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Archive - July 2008 deps Realiser Jr Crankbait for BassPosted Jul-12-08 10:17:13 PDT
Model: Realiser Jr
New Lucky Craft Colors - Ghost Chartreuse Shad and Skeet's MagicPosted Jul-10-08 09:16:52 PDT Updated Jun-29-09 06:09:16 PDT New Lucky Craft Colors - Ghost Chartreuse Shad and Skeet's Magic
Bass fishing in Japan may as well be a different universe. Very few North American anglers are aware of what goes on with bass fishing there. Some of the little we know is that Lucky Craft was the first to introduce colors like Chartreuse Shad and Ghost Minnow to the USA at just about the turn of this century. Fast forward to today, and one color, Chartreuse Shad has proven to be Lucky Craft's most popular color in the USA, and Ghost Minnow's tight up there too. In recent years, based on Lucky Craft's demonstrated success, practically every other vendor has added these two kinds of color to their hard bait line-up, and other Japanese vendors with their own long-standing versions of Chartreuse Shad have brought their versions to the North American market too. To say it's become a popular color is an understatement. If you look at the most recent sensation, Sexy Shad, it appears to be an artful spin-off on the original Chartreuse Shad. Ghost Chartreuse Shad. Now Lucky Craft has released a new variation on their own color. It's Ghost Chartreuse Shad. It has a similar color pattern as their original Chartreuse Shad, but with the ghost-like transparency of Ghost Minnow. It's a hands-down winner. It's hard to define what the dorsal or back color is on Chartreuse Shad and now, the new Ghost Chartreuse Shad color. The back is a complex color with tones of blue, purple, brown and smoke gray, possibly a little pink and chartreuse seem to be present in the dorsal color, to my eye. Plus the defining chartreuse lateral line. On the LV-500 in the new Ghost Chartreuse Shad color, there's a translucent milky white blue sheen over the entire body. On the Sammy 100 in the new Ghost Chartreuse Shad color, this milky white blue sheen is not as apparent. Instead there's something much more exciting - a silvery holographic foil-like insert inside that emits reflective glints of blue, green, yellow, pink and more. The belly on both the LV-500 and Sammy 100 is milky white blue.
Skeet's Magic. A new Lucky Craft color, obviously named after Skeet Reese. It's transparent plastic on the sides. If I mention it looks like a 'glass minnow' on the sides, you get the idea. The dorsal color is a thin back of glossy silver paint that reflects white when the color flashes. On the belly, it appears that possibly a white base coat was put down first, beneath the fluorescent chartreuse belly. Reason I say that is when you look at the belly from the top or side, the chartreuse practically disappears. Regardless of whether there's a white base, the chartreuse is not so apparent from above. But from a bottom view, it is glaringly hot chartreuse. The entire bait appears to be liberally finished with a pale green hologram micro-flake topcoat all over everything else.
Lucky Craft Staysee 90 V2 ~ Deep-Diving JerkbaitPosted Jul-06-08 20:16:57 PDT Updated Apr-08-09 13:49:43 PDT Lucky Craft Staysee 90 V2 ~ Deep-Diving JerkbaitModel: Staysee 90 Version 2 Of all Lucky Craft lures I have used, be they crankbaits, lipless, jerkbaits or topwaters, the Staysee 90 has one of the most life-like actions. Where smaller bass abound, in clear water, or with lighter gear, I am basically going to cover the water column with the smaller, lighter range of jerkbaits such as the Pointer 78 to get a few feet deep, the Pointer 78DD to get six feet deep, the Bevy Shad 75 to reach about 8 feet deep, and I will use the the StaySee 90 to dredge even deeper to about ten feet down. Where bigger bass are found, in tangly cover or with heavier tackle, I will go to bigger jerkbaits such as the Pointer 100, 100DD and others in the 100 size range. Here still I will use the Staysee 90 to delve deeper than the others. Whether you use the bigger, heavier jerkbaits (the 100's) or the smaller, lighter ones (like the 78's), the Staysee 90 fits in with either group, and the Staysee dives the deepest of all. When the jerkbait bite is on, I am basically going to use the Staysee to reach deeper than any other jerkbait that Lucky Craft makes. Affixing the next size bigger trebles to the Staysee beefs it up tremendously. With bigger hooks, it is a great, great deep-diving jerkbait. It has not gotten the full recognition it deserves, but that's okay by me.
