 on my new Aurora Black BDS 2 to see if I can't remedy the problem a bit....

Frogg Toggs are incredibly light. They do fray over time and aren't very durable - - but for a super-lightweight rainsuit that you can put on in a second, they're awesome. I have Gore-Tex stuff, too......but most of the time I find myself putting on the Frogg Toggs, and breaking out the Gore-Tex only during the cold weather seasons.

Link

Bobby Garland invented the thing......I still have several packs of the original Hyper-Tale Hulas - and nothing I've used (including GYCB) has compared to them. There's a bunch more out there now I haven't tried, however. Bobby believed action was the primary attribute of a good soft plastic - which is why he didn't impregnate his with salt (which stiffens the baits). I must agree that they are quite lively - he did a good job. Too bad they don't make them anymore... > I bought some of the Canyon-Plastics hulas, and they're fine, but from currently available products, I tend to like GYCB better. The ones I bought seem a bit on the stiff side......but that's just my personal opinion, YMMV, yada yada and so on.

It depends on which model.....I've used most of them, but for the past part, years ago. DD22 - moderate wobble DD14 - wider DLN - moderate Little N - tight Deep Baby N - wide Thin N - wide Crappie Crankbait - wide None of them are as wide as a Wiggle Wart - - There's about a dozen more models that I don't remember.......I like some of them, but there are others I prefer for most situations. My favorite Norman's is actually the Crappie Crankbait. ;D If I'm desperate for fish and all else fails - that's the bait I'm tying on......I've caught so many bass on that little thing in tough conditions - - and Spots will try to rip the rod out of your hands hitting that thing.

The Aruku Shad - excellent vibes! They also stand up on their nose if you drop them to the bottom.

I'm pretty sure I've never bought an expensive crankbait to boost my ego - but it's alright if you want to generalize. JMHO.... Fishing is an art. Luremaking is an art. Reel making is an art. Rodmaking.... Boat building..... etc.etc.etc. Some people would like to elevate one art form over the another, or dismiss one, or devalue any form of the sport that doesn't interest them. So you don't think that expensive crankbait is worth $20? Well, for you, it isn't.......but I know that behind that crankbait is an artisan who has likely spent years developing his skills, thousands of hours testing, and takes his passion for design seriously (visit tackleunderground.com some time). I appreciate the art - - and I don't mind supporting it. It's just another part of fishing that I get a kick out of. You do not NEED to have expensive gear. Here's a news flash - NEED HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. You don't even NEED to fish - - but the sport, and the gear involved (for many) are all just part of the enjoyment of the activity. There's no need to put down somebody because they like high-end equipment, or vice versa. I'm glad there are enough people who are interested in the high-end market to keep it going.......because even though I may not be able to afford, or even want it - I'm glad that artists are given an opportunity to push the level of design and precision forward.

Crank from Bagley that looks a bit like a banana - - apparently they weren't too popular. I have some of the #3 Smoos...medium divers. They have a fairly wide snakey action (that long skinny body kicking back and forth looks pretty cool). I'm not even sure if they make them anymore - - I would assume they were discontinued some time ago.

Absolutely killin'!! BTW.....these cranks are headed my way - I'm one stoked puppy!! 8-) BTW, Marty - - the colors look awesome - perfect shade on the yellow!!

( I believe it's Steve Blazer, Marty.......I thought he was from Tennessee? Who knows.. ) I think a better description of these baits is "derivative" instead of "replica." I have cranks derived from the Bagley B2 design that may look similar to the Bagley, but behave QUITE differently. Most of these cranks are altered / improved upon the original design to either offer something that isn't made anymore (like the Tapp) or a higher quality, better performing version of the crank (like all the Balsa B types). I think I'm going to commission Marty to build me a top quality derivative of a Bagley Smoo (j/k... ) ........although I kinda like Smoos..... :