Best Crankbait

If you’re going to catch that giant bass, it’s going to be an old bass. This isn’t a jab at your fishing ability. It’s just a fact that only the oldest basses have been around long enough to get huge.

And old bass behaves like a lot of older creatures; they get slower and less aggressive. This doesn’t mean they never bite. When they’re hungry, they’ll still bite. But if they’re not hungry, they’ll just sit around, ignoring most lures. You’ll need to do something to get their attention.

The best crankbait is designed to pique a bass’s predatory instincts, so it just can’t help but bite. There are different varieties, shaped to look like different species, and they can be designed to swim at a variety of depths depending on what kind of cover you’re working on.

We’ve chosen the most popular crankbaits on the web, and reviewed them. We’ll go over the pros and cons of each, as well as the main features and who it might be useful for. When making our selections, we chose from a broad range of sizes, weights, and prices. We’ve also answered a few of the most common crankbait-related questions.

Ready? Let’s get cranking!

11 Best Crankbaits

1. TRUSCEND Topwater Crankbait

The TRUSCEND Topwater Crankbait is a surface-level crankbait that’s jointed in a whopping 7 places. That’s enough for it to oscillate in an S shape if you twitch it from side to side. The 3D eyes reflect light realistically, and it moves best when cast far out and reeled in quickly.

The rust-proof, Mustad hooks are tough enough to catch and hold a heavy largemouth, and the rattler ball inside will help get their attention, as well as adding some weight for a longer cast. This lure comes in a 3-pack with different colors. Our only concern is that the segments are joined together by a textile strap. It’s a durable material, but it’s still fabric.

Pros

• 7 joints
• Comes in a 3-pack
• Rust-proof hooks
• Gravity/rattler ball
• 3D eyes

Cons

• Held together by fabric

Why It’s Recommended

The TRUSCEND Topwater Crankbait is ideal for surface fishing. If you’re trying to catch bass during the spawning season, this is the way to get it done.

2. Arbogast Triple Threat Lure

The Arbogast Triple Threat Lure is a 3-pack of classic crankbaits: two Arbogast Hula Poppers and one Arbogast Jitterbug. These little guys pack a big punch. Smallmouth and largemouth bass alike will swallow them, and the heavy-gauge hooks aren’t going anywhere once that happens.

These lures are designed to run just below the surface and to be retrieved relatively quickly. They’re lightweight, so they won’t cast as far as a heavier lure, and they’ll lose momentum if you reel them in slowly. This package comes at a very reasonable price. The three pack is less than some of the individual crankbaits we’ve reviewed.

Pros

• 3-pack
• Classic design
• Good for smallmouth or largemouth bass
• Reasonably priced
• Heavy-gauge hooks

Cons

• Too light to cast very far

Why It’s Recommended

This 3-pack of classic Arbogast crankbaits is perfect for spring fishing. You’ll already have extras for your friends, too!

3. Spro Aruku Shad 75

The Spro Aruku Shad 75 is designed to look like its namesake, the North American shad. This is one of the best crankbaits for bass that you’ll find, because it’s incredibly versatile. This is thanks to its unusual, bill-less design. Instead of connecting to a bill, you tie your line to the top of the head, and the nose pulls the lure downwards. You can run it at any depth, easily.

The hooks on this lure are manufactured by Gamakatsu, and are incredibly sharp. It has loud rattles inside to attract the attention of a large fish, and because it doesn’t have a bill, it doesn’t snag on trees or grass as easily. It’s on the more expensive side, but you can catch a lot of fish with this lure. The Spro Aruku Shad 75 is available in 18 colors.

Pros

• Won’t snag easily
• No bill
• Very sharp hooks
• Available in 18 colors
• Loud rattles

Cons

• Pricey

Why It’s Recommended

You can do anything with this lure. You can twitch it side to side, move it up and down, and run it deep or shallow.