Lucky Craft LVR D-10 ~ Lipless CrankbaitPosted Jul-06-08 06:13:17 PDT Lucky Craft LVR D-10 ~ Lipless CrankbaitModel: LVR D-10 The LVR D-10 has a bigger profile than most lipless baits. That's the simple reason I use it - to appeal to bigger bass. If you throw the LVR D-10 all day, you will bag a bigger average size of bass than if you threw standard size baits like the LVR D-7 or LV-500 in the same places. It's that simple. That makes it a good 'kicker fish' bait for tournaments, since the bulky D-10 is built to be 'selective' for big bass. There are two schools of thought on this. First is to go for broke, fishing with the big D-10 right out of the starting gate. The second strategy is to fill out a limit of small fish with a standard size lipless, such as the D-7 or LV-500. Once you've gotten to the stage where all you're doing is culling clones without really upgrading your weight, then switch to the bigger profile D-10 to go for that necessary kicker. Whatever strategy you use, a bigger lipless like the D-10 does bag bigger bass than average. Lucky Craft Crankbait Color ConsiderationsLucky Craft is legendary for it's artful, natural baitfish colors. You won't see a lot of red throat splashes, red eyes or other gaudy lipstick. They're not known for their bright chartreuse-based, fire tiger or other bold color patterns. Where Lucky Craft lures excel, what they do better than other vendors, are complex yet natural finishes. Along those lines, the four most popular colors across most every Lucky Craft product model are:
MS Herring (color #254) is another of the most beautiful of all Lucky Craft colors. It is similar to MS American Shad in that they are both high flash colors. However, MS Herring does not come in every crankbait model. It is not available in the LV-200, LV-300 or LV-500. It is available in the LVR D-7 and LVR D-10. Mad Craw (color #286) and Spring Craw (color #070) are quite popular colors for lipped crankbaits and lipless too. Note: This item comes brand new in box with original hooks and split rings on it.
Lucky Craft LVR D-7 ~ Lipless CrankbaitPosted Jul-06-08 06:12:20 PDT Lucky Craft LVR D-7 ~ Lipless CrankbaitModel: LVR D-7 The D-7 is the most popular model in Lucky Craft's LVR series. If you were going to use just two Lucky Craft lipless models, the LVR D-7 and the LV-500 (in the LV series) would make the ideal duo. The design of the LVR D-7 is thinner and to me, the LVR D-7 tends to ride higher with a little less vibration and less chatter than usual. I'm not saying it doesn't chatter a lot, but it is 'less loud' than other popular brands. It's most useful for me in shallow situations, when I want to keep a rattlebait high, or where I want to rattle through snaggy cover that grabs and snags other rattlebaits way too often, the LVR D-7 gets the nod. Most all lipless cranks sink. However a D-7 may actually rise for the first few feet and first few seconds of a retrieve, even breaking the surface before it will start to hunker back down to its normal underwater running depth. You may wonder why this initial rise may be desirable? Good question. It's beneficial when fishing areas of submerged weed clumps, scattered underwater brush or irregular rock beds, stump fields and so on. A lipless crank that initially rises up and over snags at the start of a retrieve provides a presentation advantage when fishing snaggy cover. It gives you - and the lure - a chance to start clean and thereby gain control over the retrieve without immediately getting snagged in dense cover (as often happens) during the critical first few seconds. Lucky Craft Crankbait Color ConsiderationsLucky Craft is legendary for it's artful, natural baitfish colors. You won't see a lot of red throat splashes, red eyes or other gaudy lipstick. They're not known for their bright chartreuse-based, fire tiger or other bold color patterns. Where Lucky Craft lures excel, what they do better than other vendors, are complex yet natural finishes. Along those lines, the four most popular colors across most every Lucky Craft product model are:
MS Herring (color #254) is another of the most beautiful of all Lucky Craft colors. It is similar to MS American Shad in that they are both high flash colors. However, MS Herring does not come in every crankbait model. It is not available in the LV-200, LV-300 or LV-500. It is available in the LVR D-7 and LVR D-10. Mad Craw (color #286) and Spring Craw (color #070) are quite popular colors for lipped crankbaits and lipless too.
