Does anyone fish the Bait Ball crankbaits? My real question is-is it a gimmick or is it genius? You who have fished them, I really want to hear your opinions. Thanks-Eddie

I have & have not seen a difference using the square bills. But I have seen a slight advantage when using the jerk bait. That's the only 2 I have tried. Full disclosure - If DSG wasn't blowing them out the day I was there, I would have passed.

I have ended up buying a couple of lots of lures that have had 1 or 2 in them, but haven't kept any yet. I just got a square bill one though that I might try, if they got good reviews. It "looks" like a good concept to me, just haven't heard anyone say anything about them. Thanks for the response. Hopefully will get another nibble or 2 about them.

I have some of the deep divers and jerk baits. I've been messing with them on and off for a year or so now. My honest opinion, they aren't worth the money. They will catch fish, no question. But not anymore so than the other brand baits you'd typically be using. I really like the concept too - but so far they aren't outfishing my other hard baits by a 2 or 3 to one margin, so I can't justify paying 3x more for them.

But they look pretty.

If you think the fish can spot the individual bait pattern on a 2 inch crank, buy them.

Yes, they are pretty...lol. I suspect that whether or not the bass can spot the bait pattern on a small crankbait would be debatable and I am not qualified to answer the question. However, I have seen the day when the color/pattern on a small crankbait made all the difference in the world. So I suspect that rate of retrieve, clarity of water, etc. comes into play and there might be a day when the pattern does make a difference. If it didn't, then why are we as bass fishermen so caught up in having so many different colors of crankbaits? Thank all of you for your replies!

It's not about the detail of the design. It's about the concept. When a bass is feeding it doesn't cruise around looking for individual fish. It looks for small bait balls to increase it's chances of a successful hunt. That's why the A rig has been so successful for guys. Same concept, but a different application. That's what the baits were intended to mimic. A small group of bait as opposed to a single baitfish.

I have a few and have caught a few bass on them. The only thing I wish they had was a tighter wiggle, not bad baits though.

I know they catch fish. I don't see it as a "gimmick". Just another pattern of crank bait. A gimmick is a crankbait that has a laser in it or chirps like a cricket.