4. Tackle HD Hi-Def Craw Bait

The Tackle HD Hi-Def Craw Bait isn’t technically a crankbait. It’s still fantastic for catching bass, though. This is a summer bait, perfect for dragging along the bottom until you get a bite. It’s available in 7 colors, so you can choose one that looks like your local crawdads.

This lure is on the pricier side, but it looks very realistic and is durable enough to last through several hook-ups. It doesn’t include hooks, but it’s inexpensive, and there are five in the box.

Pros

• Very realistic crawdad
• Perfect for catching bass
• Very durable
• Inexpensive

Cons

• Not technically a crankbait
• Doesn’t include hooks

Why It’s Recommended

Sometimes the best crankbait isn’t a crankbait at all. The Tackle HD serves the same purpose and is great if crawfish are local to your area.

5. Cotton Cordell Red Fin

The Cotton Cordell Red Fin is designed to run just below the surface, no deeper than 2 feet. It has a squarebill design, and the bill is fixed, not adjustable. This is a really nice feature since the bill will never need tuning. The three treble hooks are solid nickel, and reasonably sharp.

This lure comes in three sizes, and five different colors. The pricing across colors and sizes is wildly inconsistent. This can either be a budget lure or a very expensive one, depending on which version you buy. It floats easily but is very lightweight. As a result, it’s difficult to cast long distances.

Pros

• Fixed bill
• Three treble hooks
• Hooks are solid nickel
• Available in three sizes and five colors

Cons

• Inconsistent pricing
• Doesn’t cast very far

Why It’s Recommended

The Cotton Cordell Red Fin is a well-designed squarebill lure that’s ideal for spring and summer bass fishing.

6. Rapala X-Rap Jointed Shad

The Rapala X-Rap Jointed Shad is a heavy, nickel crankbait with near-neutral buoyancy. It’s a medium diver, with an arc of 4-8 feet in depth. The jointed body moves from side to side, and twitches when you jerk the line. This makes it perfect for a slow retrieve since it will continue to move realistically even at low speeds.

This lure is available in 7 colors for a variety of fishing conditions. It’s more expensive than most lures, but its durable construction means you’ll get plenty of use out of it.

Pros

• Realistic, jointed body
• Durable nickel construction
• Simulates an injured shad
• Available in 7 colors
• Great for a slow retrieve

Cons

• Expensive

Why It’s Recommended

If the bass just isn’t biting, the Rapala X-Rap might be just what it takes to tempt them. It’s perfect for medium depth, slow retrieve fishing.

7. Diawa Salt Pro Minnow

The Daiwa Salt Pro Minnow is designed specifically for larger fish. As you can guess from the name, this includes ocean fish like terns, strippers, and blues, and the saltwater-grade hooks are more than up to the task. It’s also a tough enough lure to handle very heavy largemouth that would destroy other crankbaits. That said, it’s too big for smallmouth, or for any other lake fish smaller than a pike.

It has 3D eyes for realism and is designed for a fast retrieve. When reeled in quickly, it will have an arc of 4-8 feet in-depth and will move erratically from side to side on its own.

Pros

• Large enough for the biggest largemouth
• 3D eyes
• Saltwater-grade hooks
• Moves erratically on a fast retrieve

Cons

• Too big for most lake fish

Why It’s Recommended

The Daiwa Salt Pro Minnow is a beast of a lure. It’s a full six inches long, with heavy gauge hooks that will bring in record-setting bass.

8. Norman Deep Little N

The Norman Deep Little N is a 2½-inch long multicolored crankbait with a 1-inch bill. That much length gives it lots of diving power, and it will go down anywhere from 10 to 14 feet. The further you cast it and the faster you retrieve it, the deeper it will go. It’s perfectly sized for smallmouth bass but is a bit small for caching a full-grown largemouth.

You can order this lure in 51 different colors, and it has solid nickel #4-gauge hooks that will sink right in and not let go.

