Crankbait advice

[BassinID]

I just got paid and am looking to order a few cranks and was wondering if anyone has used bomber cranks, specifically the new Tim Horton series. I am also looking at the new BPS Xps Pro series cranks, I am really liking the shape and now I just need to decide if I should branch out or just stick with my rapala DTs or LC Rick Clunn (when I can afford them)?

[BigBassin144]

I would definately branch out. I can't say about the BPS ones, but other BPS hardbaits I've used (especially some jerkbaits) and not that good. Bomber makes good cranks, but with the new switchback shads, make sure you take them out of the package and test the adjustable rattles before you buy them.


BB

[basstech]

I'm an avid crankbaiter, and agree with bigbassin about the quality of BPS hard baits. You can't go wrong with the bomber "A" series of cranks, you might also try the exaliber fat free series, Normans, Bagleys, and Strike Kings to name a few. They all have there times and places. I also would suggest making sure you buy a lure retriever, it will pay for itself in a couple of weeks you fish a lot.

[fishin spro]

strike kings are pretty decent...if you dont mind goin with lipless cranks, the new red eye shads are pretty good and so are the bill lewis Rat-L-Traps

[thebus71h]

Look into the Bandit crank baits. The best cranks I've found for the money. Never had to tune one, and any depth you want.

[zooker]

Originally Posted by thebus71h

Look into the Bandit crank baits. The best cranks I've found for the money. Never had to tune one, and any depth you want.

he's right i have never had to tune one either..bandits are tough as nails. once ya get on a bandit 100 kick. you'll really wonder why you bought the rc lucky crafts..

another bait that is out of box wicked is a speed trap.i have yet to break one and i have beat some silly..

i like normans pro series only.. i find that the ps normans have a great paint job plus use mustad tripple grips..


zooker

[keithdog]

What Zooker said, excatly.

[BassinID]

Great, I will check out normans, although I have not liked the few I have had, they were pretty old. How deep are the bandit 100 cranks offered?

[S4il]

I like strike kings crank baits, "excailber" fat free shads,.. like someone else mentioned above, and the Mann's baby t 1-.

Since i only shore fish, those 3 suit my needs quite well, i pretty much use, shallow diving models of the 3 i listed above, 99% of the time, but i do have a few DT rapala's that will go under 5ft...and Older model Storm wiggle warts for 10 ft or more., sub warts is another shallow crank bait i like, hard to find, and maybe some bomber Fat "A" but those have given me problems, they like to swim too one side.. but for the most part its the Manns baby t 1-.


As for how deep do the bandits cranks go..(link below)

http://www.banditlures.com/main.asp

[BassinID]

I usually am cranking 10-15 feet from a boat on rocky bottom. I imitate bream and craws mostly.

[keithdog]

Bassin, the Bandit 100 will get you down to around 5 feet, the 200 will dig down to around 7-8 feet, and the 300 will get down around the 10-12 foot mark.

[carolina-rig-01]

i am big on bomber crankbaits. all have run true right out of the package for me and seem to come through rocks really well which is huge for me and the way i fish them. my 2 favorites are the 7a and fat a and i also like some of the bigger fat free shads. the fat a seems to come through rocks a lot better for me than the 7a.

[BigBassin144]

I've found the bomber cranks run fairly true. I've only had a couple need tuning. the only other problem I've had with one was the new ones w/ the adjustable rattle. I couldn't get one to turn on.

I've had a bit more problems with normans. most need tuning to run straight. I like norman for the wide color selection

i've NEVER had a bandit run crooked out of the box. and these crankbaits are tough as nails. They also have a nice color selection.

I don't think I've had to tune any Rapala DT's but I have had to on some other rapala cranks.

BB

[Bender]

Originally Posted by zooker

another bait that is out of box wicked is a speed trap.i have yet to break one and i have beat some silly..

shhhhh, don't tell everybody! Actually they are really hard to find around here, hence I don't have too many.

[islandbass]

I have the exact same one as the one in the bottom right. I think it is great that a Pacific Northwest's product (Luhr Jensen, recently bought by Rapala) is getting some love outside of my neck of the woods. I think the wiggle is awesome. Those and DTs for me. I had a bad experience with two normans out of the box and I was very disappointed.

Would love to try bandits some time soon.

[woody]

Originally Posted by BassinID

. . . I imitate bream and craws mostly.

http://www.bassfishin.com/exposed/koppers-livetarget-crawfish/

BassinID, I have yet to try these, but they do look as if they would be hard to resist, for the bass and the basser.


~Mark

[basstech]

The worst bait that I've come across for having to tune out of box (and have had some that would never get tuned) are Wiggle Warts. Bandits are tougher than strike kings without a doubt. The SK's hit the rocks much and the lip or usually the front of the face will come off. But I do like them that much better than the bandits. I catch way more fish on the equivelant Sk than I do on the bandits. Personally I don't mind having to tune a bait if it needs it. The most important thing is how consistantly they catch fish. Tuning is the least of my worries cause any bait you catch many fish on is eventually going to need to be tuned, or re-tuned as the case may be.

