Hello,

 

Like almost everyone in a colder climate I am sick of winter. Decided to start prepping for the Spring. Last year I really expanded my fishing knowledge and techniques. This year I want to continue that and made it a point this to dive into jerkbaits and cranks a lot more. I am currently well covered on the jerkbait front.

 

Most of my fishing is more shallow water as I throw from a bank 99% of the time. What is your favorite Shallow Water Cranks to throw or ones to throw from the bank that can get deep quick?

 

This is what I have looked into some:

 

Brands? - 6th Sense, Megabass, Lucky Craft, Rapala, etc (very open to others)

Styles? - Shallow Mainly, like 1-3ft, 2-4ft, or 3-6ft

Colors? - Bluegill are big in Delaware where I am fishing, White and Chart Shad like as well

 

Thanks for the advice, also very open to used lures that are for sale. Can't beat something lightly used a little cheaper then brand new haha

 

 

My #1 crankbait is the Norman Fat Boy (Redear pattern)

 

Next suggestion is Bandit 200

 

Another is the DT6  (Demon)

 

One More...Bagely Balsa B2

Mann's Baby 1 Minus.

BPS Egg.

Bandit 100.

Storm Sub-Wart. This one is discontinued, but you can still find some on ebay.

A lot of my baits are in crawfish, shad, or firetiger colors.

I can relate being the Columbia Craw

I highly recommend the Movement 80X. Had one of my best days ever burning and pausing this over grass. I was literally giggling because I wasn’t just catching lots of fish, but they were blasting the lure. 

 

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/6th_Sense_Movement_80X_Crankbait/descpage-6SM80X.html

Lucky Craft BDS3

I’m always experimenting and have lots to try but my current favorites based on affordability, availability, and productivity are:
 

Spro Little John

Lucky Craft 1.5

KVD 1.5 and 1.5 wake

Rapala Brat

 

I keep colors simple. Chart/yellow, flat white, shiny silver, and red

 

Out of those the Spro comes with nice Gamagatsu round bends but the rest are trash. I had a 2 pounder bend out a stock LC hook

 

 

   Cranks are not the biggest portion of my time on the water, but because I'm a shorecaster, the shallow ones are the ones that I use most.

   First are the Bomber 13a and 15a. Although I use them as jerkbaits, I also use them as shallow runners with a steady retrieve. They're the best thing I've found when I wade out to the edge of cattail lines.

   Second is the Norman Fat Boy  (or Fat "N"), especially in Nutter Shad. I have no idea what the bass think that thing is, but they eat it like candy on riprap.

   Ima also has a little 3/8 shallow runner named after Bill Lowen. It shows promise; ask me about August how well I like it.  ?

   I also use the Rapala CRR5, but it's discontinued.

 

   In addition to throwing shallow cranks, I also throw a small, shallow spinnerbait, a slow-retrieve spinner, or - my favorite - a spoon in the same situation. But that's just me.

 

   jj

  

Spro Baby Fat John 50's

River2Sea Biggies,,,,,,,Smalls and Poppa

Lucky Craft 1.5's and 2.5's

 

Pick a shad, something with Chartreuse, a few reds, a few chrome or ghost

I don't fish crankbaits nearly as often as topwaters, plastics, and single-hook moving baits.  But I have a bunch of them and probably make the most use of Strike King and Lucky Craft 1.5 and 2.5 squarebills. I also like the 6th sense Crush 50x.  And I still get quality use out of Bandit 100s and 200s.

Bluegill, sunfish, perch, crappie and various craw patterns dominate my holdings.

 

On 2/17/2021 at 5:40 PM, PotatoLake said:

I highly recommend the Movement 80X. Had one of my best days ever burning and pausing this over grass. I was literally giggling because I wasn’t just catching lots of fish, but they were blasting the lure. 

 

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/6th_Sense_Movement_80X_Crankbait/descpage-6SM80X.html

I was just checking the hooks on my crankbaits and discovered I have one of these I've never thrown!  I believe it is supposed to hunt a little bit...does it?  It reminded me a little of an up-sized cross between a rebel craw and a Mann's 1-minus.

