I love cranking as a search bait...but am now faced with many instances where it is deeper than I can really crank.  In those situations what do you all use as a faster moving search bait?

The only thing I use in water that deep is c-rig or big 10”+ worms. I know, not really a search technique. 

Carolina rig with a 1 ounce sinker is a good search bait in deep water . I like the 3/4 ounce Red Eye Shad too . I tried the 3/4 ounce football jigs but the fish keep getting off . Never had a lot of luck with the heavy spinnerbaits that deep but lots of folks do . The 25.5 Berkely Dredger will hit 20 foot . I caught bass with it as deep as 22 foot .

2 hours ago, Deephaven said:

Favorite deep water search baits - > 20'

 

FF

Sonar 1st Lures 2nd.

3/4 oz Scrounger jig with 6” Sluggo will run any depth.

3/4 Tail spin like Little George works.

3/4 oz underspin with w/4” paddle tail swimmer works, slower retrieve.

Tom

29 minutes ago, WRB said:

3/4 oz underspin with w/4” paddle tail swimmer works, slower retrieve.

Tom

This X2

(I hope I don't get kicked off the forum for this)  

 

If I'm truly searching....... trolling with a berkley dredger or 2.  I've got one with no hooks that I tie a 2nd to with another 15 feet of line.  

Slow-crawled Keitech 

45 minutes ago, Woody B said:

(I hope I don't get kicked off the forum for this)  

 

If I'm truly searching....... trolling with a berkley dredger or 2.  I've got one with no hooks that I tie a 2nd to with another 15 feet of line.  

You can for miles at 20’ with a deep diver!

Tom

Lipless crankbait, spinnerbait, or a chatterbait.  

6 hours ago, WRB said:

3/4 Tail spin like Little George works.

 

 

5” plastic paddle tail swim bait on a 3/4 oz head or a lipless crank bait

I've mentioned this before here; Try Carolina rigging a shallow running crank. A 1.5 squarebill isn't something bass in +20ft. see. I still use deep divers on occasion, but I can't do it for extended periods.  If they're on a deep crank bite, I can switch over to doing this and continue casting.  The big bonus is that the bait stays on the bottom for 90% of the retrieve.

Flutter Spoon ?

18 hours ago, Woody B said:

(I hope I don't get kicked off the forum for this)  

 

If I'm truly searching....... trolling with a berkley dredger or 2.  I've got one with no hooks that I tie a 2nd to with another 15 feet of line.  

Nice! Using a deep diver as a planer is a thing.

Carolina rig 

1/2oz Keitech football

1/2-3/4oz underspin and a swimbait 

22 hours ago, Woody B said:

(I hope I don't get kicked off the forum for this)  

 

If I'm truly searching....... trolling with a berkley dredger or 2.  I've got one with no hooks that I tie a 2nd to with another 15 feet of line.  

     If legal to fish with two baits Keep the hooks on the front deep diving crank bait.  Attach it to the main line with a sliding dropper, or three way swivel, make the dropper line 4 to 6 inches.  Attach a floating Rapala to a four foot leader and troll.  I have had good luck with a Rapala but you can substitute the Rapala with many different baits, only limited by your imagination.  Many times you will double with fish on both baits.  A heavy sinker as the dropper works well too.  If they kick you off than I guess I'm gone too