[zooker]

Originally Posted by Bender

shhhhh, don't tell everybody! Actually they are really hard to find around here, hence I don't have too many.

bender
i pack a few the white /orange belly the clear with silver foil, if you ever go to buggs make sure you have the clear "gold" foil..

bklash
can you see bender goin ape wild in bobcats tackle in claksville va?? with 10,000-no joke- speed traps on the wall.. tackle places rarely impress me bobcats sure did.. never seen so many canks in one place inculding bps..

Originally Posted by basstech

The worst bait that I've come across for having to tune out of box (and have had some that would never get tuned) are Wiggle Warts. Bandits are tougher than strike kings without a doubt. The SK's hit the rocks much and the lip or usually the front of the face will come off. But I do like them that much better than the bandits. I catch way more fish on the equivelant Sk than I do on the bandits. Personally I don't mind having to tune a bait if it needs it. The most important thing is how consistantly they catch fish. Tuning is the least of my worries cause any bait you catch many fish on is eventually going to need to be tuned, or re-tuned as the case may be.

yeah but dude i have seen better paint jobs at toys r us then sk uses on there cranks...

never had to tune a wart they are a slow bait fish them slow and they work crank them fast and it throws them sideways..

zooker

[BigBassin144]

My dad likes to use wiggle warts, from what I can tell, they run fine. most of his are older though.

BB

[hookset on 3]

Originally Posted by zooker

he's right i have never had to tune one either..bandits are tough as nails. once ya get on a bandit 100 kick. you'll really wonder why you bought the rc lucky crafts..

another bait that is out of box wicked is a speed trap.i have yet to break one and i have beat some silly..

i like normans pro series only.. i find that the ps normans have a great paint job plus use mustad tripple grips..


zooker

Hello Zook, I've used Bomber and Pro-Edge Norman's most of my life. Are the Bandit's diff in a better way or an equal alternative? Also, convince me why a shouldn't try Lucky Crafts. The LC monkey is in my head real good!!

Hookset

[carolina-rig-01]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

My dad likes to use wiggle warts, from what I can tell, they run fine. most of his are older though.

BB

wiggle warts still have their place around here. they are one of the best cold water crankbaits ever used on table rock.

[zooker]

Originally Posted by carolina-rig-01

wiggle warts still have their place around here. they are one of the best cold water crankbaits ever used on table rock.

the perfect time they shine is in the cold winter.. i know they force me to slow down and going way slow is what it takes to get a bite in cold water..

Originally Posted by hookset on 3

Hello Zook, I've used Bomber and Pro-Edge Norman's most of my life. Are the Bandit's diff in a better way or an equal alternative? Also, convince me why a shouldn't try Lucky Crafts. The LC monkey is in my head real good!!

Hookset

to be honest the bandit 100 works the best i have seen in shallow water.. think about you are putting the bait into the nastiest crap in the whole lake..metal, brush, concrete, rip rap..i have found no bait to take abuse that those bandit 100's will and still keep on catchin fish... yep even better than the rc lucky craft 1.5.. i have bust lips on several of those..not only will i catch just as many bass on them..i have several that i have used for 3+ years..
in my opinion the bandit 100 is the best shallow water crank made period..

now the lucky craft rc 2.5 is compareable to a bomber A, a fat free shad or a #7 shad rap..you know the 5-8 foot crankers..

if your really looking for a compatable norman/lucky craft.. the legendary norman deep lil n or the lc fat cb d-12 i have caught hundreds of fish using these two baits..if your fishing tournys your buddy is hitting them with that norman use the d-12 as clean up..notice i said fat cb d-12.. not the lc rc 3.5-this bait sucks-it is a medium body crank with a huge bill.. this bait has some kind funk to it that makes it prone to catching every limb it finds..

zooker

[hookset on 3]

Zooker, yup Norman's deep li'l N are dynamite! The Bandit 100, looks like I'll be gettin' a few ( great colors ). LC fat cb 12 in the translucent hues, seen on most pros rods, are the most realistic imitation of young forage fish I've seen.
Thanks for the tips,

Hookset

[zooker]

Originally Posted by hookset on 3

Zooker, yup Norman's deep li'l N are dynamite! The Bandit 100, looks like I'll be gettin' a few ( great colors ). LC fat cb 12 in the translucent hues, seen on most pros rods, are the most realistic imitation of young forage fish I've seen.
Thanks for the tips,

Hookset

not sure where you fish.. but both me and jb have been havin great sucess with the tenn shad bandit 100.. it's the brown backed-looks black-yellow sides and a white belly bait...take some advice change the rear hook to the same size "long shank" treble..the short shanked hook enable the fish to throw it quite easy.. i have not lost nearly as many since switching to a long shank treble..

zooker

[JB]

that bandit is without a doubt the best tip I've ever gotten,,thanks zooker!
checks in the mail lol