16 minutes ago, MIbassyaker said:

I don't fish crankbaits nearly as often as topwaters, plastics, and single-hook moving baits.  But I have a bunch of them and probably make the most use of Strike King and Lucky Craft 1.5 and 2.5 squarebills. I also like the 6th sense Crush 50x.  And I still get quality use out of Bandit 100s and 200s.

Bluegill, sunfish, perch, crappie and various craw patterns dominate my holdings.

 

I was just checking the hooks on my crankbaits and discovered I have one of these I've never thrown!  I believe it is supposed to hunt a little bit...does it?  It reminded me a little of an up-sized cross between a rebel craw and a Mann's 1-minus.

Yeah, it hunts a lot. Definitely not a cold water lure. I’ve never thrown either the Rebel or Mann’s but from what I’ve read about the Mann’s, I would agree they are similar.

1 hour ago, jimmyjoe said:

I also use the Rapala CRR5, but it's discontinued.

Me and you are lucky that we have some because they are that good .

Bandit 100s are a very solid crank. I also love the bomber square A. Last summer we had a bad drought so my local lake was very low...several times I smashed em on a KVD 1.5 shallow.

22 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Me and you are lucky that we have some because they are that good .

 

   Only have 5 left. May need to hit the 'bay.  ??     jj

I vowed not to buy any new baits in 2021 but I sold a reel so I used those funds to order some of the new Spro Hunter 65 Squarebills and they look really good. Only time on the water will tell though.

 

I currently like the Spro fat john, Lucky Craft 1.5, Strike King 1.5 ans Booyah XCS 1.5

Berkley Frittside 5, mostly the special red craw

KVD 1.5 river bream, green gizzard shad, chartreuse black back

Black Canoe Lures balsa river shad

Bandit 100 firetiger, mistake

Berkley Flicker Shad shallow racy shad, slick smelt, HD emerald shiner

Spro rock crawler 55 is a solid producer for me. 

A-Jay

 

IMA Bill Lowen Squarebill Crank

 

Killer shallow water crank. Runs at about 2 ft. Pick a color for your waters. My fav.

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Ima_Bill_Lowen_Squarebill_Crankbait/descpage-IBLSB.html#customer_reviews

For shallow fishing during spring I'm still using old balsa Rapala fat Rap, they are silent and wide wobble action and still produce good bass, colour blue chrome, black back and silver belly, firetiger.

Tight action : 

MB  Super Z1 in GG Gill, Spawn killer, Mat tiger.

MB SR X Griffon in Fire Craw, kasumi tiger (this particular tiny bait runs super shallow, when there is a lot of fishing pressure it's a must to throw for me)

MB Flap slap, "hybrid" crank, you can twitch it as a jerk,  same colours above plus ghost chart shad  and see through Mat tiger.

 

@A-Jay I though I was super meticulous and obsessed by my tackle and how to store them but you win!  

Nothing beats absolutely burning a 1/4 oz trap along the shoreline about 1-2 ft from the bank.

16 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

Storm Sub-Wart. This one is discontinued, but you can still find some on ebay

 

This is me too.  I've got about 6 of them and always on the look out for another one at a reasonable price.  Some of the frog colored ones are like 45 bucks on ebay which is too rich for my blood.  Something about that lure just makes it more effective than others.  The side to side wobble it has is incredible.

 

The lazer eye BPS super shallow crank is the closest lure on the market I've found to it.  And its only 5 bucks and offered in a variety of colors so its worth at least trying.

Man this is going to be an expensive thread I started... I'll report back in a month or so with what I end up with. already looking at a new Plano Edge Box to store them.

 

Honestly appreciate all of the information and great choices. Most likely will get a few different brands, styles to try them out and add to my arsenal  

 

I think I need a bigger backpack lol

My only comment.

Not mentioned yet, but Bandit's Flat Maxx in perch is one of my favorites. Plus, they make a deeper version too.

Cotton Cordell Big O