Pros

• Available in 51 colors
• Nickel treble hooks
• Sturdy bill
• Ideal for medium to deep depths

Cons

• Too small for very large bass

Why It’s Recommended

The Norman Deep Little N is great for catching smallmouth bass, particularly when they go deep in the water during the summer.

9. Rapala Husky Deep Lure

The Rapala Husky Deep Lure is made for one purpose: catching big lake fish when they’re in deep water. If you cast it far out and reel it in quickly, it will dive as deep as 20 feet. If you retrieve it more casually, it will run in about a 12-16 foot arc. Either way, the internal rattlers will cause enough vibrations to attract nearby bass.

This lure is available in both a 4-inch and a 4 ¾-inch version. Both sizes are available in 21 different colors, and they all have a pair of solid-nickel treble hooks. Pricing is inconsistent, though, with some colors costing almost ten times as much as others.

Pros

• Runs as deep as 20 feet
• 2 solid nickel treble hooks
• Internal rattler
• Available in 2 sizes and 21 colors

Cons

• Inconsistent pricing

Why It’s Recommended

The Rapala Husky Deep Lure will go to depths other crankbaits won’t. And it’s big enough for largemouth.

10. RUNCL Anchor Box

The RUNCL Anchor Box is a set of four colorful crankbaits. They range in size from 2 inches up to 4 ¼ inches and are available in a squarebill configuration for surface fishing, or a deep dive design that goes as deep as 14 feet.

This is an inexpensive set. The hooks leave a bit to be desired. They’re made of stainless steel, not nickel, and are more prone to breaking as a result. All in all, though, it’s a great value for the price.

Pros

• Several multi-packs available
• 3D eyes
• Internal rattle
• Squarebill or deep diving design
• Inexpensive

Cons

• Hooks are regular stainless steel

Why It’s Recommended

If you’re looking for an affordable set of crankbaits, these are better than most inexpensive choices.

11. Booyah Bait Company Pad Crasher

The BOOYAH Bait Company Pad Crasher isn’t a crankbait, but we included it because it’s perfect for catching bass in heavy weeds or lily pads where a standard crankbait will get tangled. Simply cast it and reel it in quickly. It will skip over the surface like a frog, attracting any nearby bass.

It also looks like a frog. Depending on your local species, you can choose from 12 different lifelike patterns. This lure is very inexpensive and has specialized hooks that are designed not to snag weeds.

Pros

• Available in 12 patterns
• Great for fishing in weeds or lily pads
• Weedless hook design won’t snag easily
• Inexpensive

Cons

• Not a true crankbait

Why It’s Recommended

If your bass are hiding in heavy weeds or under lily pads, you don’t have many options. The Pad Crasher will get you home with a successful catch.

Choosing Crankbait

Unless you’re experienced with this type of lure, you probably have a few questions. Crankbait is an unusual beast and requires its own set of techniques to use properly. It’s impossible to answer every conceivable question, but there are a few things that everybody should know before they make an investment.

Do Crankbaits Float?

Yes and no. Most crankbaits will float if you let the line go slack. They do this so you can free them up from reeds or other growth. Typically, they’re not designed to be used as floating lures, although there are some exceptions, which we’ve noted in our reviews.

Crankbaits are designed with a downward slant on the front, and oftentimes a plastic bill. When you crank your reel, the lure is pulled forward, but the water going over the front pushes it down. It dives deeper until it’s about halfway retrieved, then surfaces as the upward pull of your rod overcomes the downward pressure.

Because they travel in an arc, crankbait depths are typically measured in ranges. For example, a particular shallow diving lure may have a depth of 2-8 feet. That means that it’s going to be between 2 and 8 feet deep in the middle portion of its arc.

The shallowest crankbait is called squarebills because their bills are very short. These lures typically range from 0-2 feet in depth, even shorter than shallow divers. Deep divers, on the other hand, can go as deep as 20 feet depending on the design and how far you cast them. Medium divers fall somewhere in the middle, usually around 8-12 feet.

