BUYER'S GUIDE: Crankbait Fishing (Shallow, Deep, Lipless, Rods, Reels)

Today's Buyers Guide is all about crankbaits! When should you throw a deep diver? Which shallow runners hit what depths? Is one lipless crankbait better than another? Which rod should you throw a crankbait on? From cold water speed cranking baits, to wide wobbling Summer baits, we’re showing you our favorite crankbaits for every season!

Crankbait fishing is a giant category! You can stand in front of the crankbait wall at your local tackle shop and your head will spin as you try to figure out what to try next. Or, you can simply watch this video and let us show you exactly how we’ve narrowed it down over the years. We’re eliminating all the guess work and showing you the best of the best!

Below you'll find links to the exacts baits and gear discussed in the video. We've included our favorite sizes and colors for each, as well as the exact rods we throw them on. All the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

PREVIOUS BUYER'S GUIDES... 

•$100 Rod And Reel Combos: https://youtu.be/n3AQnmNoUPQ

•$200 Rod And Reel Combos: https://youtu.be/YqWwjXJtkdo

•$500 Rod And Reel Combos: https://youtu.be/cAtbntQHpv4

•Ultra High End Rods And Reels: https://youtu.be/-4aUElWcGxw

•BFS (Bait Finesse) Buyer's Guide: https://youtu.be/xaEw2WvkgZA

•Dropshot Buyer's Guide: https://youtu.be/WwrrebYluSI

FAVORITE COMBO FOR MID-SIZE CRANKS...

Rod– G Loomis IMX Pro 906C CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel– Shimano Bantam A MGL (XG): https://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line–Sunline Super FC (12 lb): http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

FAVORITE COMBO FOR LARGE CRANKBAITS...

Rod– G LOOMIS IMX Pro 968C CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel– Shimano Tranx 200 A (HG): http://bit.ly/2Tv0yCy

Line– Sunline Crank FC (15 lb): https://bit.ly/3fohguC

BEST ALL AROUND GLASS CRANKBAIT COMBO...

Rod– Shimano Zodias 7'6" Medium Heavy Glass: https://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel– Shimano Tranx 200 A (HG): http://bit.ly/2Tv0yCy

Line– Sunline Crank FC (15 lb): https://bit.ly/3fohguC

BUDGET ALL AROUND GLASS CRANKBAIT COMBO...

Rod– Shimano Intenza 7'6" Medium Heavy Glass: http://bit.ly/2QADLTq

Reel– Shimano SLX XT (HG): http://bit.ly/2BRTYL8

Line–Sunline Super FC (15 lb): http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

BUDGET SMALLER CRANKBAIT COMBO...

Rod– St. Croix Mojo Glass 7'2" Medium: https://bit.ly/2YIxLy5

Reel– Shimano SLX XT (HG): http://bit.ly/2BRTYL8

Line–Sunline Super FC (12 lb): http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

LIPLESS CRANKBAITS... 

•Lucky Craft LV 500: http://bit.ly/2aAUUbd

Colors: American Shad, Chartreuse Shad, Ghost Minnow

•Jackall TN 70: http://bit.ly/2lqAwjh

Colors: Ghost Minnow, RT Scale Minnow, SG Threadfin

•Cotton Cordell Super Spot: http://bit.ly/2y3K210

Color: Chrome Black, Chrome Blue, Royal Red

SQUAREBILL CRANKBAITS...

•River2Sea Biggie Poppa: http://bit.ly/2ahCzvo

Colors: Abalone Shad, Gizzard Shad, Cold Blooded

•Lucky Craft 1.5: http://bit.ly/2BGxKPa

Colors: American Shad, BP Golden Shiner, Chartreuse Shad

•SPRO Baby Fat John 50: http://bit.ly/2V03giW

Colors: Matte Shad, Honey Shad, Nasty Shad

MID DIVING CRANKBAITS...

