I've never fished a crankbait before. Apparently crankbaits are hot on Lake Grapevine right now so I plan to give it a shot!

Any suggestions on a good shallow diving crankbait I should get started with?

Water stained; 72-78 degrees

Thanks!

It's funny I have several KVDs but I catch more and just as big fish on a smaller profile Xcite baits SB1. I think you just want to match size to the size of the shad in the lake. I got a bunch at 40% sale last year to make them more affordable.

For a shad pattern the Academy brand H2O in Diamond dust color works very well and they are less than $5.

Bass Pro sells a small tool that makes tuning a crank bait to run straight that is easier to use on small crank baits than trying to use pliers. The package just says Tuning Tool. It doesn't state that it is for crank baits on the package but that is what it is designed for. It is on the isle where the pliers are. It is silver in color with a black lanyard.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pro-shops-tuning-tool-key

My go to shallow crank in my go to color. Many good squarebill shallow cranks out there but I catch just as many from the inexpensive H2O brand from Academy as any of the others.

Those H2O lures catch fish and they don't break the bank!

I catch plenty with those.

I don't mind spending a little extra on a shallow diving crank. Rarely loose them because I can retrieve them. Usually break the bill before I actually lose one. It's the deep divers I lose and they are the expensive ones.

I am sold on bandit 100 cranks. I have used several and keep going back to these.

Perfect. Thanks for sharing. I need one of those to tune baits to run OFF Center. I like to fish bridge pylons and make them run a couple of feet to the left or right to slam into the face of the pylon, let if float up a couple of feet and then drag it around the pylon into the sun light. The big fish that use the shade and feed there hate it. Those little bait fish are always sucking on the scum and plankton attached to the pylons.

I read that in your article and will have to give it a try.

Most Strike King square bills run off center right out of the package...LOL You will like that little tuning tool.

Cant beat the academy baits. Even the deep divers are like 4 dollars. They catch fish. I think folks shy away because their thicker plastic so the rattles sound different from the others but if your looking for bang for buck you cant beat em. I actually like the 6th sense baits myself but fish H2O, SK and all the others all the time.

If your looking for a bank fishing spot wait a little till the boaters start kicking up waves, then hit the park on the East side of the Dam. The bluffs and rocks next to the swim beach on the Dam side can get real hot in a hurry. Doesn't hurt if you have a SE wind also.

I've used just about all of the baits there are out there. I will say that when you buy a quality one you will see and feel the difference. Any more I'm only buying 6th sense hardbaits. They use higher end mustad hooks. The baits have great patterns on them. They catch a lot of fish and most have a unique action in the water. The new Axis squarebills that are sold out everywhere are amazing. They have a swimbait action, its the most realistic swimming square bill I've ever seen.

I also like 6th sense and Xcite crank baits.

The h20 baits that would be equivalent to say a dd22 are they any good? Their squarebills are pretty good just never tried the bigger ones.
J D

I've had good success with rapala Brats lately.