Have you ever wondered why catching a bass on a crankbait is so satisfying? Of course there are no wrong answers, but for me, I think it's because the process starts way before you even get to the pond. I tend to spend weeks--sometimes even months finding that right crankbait by reading reviews and finding underwater footage to see it's action so I can be fairly sure that it will work at my locals ponds and matches the style of fishing that I do. While I go through different phases of the types of crankbaits that I prefer throwing, I have extreme confidence in these five from Lucky Craft. It's my starting line up when I go pond fishing. You can find a great selection of Lucky Craft baits at I Love Hard Bait.
When I get to a pond, the first crankbait I often throw is a Lucky Craft Fat CB B.D.S. in size zero. It runs shallow and has a classic wide wobble. I can burn it along the bank or reel it real slow and wake it on the surface. I don't know what it is about the B.D.S. but it has the ability to catch big fish for such a small lure, so I tend to throw this first.
Size: 0
Length: 1-3/4" (44mm)
Weight: 1/4oz (6.6g)
Depth: 1 - 2ft
Type: Floating/Silent
The second crankbait that I throw is the trusty Lucky Craft RTO Squarebill. Throwing this is crankbait fishing in the purest form. In my opinion, it's a must to master squarebill fishing because it helps you understand the power of reaction strikes. Feeling the tap, tap against the rocks and then feeling something mushy as your rod loads--no better sensation than that when fishing!
Size: 0.7
Length: 2” (45mm)
Weight: 1/4oz (8.0g)
Max Diving Depth: 2 - 3ft
Type: Floating/Silent
In the number three spot is the Lucky Craft Clutch MR. The very smooth swimming action of the Clutch MR allows you to approach areas where you know there are fish without spooking them. Whenever I see a fish swim away from the lure that I have tied on, this is the crankbait that I switch to.
Length: 1-5/8" (42mm)
Weight: 6.0g (3/16oz)
Max Diving Depth: 4 - 6ft
Type: Floating/Subtle single rattle
Note: The lure color in the video and pics is a modification I made with Sharpie markers. :)
Next up is the Lucky Craft CB Mighty D2R. A deep diver for shallow ponds?!?! Sometimes I need a bait that goes down vertically--especially around patches of grass. Whenever I see grass around the banks, I find an open pocket to cast to and then crank this bait down quickly like a bluegill trying to escape to provoke reaction strikes.
Length: 1-3/4" (44mm)
Weight: 1/4oz (6.9g)
Depth: 5 - 6ft
Type: Floating/Weight transfer with rattles
Note: The lure color in the video and is a modification I made with nail polish and markers. :)
Last but definitely not the least is the Lucky Craft SKT Mini DR. This is my "team captain" that I rely on when I'm in a pinch. This is probably the best crankbait that I have ever thrown. In my opinion, this crankbait is perfection. The tight wobble makes it effective year around and it mimics a fleeing bait perfectly--it actually moves and feels like a balsa. The reason I prefer the DR model is that it gives me more versatility when covering water. Many ponds have a break or a small ledge around four to five feet of water where the bigger fish tend to hang out and you can thoroughly fish those areas with this crankbait.
Length: 2" (50mm)
Weight: 3/8oz (9.8g)
Depth: 5 - 6 ft
Type: Floating/Silent