Lucky Craft LV-500 ~ Lipless CrankbaitPosted Jul-06-08 06:11:26 PDT Updated Apr-10-09 08:35:31 PDT Lucky Craft LV-500 ~ Lipless CrankbaitModel: LV-500 The LV-500 is the number one choice of many anglers among all Lucky Craft's lipless baits. The body size of the LV-500 matches that of most other 1/2 oz rattlebaits. However, the LV-500 is 3/4 oz so it casts longer distance and it descends much deeper than most others. This is the reason I rely on the LV-500 - it covers more distance much deeper than most any other rattlebait. It isn't a good idea to let the LV-500 sink. When you cast, you must begin the retrieve immediately. If you wait to let the LV-500 settle deeper, it tends to tailspin and twirl around, snaring the fishing line in the hooks. So pay attention to how you use it. Don't give the LV-500 any time to fall on a loose line. So, just burn it back! The LV-500 casts further and covers more water than other rattlebaits. On it's own, the LV-500 will seek a consistent running depth about 8 feet deep. You don't need to let it sink or count it down or anything. Just start winding it in, and next thing you know, it will seek its own running level around the 8 foot mark (or thereabouts depending on line type and line diameter). It will seek a working level of 7 to 10 feet deep all by itself. This is below where most other rattlebaits will stay on a retrieve. Best of all, you can burn the LV-500, and it will still stay that deep. A favorite LV-500 tactic for me is to burn deep points. In lakes with lots of points, this can become an LV-500 pattern many days, where a bass or two will belt the LV-500 (usually retrieved fast) on practically every point. Once you uncover a pattern and it seems repeatable on a few points, then you can run from point to point to point, and repeatedly present the LV-500 the same way each time - and pull a good bass or two off each point. In this way, the LV-500 functions as a highly productive pattern bait - not just for points, but for whatever other repeatable pattern you can produce with the LV-500. Keep in mind, it is a deep runner, but you cannot count it down or pause it without frequently snarling the line. When bass want that deeper running depth (which is often the case on bluffs or deep points), the LV-500's the best lipless crank in my bag! I'm not alone either. More and more anglers are using it all the time, making the LV-500 the most popular lipless in Lucky Craft's line-up.
Lucky Craft LV-200 ~ Lipless CrankbaitPosted Jul-06-08 06:10:43 PDT Lucky Craft LV-200 ~ Lipless CrankbaitModel: LV-200 Most all lipless cranks vibrate rapidly when retrieved, but not all rattle. The LV-200 is one of the rare ones that doesn't rattle. It's known as a 'single knocker' type lipless bait. Instead of rattling, the LV-200 emits a steady tom-tom beat from a single heavy metal ball affixed to a loose metal plate inside. The LV-200 is a knocking type instead of a rattling type. The LV200 emits a single-thump like a heartbeat as opposed to the incessant, raucous chatter of 'normal' rattling baits. The non-rattling LV-200 has helped me catch buckets of 'extra' bass whenever I use lipless lures. It's so simple yet deadly. I first go down a bank and pull the initial receptive fish with a 'normal' high-chattering bait such as the noisy LV-500 or LVR D-7, etc. This initial noisiness 'wakes up' the bass so to speak. Once fish are exposed to fan-casting with high-chatterers, it can quickly become counterproductive to go back down the same bank again with the same high-chattering baits. The repeated noisiness (an attractant at first), can become a repellant that only serves to alienate fish by continuing to throw the very loud, harsh rattle baits. So what I do next is go down the same bank again with the quieter, single-thumping LV-200, often helping myself to catch another few good fish with this non-rattling approach the second time. It's a similar profile, similar vibration without the high-chatter. A few more fish always seem to fall for it. The LV-200 can be the winning ticket when everyone and their uncle (or even your own self) has been bombarding the bass with noisy rattling baits. Best of all, almost no one else uses them. The LV-200 is a virtually unknown and unused Lucky Craft bait. So if you're looking for a secret lure that really does produce (especially when fish have been shown too many of the noisier models), there you have it. The LV-200 is a non-rattling lipless bait that performs well where you or other anglers have already peppered the bass with noisier lipless baits. Lucky Craft Crankbait Color ConsiderationsLucky Craft is legendary for it's artful, natural baitfish colors. You won't see a lot of red throat splashes, red eyes or other gaudy lipstick. They're not known for their bright chartreuse-based, fire tiger or other bold color patterns. Where Lucky Craft lures excel, what they do better than other vendors, are complex yet natural finishes. Along those lines, the four most popular colors across most every Lucky Craft product model are:
MS Herring (color #254) is another of the most beautiful of all Lucky Craft colors. It is similar to MS American Shad in that they are both high flash colors. However, MS Herring does not come in every crankbait model. It is not available in the LV-200, LV-300 or LV-500. It is available in the LVR D-7 and LVR D-10. Mad Craw (color #286) and Spring Craw (color #070) are quite popular colors for lipped crankbaits and lipless too.
