Was thinking to buy maybe a couple of shallow crank baits to try out and was looking for suggestions. I have some ideas but would like to hear some others opinions and experience to what has worked, colors, size, and vibrations or wobble, whatever info you want to share would be great. Thanks.

What's your definition of shallow?

Mine is 0-18 inches. Manns Baby One Minus is one of my go to lures. Academy used to carry one also but haven't found it for several years. Any deeper, I like "The Egg" from BPS. I also throw these baits on 15 lb mono.

Widely available shallow crank baits I like

0-1 ft Mann's Minus One, Spro Fat Jon 50, and Rebel Wake R
1-3 ft Spro Fat Jon 60, Rapala CRR03, and Excalibur XCS 100
3-5 ft 1/4oz Rattle Trap, Rapala CRR05, Rapala F7, and KVD 1.5

1-18 inches is right on Bassfishindude. I was thinking about Mann's minus 1 as well. Would 12lb mono work ok? I've heard lighter line can affect depth. Thanks for the suggestions everyone I will probably head over to either academy or cabela's friday. BPS is little too far to go for me, on a regular basis.

I use Academy's H2O lipped crank baits that have a dive rating of 1-3 ft in sexy and citrus shad color. I throw them with 15 lb mono and just reel slower for shallow areas.

I have never fished them with confidence nor have I ever caught anything with them...


The tide must turn though!

GoldSpoonr

Manns Minus 1 is solid...I also have a few from BOISARC here on the forum that paints them custom. I've been slayin bass on them.

H2O makes some cheaper shallow baits as well. For the money can't beat them...I would recommend squarebills over the others though. IMO better.

Also don't forget the illusive "jerk" bait...I like the suspending version that go to 2ft...

3 different sizes of Mann's Baits. The small bait is 1/4 oz.

This is what I have for cranks. The best part is I found all of them. So they were free, the small rapala (minnow sized) on the lower left runs pretty shallow and I catch everything on that lure but I can barely cast it very far. I want something a little bigger for casting distance that will still run shallow and not dig up the bottom of the pond.

Here are some other hard baits I have found.


The big crank is about 3" long without the lip and the xrap is about 4" long.

Went with a Mann's baby -1 in fire tiger color. It was a good idea I guess I got 5 bass on it today first time using it, they were little bass though. I couldn't believe how small some of the bass were that hit that thing. On a side note while at Academy I looked at there H2O shallow cranks and I really liked them I was torn between them or the Mann's. The H2O's I was looking at were rated at 0 to 6" which would be ok. I may go back later and get a few of them. The deciding factor in my choice was that I liked the rattle better in the Mann's and it would go to 12".

This was the best one of the 5.

I was just wondering what this bass was thinking when it hit this crank....

I think I got ya beat!!! LOL



I thought I ran through some grass....NOPE....caught this monster.

Nice you got me for sure. Is that the bluegill color on that crank? I liked that one and the sunfish colored one.

Its a sunfish pattern. Ive got a bunch of custom painted cranks from Boisarc...hes
Got some sweet stuff!!