•Rapala DT 8: http://bit.ly/2BL0UYl

Colors: Delta, Olive Green Craw, Live River Shad

•Jackall MushBob MR: https://bit.ly/3AYyKcB

Colors: Half Mirror Wakasagi, Kawashima Red Black

•Spro RkCrawler 55: http://bit.ly/2NFPA5t

Colors: Phantom Green, Red Crawfish, Olive Craw

SPEED CRANKING BAITS...

•R2S Tactical DD 75: http://bit.ly/37dclbX

Colors: True Shad, Mirrored Minnow, DD Minnow

•Megabass Deep X 300: http://bit.ly/2sSQHpt

Colors: Sexy Ayu, PM Kisyu Ayu, FireCraw

•Megabass Deep Six: http://bit.ly/2A3clKP

Colors: Ito Wakasagi, MB Gizzard, Tora Zari

MAGNUM DEEP DIVING CRANKBAITS...

•Azuma Z Boss 22: http://bit.ly/2poLKUC

Colors: Grand Shad, Gold Digger, Goldie Lox

•Strike King 10 XD: http://bit.ly/2gHT4F0

Colors: Green Gizzard Shad, Sexy Blue Back Herring

WANT TACTICALBASSIN GEAR??

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz

Best Crankbaits For Fall Bass Fishing!

Its time to dust off your crankbaits! Fall is prime time for crankbait fishing and today we're showing you our favorites! From deep to shallow, lipless to wide wobbling, these are our confidence baits for crankbait fishing in the Fall!

Crankbaits should be a staple in every angler's Fall arsenal. No matter what lake you call home, Bass are aggressively feeding this time of year and there is a crankbait that can trigger them into biting. We have multiple videos covering the different cranking techniques in Fall, today we want to help you build confidence in the baits you're using. Tim has separated Fall crankbaits into 4 categories and gives you his top choices from each category. These are baits we rely on day in and day out to consistently catch fish. 

Below you'll find links to the exact baits and equipment discussed in the video. All the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

DEEP DIVING CRANKBAITS...

•Rapala DT 16 or 20: http://bit.ly/2BL0UYl

Colors: Rootbeer Crawdad, Shad, Live River Shad

•R2S Tactical DD 75: http://bit.ly/37dclbX

Colors: Mirrored Minnow, True Shad, Glass Minnow

•Megabass Deep Six: http://bit.ly/2A3clKP

Colors: Ito Wakasagi, MB Gizzard, Tora Zari

MID CRANKS...

•Megabass Super Z Z–2: https://bit.ly/3fsxn9G

Colors: Wild Craw, Mat Craw 2, Kasumi Ito

•Megabass Super Z–3: https://bit.ly/3HDg7wc

Colors: Kasumi Ayu, GP Skeleton Craw

•Spro RkCrawler 55: http://bit.ly/2NFPA5t

Colors: Phantom Green, Phantom Watermelon

SHALLOW SQUAREBILLS...

•River2Sea Biggie Poppa: http://bit.ly/2ahCzvo

Colors: Abalone Shad, Gizzard Shad, TS Minnow

•Spro Little John 50: http://bit.ly/2dDfuqt

Colors: Chrome Olive, Copper Shad, Matte Shad

•Spro Baby Fat John 50: http://bit.ly/2V03giW

Colors: Citrus Nasty, Matte Shad, Honey Shad

•Lucky Craft BDS 1: http://bit.ly/2blTVwI

Colors: Golden Shiner, Ghost Minnow, Chartreuse Shad

LIPLESS CRANKBAITS...

•Lucky Craft LV 500: http://bit.ly/2aAUUbd

Colors: American Shad, Ghost Minnow, Chartreuse Shad

•Jackall TN 70: http://bit.ly/2lqAwjh

Colors: Ghost Minnow, SG Threadfin

•Jackall TN 50: http://bit.ly/2lqAwjh

Colors: Ghost Minnow, RT Scale Minnow

BLADE BAITS...

•Damiki Vault: http://bit.ly/2rnO7e2

Size: 1/2 oz, 3/4 oz

Colors: Black Holo, Real Shad

•Megabass Dyna Response: http://bit.ly/2R7FlvL

Size: 1/2 oz

Colors: Ito Hiuo, Jukucho Shad

HOOK UPGRADES...