The Right Depth For The Season

Bass tend to lurk at different depths depending on the time of year. These are just rules of thumb and may be off by a bit depending on your location and the species of bass.

• Spring: Spring is the spawning season for bass. They’ll tend to congregate near the surface, so squarebill or shallow diving crankbait is most effective.
• Summer: With warmer water and more sunshine, fish are as active as they’ll be all year. Bass take advantage of this extra energy to feed in cooler, deeper water. These conditions are ideal for deep diving lures.
• Fall: Most baitfish are most active in the fall, scrambling to eat as much as they can before winter. This is when the bass is at their most aggressive. Any depth bait will work, and a shad crankbait will be best of all if shad are local to your area.
• Winter: A medium depth crankbait is ideal for winter, because bass won’t be going into cold deep water, or coming up to the surface to spawn. You’ll need to use a lot of action at this time of year since the fish will tend to be lazy.

How Do I Fish With a Crankbait?

Good crankbait technique means making the bait move as much as possible like a fish. Think about it. The whole point of using a crankbait is to provoke a lazy bass into biting. You’ve got to really sell this, and a lure that’s drifting by or shooting forward in a straight line isn’t going to do the trick.

The best technique is to hold the tip of your rod just above the surface after your cast. This will give your line the ideal angle for getting your lure to dive. As you reel it in, change your pace up. Most small fish move in erratic bursts, so try and imitate that. You’ll also want to twitch your rod from side to side as you reel, to imitate the side-to-side flutters of a baitfish.

It’s easy to start casting the same way every time, especially if it’s one of those days where you fish for hours on end and nothing seems to bite. Stay focused, and change up your technique constantly. The fish are out there.

Once you’ve got one on the line, you don’t want to set the hook right away, like you would with most lures. Instead, you want to let the fish tug it a few more times, to really get the whole thing into his mouth. If you try to set the lure too soon, it will only snag him, and won’t have enough strength to hold up as you reel him in.

You’ll also want to set the hook a bit differently than you’re used to. Instead of tugging straight up, tug to the side. Due to the unique shape of a crankbait, this will be more effective and will sink the hooks deeper.

What Kind of Rod Should I Use With a Crankbait?

The best rod for a crankbait is a medium weight, and possibly even a medium-light. This is because the crankbait technique requires more flexibility in the rod. Stiff rods can make setting the hook difficult in particular since they’ll often overreact to the first tug, which is something you don’t want when you’re using a crankbait.

What Are The Best Crankbait Colors?

Believe it or not, bass almost have an identical vision to humans. Because of this, you’ll need to choose a bait that looks as realistic as possible, including the color.

On sunny days with clear water, it’s best to use a natural, light-colored lure. On the other hand, on cloudy days or in murky water, you’ll want to use very bright or very dark lures. These will have the most visibility.

When in doubt, choose a lure that looks like a local fish. Your bass will already be familiar with it and will be eager to scoop up your bait.

Bottom Line

There’s a lot more to crankbait than just a simple lure. As we’ve seen, you need to know what you’re doing to use one effectively.

First, you’ll need to fish at the right depth for the right time of year. You’ll also want to be aware of local species, like minnows or shad, that the bass may be used to eating. This will make sure you’re getting the best possible bait at the best possible depth to go right past that big lunker’s face.

Even if you’re using the right lure at the right depth, you’ll need to use the proper technique to simulate a real fish and set the hook appropriately for a crankbait’s unique configuration. Finally, it’s important to use a medium or medium-light rod for plenty of flexibility.

Ultimately, the best crankbait is the one that works best for you, your rod, and your favorite fishing hole. Try a few of them out, and see which one is your favorite.

We hope our reviews and buying guide have been helpful. Since we chose a wide variety of crankbait, we think that at least one of these choices will be best for somebody. Even if you choose a different lure, we hope our pointers have been helpful.

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