Mikes's Best Crankbaits for Spring Bass
I was recently watching a video of Mike talking about his personal choice of early spring or pre- spawn Bass lure that has caught him the biggest bass in his career, and what he chose actually surprised me!
Honestly I thought he was going to pick a ChatterBait, a jig, a jerkbait, or even a lipless crankbait… nope! It wasn’t any of those!
It’s a crankbait!
Pre-spawn bass are synonymous with moving toward the spawning grounds, but here’s where this comes in… the key factor is also synonymous with stopping and staging.
And some of the days, the crankbait has given him some of the best fishing days of his life!
He’s talking, when he casts this lure out, he’s getting bit on nearly every cast! He’s getting 20, 30, up to 40 fish days off of one spot! Crazy, right?
As the water warms in the early spring pre-spawn-time the bass get a little more fired up and their metabolism and their primal drive to eat is getting stronger and faster!
And if there’s a breeze… watch out this lure absolutely blasts them!
Crankbaits have been popular lures for generations.
Heck, anglers even nicknames the crankbait, “training wheels” because they’re so easy to use!
Some of the best wins and biggest fish caught are from fishing crankbait… yet no one ever talks about it. Why?
Because crankbaits aren’t sexy like some of the newer, higher priced lures the big bass companies want you to buy.
But Mike is the real deal.
We’re here to help you by uncovering the secret that the big lure brands don’t want you to know… and… to tell you about the baits you can smash prespawn bass with
Are you ready? Great! Let’s dive in…
Breaking prespawn crankbait into 2 categories
- Shallow and flat – Designed to be worked in 4-5 feet, these shallow lures are specifically designed to swim above any structure the bass may be hiding around. Under the right conditions, the bass will think it’s an injured or dying shad and will strike it from above. These baits are approximately 3-4 inches in length and come with a short bill.
Deep Diving – Designed to an injured or dying small baitfish, these lures are specifically made to be used in deep water down to 16 feet! Great for clear bodies of water or in cold weather conditions.
While fishing with a crankbait may be the answer to your needs, sometimes you’ll need to switch to other lures. With this in mind, my team and I published a quick-read review of 5 Best Bass Lures Every Angler Must Own, or you can opt to read the complete report, Bass Fishing Lures: A Complete Guide. Over the past several years my team and I also tested and reviewed a variety of products, including best bass fishing rod, best bass fishing line, best tackle bag and even best fish finder for bank fishermen!
For more information, see the comparison table and buying advice below.
Key Takeaways...
A crankbait is one of the best prespawn lures that any serious bass angler must have ready to fish at a moment’s notice.
But… just because its a crankbait doesn’t mean it’s great for prespawn bass fishing— a good prespawn crankbait has to have a tight wobble, crisp erratic movements, and a good hunting action…
And lastly, the lure components have to be top quality to avoid rusting.
After learning what Mike has taught me, I’ve come to the conclusion, you would be wasting your time if the lure you’re fishing it doesn’t have these features. Right?
Best of all, crankbaits are really easy to learn and fish.
Stop! Did you notice something? I didn’t say good crankbaits have to be expensive. There are some really quality crankbaits that won’t cost you an arm and a leg!
So listen… if you don’t have much time to read the details we totally understand. Simply use the links below to quickly find the best prespawn crankbait for your fishing needs. You can be assured Mike has chosen the best products for you…
Mikes first choice – Rapala DT Series Crankbait
Mikes second choice – Rapala Shad Rap
Editor’s Choice – Spro Little John MD
But be warned! Go through this blueprint slowly and carefully so you don’t miss any suggestions that could cost you.
#ad / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
1. Rapala DT Series Crankbait
WINNER! Ikes first choice!
But, why is the Rapala DT Series Crankbait Ikes First Choice?
The Rapala DT series has a unique motion mostly because of the way that Rapala designed the body of this little lure. The DT means the lure “Dives To” that number after the DT. So a DT10 will dive to 10 feet, a DT16 will dive to 16 feet.
The tight wobble action you get is because of the angle of the reinforced bait lip. The angle quickly drives the bait down with just a few quick turns of the reel handle. However the body is made from ultra-buoyant balsa wood and it naturally wants to float up…
What you get is a wobbling action that is in its own class.
Late spring, summer, and all the way into the fall is where this lure performs the best. If you see the bass breaking on shad over a point or a rocky bank you should be throwing this lure.
Another time you want to consider throwing the DT10 or is during the pre-spawn or post-spawn. If you look at the general shape of the lure, you’ll notice it’s pretty tall. This mimics a small bluegill or a gizzard shad perfectly.
Other anglers swear this lure is great for suspended bass. They will see the bass are suspended in 12-15 feet of water and will throw a shad colored DT10. Again, since the bait is a little taller than most other crankbaits, it looks like a small gizzard shad swimming by.
Summary
I strongly recommend you invest in at last a couple of DT crankbaits. To go even further, I recommend Green Gizzard Shad in clear water, Chartreuse Rootbeer Crawdad in stained water conditions, and finally Delta around brush and rocks.