Lucky Craft LV-300 ~ Lipless CrankbaitPosted Jul-06-08 06:09:34 PDT Lucky Craft LV-300 ~ Lipless CrankbaitModel: LV-300 Most all lipless cranks vibrate rapidly when retrieved, but not all rattle. The LV-300 is one of the rare ones that doesn't rattle. The LV-300 is silent like Charlie Chan, the silent movie star of the thirties... but that's not bad. The LV-300 vibrates like the dickens when retrieved, but doesn't have any noise-making parts inside. The silent LV-300 has helped me catch buckets of 'extra' bass whenever I use lipless lures. It's so simple yet deadly. I first go down a bank and pull the initial receptive fish with a 'normal' high-chattering bait such as the noisy LV-500 or LVR D-7, etc. This initial noisiness 'wakes up' the bass so to speak. Once fish are exposed to fan-casting with high-chatterers, it can quickly become counterproductive to go back down the same bank again with the same high-chattering baits. The repeated noisiness (an attractant at first), can become a repellant that only serves to alienate fish by continuing to throw the very loud, harsh rattle baits. So what I do next is go down the same bank again with the silent LV-300, often helping myself to catch another few good fish with this non-rattling approach the second time. It's a similar profile, similar vibration without the high-chatter. A few more fish always seem to fall for it. The LV-300 can be the winning ticket when everyone and their uncle (or even your own self) has been bombarding the bass with noisy rattling baits. Best of all, almost no one else uses them. The LV-300 is a virtually unknown and unused Lucky Craft bait. So if you're looking for a secret lure that really does produce (especially when fish have been shown too many of the noisier models), there you have it. The LV-300 is a non-rattling lipless bait that performs well where you or other anglers have already peppered the bass with noisier lipless baits. Another tactic I like with the LV-300, when bass are suspended or simply schooling over structure (points, channels, ledges, etc.), I'll tend to position the boat over a high spot or over the shallowest spot, and cast toward deeper, open water. Then simply let the LV-300 pendulum fall in an arc toward me. The LV-300 is forward-weighted to run head down when retrieved, and this also helps it fall head down while sinking. It won't spin as it falls, and has a little more realistic and natural falling action than some other lipless cranks. It swaggers a little side to side as it falls forward toward you, head first. It tends to attract strikes (and can be worked with angler-imparted action) as it swaggers or glides side to side on the fall. You need to practice with it, and see what it does on different line sizes, with different slack or loose line pressure, discovering how best to make it pendulum head-first in a hunting, zigzag manner as it sinks, moving forward. With suspended bass, the key is how far to let the LV-300 sink at first. When I let it get down to where I think the fish are, I'll give it one flip. This is an attention-getter. It signals something is not quite right. It's just like a shad in trouble that flips up on its side, making an attempt to right itself. I then let it fall again and give it two flips. Then let it pendulum fall in toward me again. All the while it is coming back to me in a pendulum arc, and give it three more flips. Just pop it quick, to give it a short, erratic, struggling movement. It moves at most one foot when you flip it. It's just an attention-getter that shows bass something is not right. I basically let the LV-300 swing back in to me, through the fish, above any cover, over any structure, and pop it once, twice or three times. On its way back in, as the bottom becomes shallower (remember to have the boat directly atop the high spot), it's advantageous if the crankbait bumps into brush or anything else as it arcs down closer to the bottom. That obstacle impact is a great strike trigger, and because it's falling nose first, its posture helps protect the hooks from snags. This may not seem like it would matter much, but the nose-down posture truly affords a lot of hook protection from snags. More often than not, the LV-300 will get nipped as it bounces off anything in its path. Once it reaches bottom, lift it up and let it swagger and sway on its way back down as you reel it in the rest of the way back to the boat. Lucky Craft Crankbait Color ConsiderationsLucky Craft is legendary for it's artful, natural baitfish colors. You won't see a lot of red throat splashes, red eyes or other gaudy lipstick. They're not known for their bright chartreuse-based, fire tiger or other bold color patterns. Where Lucky Craft lures excel, what they do better than other vendors, are complex yet natural finishes. Along those lines, the four most popular colors across most every Lucky Craft product model are:
MS Herring (color #254) is another of the most beautiful of all Lucky Craft colors. It is similar to MS American Shad in that they are both high flash colors. However, MS Herring does not come in every crankbait model. It is not available in the LV-200, LV-300 or LV-500. It is available in the LVR D-7 and LVR D-10. Mad Craw (color #286) and Spring Craw (color #070) are quite popular colors for lipped crankbaits and lipless too.