Round Bend– Owner ST-36: http://bit.ly/2cWpeyw

Tipped In Point– Gamakatsu EWG: http://bit.ly/2DCOlmV

Bladed– VMC Bladed Treble: http://bit.ly/2oqWODi

Split Rings– Owner Hyperwire: http://bit.ly/2v8ArBX

Sizes: 2, 3

FAVORITE CRANKBAIT COMBO...

Rod– G Loomis IMX Pro 906 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel– Shimano Bantam MGL A (HG): https://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line– Sunline Crank FC (12 lb): https://bit.ly/3fohguC

SQUAREBILL COMBO...

Rod– St. Croix Legend Tournament 7'2" Med Mod Glass: https://bit.ly/3Iow9KV

Reel– Shimano Bantam MGL A (HG): https://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line– Sunline Crank FC (12 lb): https://bit.ly/3fohguC

LIPLESS CRANKBAIT COMBO... 

Rod– G Loomis IMX Pro 845 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel– Shimano Curado 70 MGL (HG): https://bit.ly/2apmDJt

Line– Power Pro Maxcuatro (30 lb): http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader– Sunline Saltimate System Shock (16 lb): https://bit.ly/3oT1oq2

BUDGET CRANKBAIT COMBO...

Rod– Shimano Intenza 7'6" MH Glass: http://bit.ly/2QADLTq

Reel- Shimano SLX 150 (HG): http://bit.ly/2NfdOnk

Line- Sunline Super FC (12 lb): http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

WANT TACTICALBASSIN GEAR??

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz

Crankbait Tricks For Late Summer!

The crankbait is becoming a major factor again as we begin the early Fall transition! The arrival of the first cool nights in Late Summer tells us that bass are on the move again and fast moving baits will be key. Crankbaits cover our boat decks during this time of year and you should be using them too!

While crankbaits work all Summer, they are at their peak in Late Summer as water temperatures begin dropping. We focus our efforts on Shallow square bills and medium deep divers during this period so we can cover water quickly and draw aggressive reaction strikes. The right bait for the job is dictated by the depth of water you're fishing and how aggressively the fish are reacting. For deeper baits, focus your attention on deep transitions near the edges of grass flats, channel bends, and humps. For shallow fish, focus on lanes in the grass and the first hard cover near grass flats. 

Below you'll find links to our favorite baits for this style of fishing. We've included our favorite colors for each, as well as the exact gear we use to fish the baits with ease and keep big fish hooked when they bite. All the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos an descriptions of each item. 

DEEPER CRANKS...

-Strike King 6XD: http://bit.ly/2ery44M

Color: Sexy Blue Back Herring, Sexy Shad

-Rapala DT 20 or 16: http://bit.ly/2BL0UYl

Color: Green Gizzard, Live River Shad, Helsinki Shad

-River2Sea Tactical DD 75: http://bit.ly/37dclbX

Color: DD Minnow, Summer Minnow, True Shad

-Norman DD22: http://bit.ly/2LKB37w

Color: TW Ghost Lavender Shad, Lavender Shad 

SHALLOW CRANKBAITS (RATTLING)... 

-River2Sea Biggie Poppa: http://bit.ly/2ahCzvo

Colors: Abalone Shad, Gizzard Shad, Cold Blooded

-13 Fishing Jabber Jaw: https://bit.ly/3z7hVdH

Colors: Black Back Shad, Daimond Craw, Lucky Charm

-Luhr Jensen Speed Trap: https://bit.ly/3ccfJbV

Colors: Crystal Crawdad, Gun Metal Shad

SHALLOW CRANKBAITS (SILENT)...

-Lucky Craft 1.5: http://bit.ly/2BGxKPa

Colors: American Shad, BP Golden Shiner, TO Craw

-SPRO Fat John 50: http://bit.ly/2V03giW

Colors: Mat Shad, Honey Shad, Nasty Shad

DEEP DIVING CRANKBAIT COMBO... 