Check out these reviews from an actual customers:
“THE BEST CRANK BAIT – THE OTHER DAY I PURCHASED THE DT10 AND THE DT16 IN BLUEGILL COLORS, I HIT THE WATER FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH THEM YESTERDAY, THE WATER WAS A CHILLY 51 F AND THE WIND WAS REALLY BLOWING, I WASN’T HAVING ANY LUCK WITH MY JIG SO I MOVED OF A POINT AND STARTED THROWING THE DT10 ACROSS IT, I HOOKED SIX LARGEMOUTH THAT RANGED FROM 2LBS TO 41/2LBS IN ABOUT 20 MIN. I WAS SHOCKED, I NEVER HAVE HAD MUCH LUCK WITH A CRANK BAIT. THIS BAIT IS AWESOME, I RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE, I JUST ORDERED THE DT06 AND THE DT04 IN BLUEGILL.” — FIGNEWT via BassPro.com
“The Rapala DT series deep-diving lures – Everything you’d want in a deep-diver … and equally effective in shallower depths (with your rod tip up and a slower retrieve). Excellent for schooling fish, because you can hit them at all angles, from above or below … or down deep.” — JimH Maryland via BassPro.com
“The best spring crankbait ever! man, i have been killin it with this dt6 for a number of years now.it does the job on early spawn bass.theyve tried to tear the finish off these baits.” — Bassmanbrad via BassPro.com
The Rapala DT flat out catches you fish!
Tech Specs:
- Length - 2, 2-¼, 2-¾"
- Weight - 5/16, 3/8, 3/5, 3/4 ounce
- Diving Depth - 4, 6, 8, 10 feet
- Bill Shape- Round
- Class- Floating
- Hook size - varies
- Recommended line size - 8-14 - pound fluorocarbon
2. Rapala Shad Rap
Ikes Second Choice!
The Shad Rap has to be one of the best known hard baits ever created. It has a real-to-life shad shape that is found in most lakes. The signature swimming action is proven to catch giant fish.
Most anglers will tell you one of the best times to fish a Shad Rap is when the water is cold, meaning in the early spring, late fall, or wintertime.
Additionally, you’ll hear about anglers fishing a 08 Shad Rap when the bass will hold on secondary points in the fall or early spring.
But here’s a couple of secrets most professional anglers won’t tell you…
First, the Shad Rap is great when the lake you’re fishing is extremely pressured. Since this bait is not as sexy as all the newest, latest and greatest, most popular Japanese baits… most other weekend warrior anglers don’t really throw this bait a whole lot.
But the most savvy pros know that this lure is a ringer-bait and can catch you a boat load of fish.
Second, as you may know the Shad Rap is phenomenal in water that is slightly-to-moderately stained. But… Did you know the Shad Rap is outstanding in gin clear water conditions too?
You may be asking yourself, how can that be? The bait is not see through at all, I thought you need a bait that is see through when you fish clear water lakes?
NOPE! The Shad Rap will catch fish on clear water lakes, especially when it’s windy or overcast, or both.
Check out these reviews from an actual customers
“Live River Shad – this is the very best color Rapala or anybody else makes in a crank bait! This bait at this size catches everything in the river, from Panfish, Bass, catfish.”– varn, via Bass Pro Shops
“Shad Raps are Awesome! These things catch every species of fish you are going after.” – Anonymous, via Bass Pro Shops
“Large Shad Rap lures are a good purchase – This was a very effective lure for Bass and pike during my recent trip to central Ontario. The large 3 and 1/2 inch black/.gray/white lure was especially good. It works well with both casting and trolling.”– Glenn Boondoc, via Bass Pro Shops
Tech Specs:
- Length - 3-⅛”
- Weight - 3/8 ounce
- Diving Depth - 12-15 feet
- Bill Shape- Round
- Class- Floating
- Hook size - size 3
- Recommended line size - 8-14 - pound fluorocarbon
3. Spro Little John MD
Editor's Choice Winner
Why I personally like the Spro Little John MD...
The Little John MD is known for being a great shallow diving crankbait. SPRO was one of the first manufacturers to implement a soft tungsten weight transfer system. This helps anglers like you cast your flat sided baits without it helicoptering and having the hooks tangle up in the line.
Another feature with the Little John MD is you’ll quickly see how fast it deflects off cover… Well, the reason is simple. It has a fortified composite lip. The lip is extremely spring’y and the lure practically bounces away from hard cover and to resist getting hung up.
The Little John MD also gets more bites because of the tungsten weight it gives it a slow rise.
The Price
The price is upper tier pricing, but this shouldn’t be a surprise considering the great quality of material you get from this bait.
Summary
Hands down this bait is a great prespawn crankbait option that is also reasonably priced.
Check out these reviews from an actual customers
“No ifs ands or buts – These things are not anatomically correct nor are they politically correct. But and I mean but, they do catch fish. Just look at all they other reviews. Did you know these things are guilty of catching some prodigious and bodacious trout? Bassthird would not kid fellow fisherman or fisher woman. I know it’s important to not be gender exclusive. Man or woman,boy or girl, you should get some and may all your fishing be gender neutral and fun.” — Bassthird, via BassPro.com
“Good crank bait Caught several bass first time out with this crank bait. Also caught a pike and it held up to the teeth and didn’t punch holes through it. Casts good for a smaller lighter bait. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good quality crank bait.” — hhoollee, via BassPro.com
“Awesome Crankbait – Used one of these bad boys in crawfish color fishing off the bank right above a steep drop off. Within 10 minutes of fishing i got bit! I was using a 7 foot medium action rod. Around 10am, weather was clear. Didn’t snag once.” — ebd12694, via BassPro.com
Tech Specs:
- Length - 2”
- Weight - 1/2 ounce
- Diving Depth - 9 feet
- Bill Shape- Round
- Class- Floating
- Hook size - size 5
- Recommended line size - 8-14 - pound fluorocarbon
Amazon Best Sellers: Flatside Crankbaits...
#ad / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Check Out These Amazon New Releases...
#ad / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
George Servinson
My name is George and I'm been fishing my entire life and love all things outdoors. My passion is helping anyone catch more fish. The newest things I've been doing lately is learning how to break down and clean all my reels, teaching my boy how to kayak fish, and bushcraft wilderness survival.
