Hey guys I am fairly new to bass fishing. For the last two years I have basically only fished soft plastics and jigs. I want to learn to fish crank baits and spinner baits. Can you recommend a good all around crank bait set up and good all around spinner bait set up. Also could you recommend a few crank baits and spinner baits to start with? Thanks!

Crank setup:

 

7' M or MH rod with a moderate action

Baitcaster with a 5:1 or 6:1 ratio

12 pound FC or co-poly line

 

Spinner bait setup:

 

6'10"-7' MH rod wtih a fast action (some guys may prefer a moderate action)

Baitcaster with a 6:1 or 7:1 ratio

14 pound line (mono, FC, co-poly)

 

Good cranks to start with:

Shad Rap

DT's

KVD 1.5

Mann's 1-

Rat-L-Trap

 

Spinnerbaits:

Take your pick. I like Terminators because they don't get bent out of shape.

+1 for the KVD 1.5 and Shad Raps

I like the KVD 1.5 a little better

Megastrike spinnerbaits are the best I have ever used

Another vote for the K.V.D. 1.5. Great bait. Also check out the Rapala DT and Scatter Rap series. 

Is the KVD 1.5 a silent crank bait or is there a model with ball bearings inside?

I know the Trokar KVD do have the rattles.

I use the whole KVD squarebill lineup. 2.5's, 1.5's and 1.0's. A lot of people don't seem to like the 1.0's, but I've had success on them. I'm also a big fan of most Rapala lures, including the ones that have already been mentioned here. I'm kind of clueless on the spinner baits. I'm still trying to figure those out myself.

As far as rods go , a 6.5 foot medium action rod will work well for medium sized cranks and spinners. I would get medium sized lures . Bomber  and Norman crankbaits are excellent and inexpensive . Spinnerbaits ,  I'd go for whatever is inexpensive with ball bearing swivels. 

I agree with the 6.5 M power. 1/4 to 3/8 oz chartreuse and white spinnerbaits. I like the KVD 1.5

For baits I would like to through out the Bandit 100. It is an excellent on the river and on the lake. For square bills I would say it has a more subtle action than than something like the Xcalibur square bills which are also great baits (200 size is my favorite) and can be found cheap right now.

 

For deep water, Rapala DT's and norman dd22 and deep little n's

 

Spinnerbaits, I have had a lot of luck with the Strike King bleeding bait series. They are cheap and I can get 50 to 100 fish on a bait, so pretty durable too.

i like war eagle spinnerbaits. high quality components and lots of blade options and colors.

Check out Johnson Beetle spins in 1/2oz at FishUSA. You can use them as they are or put a tube or swim bait on them. I catch a lot of bass with them. I also like 3/8-1/2 oz Terminators and anything Strike King.

 

Cranks, I like Rapala , Norman, Xcaliber, Bill Lewis, Bomber, KVD, Live Target and on and on. So many good ones these days.. Don't forget to get some jerk baits.

I am also a fan of Terminators. In terms of setups I use this:

 

Cranks

4.9 Gear Ratio Daiwa (Any 5.X Ratio Will Work)

6'6" Medium Lightning Rod (Any 6'6"-7' Medium will do fine, but I recommend a 6'6" if you are fishing from the bank)

12# Trilene XL Mono

 

Spinnerbaits

6.4 Ratio Lew's (Any 6.X Reel will work)

6'6" Medium Heavy Lightning Rod (Any 6'6"-7' Medium Heavy will work) 

12# Trilene XL Mono 

X2 for the war eagle. The Mike McClelland finesse spinnerbait is my favorite spinnerbait by far. The package says "get 5 quick!" and that's no exaggeration. I do like terminators as well.

What kind of trailers do you use on spinner baits or do you use trailers at all? Also when I fish soft plastics I like to fish a lot of dark greens, blues and blacks. I have had success on those colors and I have shied away from anything with bright blue, white, orange, and chartreuse colors. It seems to me that a lot of crank baits and the majority of spinner baits are those brighter colors. I have told myself that those colors don't work well in the lakes I fish here in central Florida. Is that true? OR do I just need to start trying some more brightly colored baits?