Lucky Craft Fat CB BDS-3 ~ Shallow-Diving CrankbaitPosted Jul-04-08 12:07:21 PDT Lucky Craft Fat CB BDS-3 ~ Shallow-Diving CrankbaitModel: Fat CB BDS-3 The BDS-3 is the most popular size in the Fat CB BDS series. It's the model you want. The Fat CB BDS-3 is a relatively chunky, shallow-running, brawny bait with a wide wobble and rolling action. It is the one that has the perfect size and heft for brawling with bass in thick cover using relatively heavier line and cranking gear. It is buoyant and designed to perform somewhat like a balsa wood lure, except it is durable hard plastic construction that holds up to repeated, rugged use. Its lip design, hook positions and outstanding obstacle deflection qualities let the BDS-3 waltz right through the thickest of cover. It's ideal for fishing through laydowns, stump fields, docks, rocky shallow areas, tough weeds and other shallow thick cover. The internal weighting in this lure is fixed-weight for quick deflection recovery. After the bait hits an object, it comes right back to proper position to continue the retrieve. Color ConsiderationsThe most popular colors across most every Lucky Craft product model are:
MS Herring is another of the most beautiful and fairly popular of all Lucky Craft colors. It is similar to MS American Shad in that they are both high flash colors. However, it is not available in every product model. MS Herring is not available in Bevy Shad 75, Moonsault CB-200, Moonsault CB-350, to name a few.
Lucky Craft Flat CB D-20 ~ Super Deep-Diving CrankbaitPosted Jul-04-08 09:09:42 PDT Lucky Craft Flat CB D-20 ~ Super Deep-Diving CrankbaitModel: Flat CB D-20 There are only a few crankbaits that can get deeper than 15 feet (without trolling) and that handle well at that level. It's by far the rarest class of crankbaits, the super deep divers. So when Lucky Craft came out with the super deep D-20 some years ago, it was immediately deployed with good results by a savvy cadre of the sport's top national and top regional pro anglers. The pros who have been using these all along desire to keep it low, and a number of regional level tournaments have quietly been won over the years on it. With a lot of recent focus on fishing deep cranks on the top national BASS and FLW Pro Tours, particularly in 2008, the D-20 has been getting a lot of play and much press recently from the Lucky Craft national pro staff anglers, so you should see the D-20 grow in popularity going forward. The D-20's much larger and dives deeper than most anglers typically use. Indeed, it's about as extreme and heavy duty as a bass crankbait gets to be. It's hard work to throw all day, but you can be well-rewarded by large bass landed on the super deep-diving D-20. Bassdozer says: "One little thing to remember for the Flat CB deep-running models (DR, D12, D20) is to give them all a yank before cranking. Internally they have a large metal ball that moves in a chamber to the back of the bait to help maximize casting distance. The ball does not always automatically roll back down the chamber behind the diving bill at the completion of a cast. So you may need to yank them first to help roll the ball down into the diving position before cranking." Color ConsiderationsThe most popular colors across most every Lucky Craft product model are:
MS Herring is another of the most beautiful and fairly popular of all Lucky Craft colors. It is similar to MS American Shad in that they are both high flash colors. However, it is not available in every product model. MS Herring is not available in Bevy Shad 75, Moonsault CB-200, Moonsault CB-350, to name a few.