Rod- St. Croix Legend Tournament 7'4" MH Mod: https://bit.ly/3Iow9KV

Reel- Shimano Bantam MGL A (XG): http://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line- Sunline Crank FC (14 lb): https://bit.ly/3fohguC

SQUAREBILL COMBO... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 845 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Bantam MGL A (HG): http://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line- Sunline Crank FC (12 lb): https://bit.ly/3fohguC

BUDGET All-AROUND CRANKBAIT COMBO...

Rod- Shimano Intenza 7'6" Glass: http://bit.ly/2QADLTq

Reel- Shimano SLX 150 XT (HG): http://bit.ly/2BRTYL8

Line- Sunline FC (14 lb): http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

BUDGET SQUAREBILL COMBO... 

Rod- St. Croix Mojo Glass 7'2" Medium: https://bit.ly/2YIxLy5

Reel- Shimano SLX 150 (HG): http://bit.ly/2NfdOnk

Line- Sunline FC (12 lb): http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

WANT TACTICALBASSIN GEAR??

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz

NEW TacticalBassin Lures!! Wakebait, Swimbait, and Crankbaits! Full Review!!

River2Sea Tactical Wake 210 Wake bait! Bacca Burrito Swimbait "Tactical Shad"! Plus 6 new colors in the Tactical DD Crankbait! The new baits are here!! We've poured our creativity and knowledge into each of these projects and are so thrilled they've finally arrived! Here's what you need to know!

Our new Wakebait, the R2S Tactical Wake 210, is years in the making. We were on a mission to build a bait that was multi-faceted and that's exactly what we've done! We wanted a lipped, single jointed, soft tailed bait that could be slow crawled, chopped and walked, or steady retrieved with a large "V" wake. This bait excels at all of these retrieves! In the later half of the video we go in-depth on retrieves and actions with the wake bait to help you fish it to its full potential.

The Tactical DD 75 Crankbait is a phenomenal bait for targeting big bass and was specifically designed for cold water cranking. However, we've been surprised by its effectiveness in the warm water months so we're introducing 6 new fish catching colors to help round out the line and add to the bait's effectiveness throughout the year. 

The Bacca Burrito by Bull Shad Swimbaits is a proven fish catcher. When the opportunity arose to help Mike fill a void in his color selection, we jumped in! We both knew instantly what color we wanted added to the line. "Tactical Shad" is reminiscent of both Electric Shad and Tennessee Shad. This color is a staple in our line up and has been catching big bass from the very first color sample!

WAKEBAIT... 

-River2Sea Tactical 210 Wake: https://bit.ly/3aV6peA

CRANKBAITS... 

-R2S Tactical DD 75 Crankbait: http://bit.ly/37dclbX

SWIMBAIT... 

-Bacca Burrito 5" and 6": https://bit.ly/3p5SkiW

FAVORITE WAKE COLORS BY REGION...

North: Chrome Gill

South: Tactical Shad

East: Copper Carp

West: Rainbow Trout

WAKEBAIT COMBO... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 966: https://bit.ly/3ktZFnF

Reel- Shimano Tranx 300: http://bit.ly/2kYsvRw

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 80 lb: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Maxima Ultragreen 30 lb: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

BURRITO SWIMBAIT COMBO... 

Rod- Shimano Expride B 7'7" Heavy: https://bit.ly/32IrXqE

Reel- Shimano Metanium MGL (HG): https://bit.ly/2ezIBfB

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 65 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Sunline FC100 20 lb: http://bit.ly/2O4UElB

BUDGET CRANKBAIT COMBO... 

Rod- St. Croix Mojo Bass Glass 7'4" MH: https://bit.ly/2YIxLy5

Reel- Shimano SLX 150 XT (HG): http://bit.ly/2BRTYL8

Line- 12 lb Sunline Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

BUDGET WAKEBAIT COMBO... 

Rod- Savage Gear Squad 8' Heavy: https://bit.ly/3tT8bS2

Reel- 13 Fishing Concept A3: https://bit.ly/3GLddq8

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 65 lb: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

WANT TACTICALBASSIN GEAR??

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz