I have a theory that seems to hold up for me.  Wondering about your experience.

I find that wide wobbling crankbaits work better when the primary forage is crawdads and/or brim.

I find that the tighter wobblers work better when the forage is primarily shad.

Whaddya tink?

I generally find that tight is most consistent for my waters for shad-based stuff.  

Sometimes I base my choice on how fast I need to fish.....If I'm going to burn a bait, a tight bait is going to perform much better.   Crawling - - a wide kicking bait will maintain it's action at the slowest speeds.      

The Wiggle Wart is a solid producer anytime - - and usually a crawfish imitator - so I would agree with you there.

good observation.

ill have to look into that myself.

but i think your right.

Caught 3 of 7+ lbs this year on wide wobble crankbaits in shad color in over populated bream lake. There are shad here and there but, they wouldn't take a tight wobblers. Odd. You might be onto something.

wide in warmer conditions, tight in cooler conditions was what i was told awhile back. i follow those and usually i just know what to use.

i think if i want to burn a bait back, i would pick a tight lure.

i'm not really sure tho, i mostly have wide wobble lures.

maybe i should do a google search and see whatt i could find.

In my experience; wide wobbling baits are ideal when the fish are more active.  Today was a great example.   Heavy pressure form 4pm to 6pm.  The only thing active were the jet skis and other anglers, which were numerous.  I managed 2 keepers and missed 2 more behind someone working the same stretch of bank/docks on a Flat Mini DR (this bait has a nice tight action).  Then about 7pm with the sun starting to fade away;  the surface started coming around with some activity.  A quick change-up to a BDS 2 yielded two more keepers before I loaded up.  Could I have caught a few on a trap?  Probably. Don't traps have a tight wiggle?  Yes.  Don't ask...it gets very complicated from here  

Its a cold versus warm conditions on our lakes in Texas.  

Winter is when the water columns are dense.   Doesn't allow for mixing of particles as easily.   Thus in winter, the water is usually the cleariest of any season.

In winter, bass have the opportunity to feed more by sight.

I use wide wobbling cranks when the fish are active or if the water is murky. A wide wobbling crank displaces a lot of water which makes it easier for the fish to find in low visibility conditions. I typically use tight wobbling cranks when the fish are inactive or when the water is clear.

fishing my two small lakes in my home town they are about 1,800

acres each have fished them for about30 years  so i have a pretty good idea where fish stay  one day got to a spot and use a big o  and catch fish next time no fish change to a bandit 100 wide wobble catch fish.  man you tell me i got no clue!!!!!

Not sure if wide=craws and bg's, and narrow = shad,(we have no shad) but i use them both. This is how pick my choice. Tight: water temps under 60 (spring or fall), no clouds, flat water, or when burning. Wide: water temps over 60, cloudy, or windy. So, if you are sharp, i guess i don't fish them when the water temps ARE 60.  :-?

here is something interesting i read:

"In cold water, bass respond better to a tight-wobbling crankbait, said FLW Tour pro George Cochran. All fish are conserving energy then, and they use the least amount of energy they can get by with. Baitfish move in short bursts.

When the water heats up in the summertime, fish get sluggish and swim with a lazy wobble. Bass think a wide-wobbling crankbait is a big shad or a big bream. A wide wobble looks natural to them at that time.

here is something interesting i read:

"In cold water, bass respond better to a tight-wobbling crankbait, said FLW Tour pro George Cochran. All fish are conserving energy then, and they use the least amount of energy they can get by with. Baitfish move in short bursts.

When the water heats up in the summertime, fish get sluggish and swim with a lazy wobble. Bass think a wide-wobbling crankbait is a big shad or a big bream. A wide wobble looks natural to them at that time.

I know this is common knowledge among writers, but this is something I've found completely untrue.....at least on my home waters.

It doesn't take many other (often more important) factors into consideration.

The pros themselves have differing opinions on the subject.......Mark Davis once said he likes wide wobbling lures in cold water because you can still get action from them at very slow speeds.  

Add to that - - cold water tournaments in my neck of the woods are likely to be won on a Shad Rap or a Wiggle Wart.....two lures at complete opposite ends of the action spectrum.   Both lures can obviously be productive at the same time.

Amen Stringjam, the bass will tell you what they want, the problem is we don't listen too well.

tight wobble.

Seems like it makes good sense!