Lucky Craft Flat CB D-12 ~ Deep-Diving CrankbaitPosted Jul-04-08 09:08:43 PDT Updated Jul-04-08 09:23:51 PDT Lucky Craft Flat CB D-12 ~ Deep-Diving CrankbaitModel: Flat CB D-12 True to its name, the D-12 gets down toward the 12 foot depth range more or less. It is a heavy duty crankbait that's larger and gets deeper than most other crankbaits anglers typically use - and it dredges up larger bass than most anglers typically catch as well. It's hard work to throw all day, but you can be well-rewarded by the D-12. You may not get as many, but they'll be heavy. Bassdozer says: "One little thing to remember for the Flat CB deep-running models (DR, D12, D20) is to give them all a yank before cranking. Internally they have a large metal ball that moves in a chamber to the back of the bait to help maximize casting distance. The ball does not always automatically roll back down the chamber behind the diving bill at the completion of a cast. So you may need to yank them first to help roll the ball down into the diving position before cranking." Color ConsiderationsThe most popular colors across most every Lucky Craft product model are:
MS Herring is another of the most beautiful and fairly popular of all Lucky Craft colors. It is similar to MS American Shad in that they are both high flash colors. However, it is not available in every product model. MS Herring is not available in Bevy Shad 75, Moonsault CB-200, Moonsault CB-350, to name a few.
Lucky Craft Flat CB MR ~ Medium-Running CrankbaitPosted Jul-04-08 09:07:48 PDT Lucky Craft Flat CB MR ~ Medium-Running CrankbaitModel: Flat CB MR When Lucky Craft was first finding success in the North American market, Lucky Craft shortly realized a difference exists between Japanese anglers who tend to use lighter tackle, smaller hooks and appreciate more delicate balance in lures versus North American anglers who use heavier tackle, prefer larger hooks and desire more lure stability than our Japanese counterparts. So Lucky Craft developed the Flat CB series (MR, DR, D-12, D-20) specifically tuned for the North American angler, with more stable actions and bigger hooks that could be fished on relatively heavier cranking gear. Shallow-running and medium-running baits are always more popular than deep-divers. There are simply more places and situations where shallow or medium-divers can be used compared to deep-runners. So it's no surprise that the Flat CB MR (Medium Runner) is by far the most popular model in the Flat CB series. All the other Flat CB series models (DR, D12, D20) run deeper and are not as popular as the MR model. I'd say the Flat CB MR works down around 5 feet more or less with 10 lb. test line, and can be used with 12 to 14 lb. test line, not getting quite as deep. One of my favorite modifications with this lure is to replace the tail treble with a feathered one. I believe the feather enhances the movement and appearance of this particular bait. That's not the case with all crankbaits, but the Flat CB MR is one I routinely tag with a feather tail. I like to use the Flat CB MR a lot like I use a lipless crank. It is stable and easy to crank at moderate to fast paces. Similar to a lipless crankbait, the Flat CB MR has a flat-sided body and a tight fast wriggle. The advantage is in snaggy areas, the Flat CB MR is not prone to get stuck as easily as a lipless. So I often go to the Flat CB MR whenever fish are whacking lipless crankbaits in shallow or flooded brush or snaggy areas where the lipless gets snagged often. It's great to slam the Flat CB MR through shallow rocks and boulder beds too. These are places that lipless baits get snagged fairly easily - but the Flat CB MR with a similar action, does not get snagged as much or as badly. It's diving bill serves to shield the hooks from snags, and if the Flat CB MR does get stuck, it's often the bill, not so much the hooks, that's jammed in a snag. So it can often be backed out of snags more easily than a lipless. Color ConsiderationsThe most popular colors across most every Lucky Craft product model are:
MS Herring is another of the most beautiful and fairly popular of all Lucky Craft colors. It is similar to MS American Shad in that they are both high flash colors. However, it is not available in every product model. MS Herring is not available in Bevy Shad 75, Moonsault CB-200, Moonsault CB-350, to name a few.
Lucky Craft Flat CB DR ~ Deep-Diving CrankbaitPosted Jul-04-08 02:40:36 PDT Updated Jul-04-08 08:21:30 PDT Lucky Craft Flat CB DR ~ Deep-Diving CrankbaitModel: Flat CB DR The DR designation stands for Deep Runner. It works down around 10 feet with 10 lb test, and slightly less with 12 lb test. The Flat CB DR is a money bait. I know of a number of tournaments won with the help of the Flat CB DR. Guys tend to use it in conjunction with the CB-350 model. Both these baits will get into the 8-10 foot range. One of the most productive places for these deep divers are the tire reefs, other barrier reefs, and floating breakwaters anchored around the perimeters of boat marinas to break the force of wind-driven waves. These man-made reefs and barriers make a safe harbor within the marinas, and they are also bass magnets at times. These types of floating bass cover tend to be out in open water, with little shade. In clear water, bass tend to suspend deeper under the floating breakwaters where depth equates to shade. These suspended bass are deeper than the average crankbait can reach them, but not so deep that a crankbait swimming in the 8-10 foot range can't entice them. But deep diving crankbaits can be used in shallow water too. Many times I am bouncing, digging and rooting along the bottom in water as shallow as a few feet, even with these 8-10 foot divers. In fact, it is commonplace around ledges, bars and depth breaks to not get many hits while the crank is in deeper open water. Strikes rarely come until the deep diver gets up on the nearby shallow bar or ledge and starts stuttering across the gravel or digging in the sand. At that point, bass will materialize out of deep water, swimming onto the bar or ledge to pluck the bottom-gouging crankbait off the shallow bottom, often only a few feet deep. At times I replace the tail treble on the Flat CB DR with a feathered one, but it's hardly necessary to do this. One little thing to remember for the Flat CB deep-running models (DR, D12, D20) is to give them all a yank before cranking. Internally they have a large metal ball that moves in a chamber to the back of the bait to help maximize casting distance. The ball does not always automatically roll back down the chamber behind the diving bill at the completion of a cast. So you may need to yank them first to help roll the ball down into the diving position before cranking. Color ConsiderationsThe most popular colors across most every Lucky Craft product model are:
MS Herring is another of the most beautiful and popular of all Lucky Craft colors. It is similar to MS American Shad in that they are both high flash colors. However, it is not available in every product model. MS Herring is not available in Bevy Shad 75, Moonsault CB-200, Moonsault CB-350, to name a few.
Lucky Craft Moonsault CB-350 ~ Deep-Diving CrankbaitPosted Jul-03-08 20:44:34 PDT Updated Jul-04-08 02:25:01 PDT Lucky Craft Moonsault CB-350 ~ Deep-Diving CrankbaitModel: Moonsault CB-350 The CB-350 is a deep-diving crankbait that has withstood the test of time. The CB-350 is one of the very first few baits that Lucky Craft introduced to the USA way back when, and it still continues to be popular with many anglers today. That means something, especially since deep-diving cranks are not nearly as popular nor used as often by anglers as are shallow or medium running cranks. So for the CB-350 to be more popular (as a deep-diver) than the shallower-running models in the CB series (001, 50, 100, 250) is significant. Only one other model in the CB series, the CB-200 medium-runner seems to to be about equally as popular as the CB-350. These have small #6 hooks, and you need to experiment with bigging up the hook sizes without causing the two hooks to tangle too much. If you use deep-diving cranks, then you need to try the venerable CB-350. It's a time-proven winner. The CB350 combines all the best features of fat-bodied crankbaits, rattling vibration baits, and suspending jerkbaits into one lure. It has the long bill, fat body, and deep-diving qualities of a crankbait. Inside, it has seven rattling chambers and a center wall that reverberates its rattles loudly! Plus it's got a better internal suspension system than most jerkbaits. Weights shift position so it casts far and dives quickly, seeking bottom like most crankbaits. It's best when it gets to bottom about 8 to 10 feet down. Once there, it fishes most effectively when you use it as a bottom-suspending jerkbait. It suspends and rises lazily when you pause the retrieve. Pause to let it rise a little, then sweep and twitch or jerk it to activate the rattles and cause erratic quick-wiggling motion until it digs or bounces bottom again. Then pause and hold on! You don't necessarily need to hit bottom again - although that's always a helpful strike-triggering option. Just sweep and twitch it like a dying shad and reel slowly. The CB350 has a fast but tight wiggle even at a slow pace retrieve. The supple swimming movement can be enhanced by adding a long, thin feather tail. Color ConsiderationsThe most popular colors across most every Lucky Craft product model are:
Lucky Craft Moonsault CB-200 ~ Medium-Running CrankbaitPosted Jul-03-08 19:53:32 PDT Updated Jul-03-08 20:24:53 PDT Lucky Craft Moonsault CB-200 ~ Medium-Running CrankbaitModel: Moonsault CB-200 The CB-200 is a very good medium-running crankbait that has withstood the test of time. The CB-200 is one of the very first few baits that Lucky Craft introduced to the USA way back when, and it still continues to be popular with many anglers today. That means something. The medium-running CB-200 is well-suited to the needs of a large group of anglers, including (but not limited to) shore anglers or those who fish typically smaller waters. The other Moonsault CB series models (001, 50, 100, 250) do not seem to to be as popular as the CB-200, except for the CB-350. The CB-350, a deep-diving bait, is equally as popular as the CB-200 medium runner. These have small #6 hooks, and you need to experiment with bigging up the hook sizes without causing the two hooks to tangle too much. It's well worth trying the CB-200 if you have not already. Color ConsiderationsThe most popular colors across most every Lucky Craft product model are:
Lucky Craft Bevy Shad 75 Hybrid Crankbait/JerkbaitPosted Jul-03-08 18:47:26 PDT Updated Jul-03-08 20:04:22 PDT Lucky Craft Bevy Shad 75 ~ Hybrid Crankbait/JerkbaitModel: Bevy Shad 75 I am not sure how popular the Bevy Shad is, but it is truly a great fish-catcher. It is not a big bait at all. It is a kind of hybrid jerkbait/crankbait, and that may confuse some anglers. The Bevy Shad has a more crankbait-shaped bill and a more crankbait-shaped body than most other slim minnow jerkbaits. Is the Bevy Shad a jerkbait? A crankbait? Two baits in one? Does how a lure looks define it, or does the suspension system inside it define it? Or does how you fish it (crank it or jerk it) make something a crankbait or a jerkbait? Disturbing as such questions may be, should we really care? Bottom line, the Bevy Shad is a great fish-catcher, and it can be used 100% of the time as if it is a jerkbait - or it can be cranked like a crankbait. It's two baits in one! The Bevy Shad has a fast, tight wriggle like a swimming shad. It darts widely like a disoriented shad when paused and twitched. It works deeper than most any other jerkbait. It's effective working depth is about 8 feet down on 10 lb. line. When it comes to 8 feet deep, there is hardly any other jerkbait that get down there. The Bevy Shad is internally balanced to swim with a nose-down angle until it reaches its maximum depth where it will level off and swim on a horizontal plane. Its nose-down nature and arrow-shaped bill is good for bouncing the hooks away to deter snags in cover or on bottom...then suspend and twitch it after it bounces off bottom or cover. When suspended, it dips its nose down into a feeding posture which often infuriates following bass to strike. In shallower water, the Bevy Shad sinks slowly as opposed to suspending as in deeper depths. This nose-down dip and settling towards bottom in a feeding posture is awesome over shallow spring spawning sites. Jerk it. Crank it. But above all use it. The Bevy Shad is a great producer that has never gotten the credit it certainly deserves. Color ConsiderationsThe most popular colors across most every Lucky Craft product model are:
The Golden Shiner color (top in photo) has always been a favorite and most productive Bevy Shad hue. Golden Shiner is not available, except only in a couple of Lucky Craft models. Since the color is so uncommon in other Lucky Craft models, it has become the special Bevy Shad color I use most of the time - and it produces many, many bass.
As shown, I often fish the Bevy Shads with feather tails. I have experienced high catch rates with feathers on Bevy Shads. I am not one to indiscriminately hang feather tails on all my hardbaits. In the Bevy Shad's case, however, this feather tail seems to enhance the lifelike allure of the Bevy Shad. Add a long thin feather tail and watch as the feathers makes the Bevy Shad come alive! This trick, adding the feather tail, has been bevy, bevy good to me!
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