Building A Shallow Cranking Box With $250 Budget

[Don't Tell The Wife]

Ok guys I am new on the forum although I have been lurking for a while and decided to join up and start making some posts.  Anyway I am getting back in to bass fishing and I went through all my tackle from 15-20 years ago and I am probably not going to keep too much of it so it is time to start planning out my purchases vs. just going into the store or buying a bunch of random stuff online.  I have looked at the different organization ideas everyone has done and I am thinking that I want to create boxes for all the main categories.  I thought it would be good to start with the crankbaits and build 3-4 boxes: shallow 0-5 ft. medium runner: 6-12 ft. and deep runners 12+ ft.  I thought I would throw it out to you guys and see what baits would be a must have for the shallow box and what colors you would buy.  I am thinking my budget would be around $250 but some may say that it too high or too low. 

 

I currently have:

SPRO little john 50 CHR BLACK BACK and SPRING CRAW 

LC Fat CB Citrus Shad, Table Rock Shad, and Chart Rootbeer

LC SKT MR MS Crack and MS Gunmetal shad

SK KVD 1.5 sexy shad

Baby 1 minus fire red, Tennessee shad, Fire shad, Grey Ghost, Pearl/Black Back

 

What should I add to round this out and give my the variety in type and color?

[roadwarrior]

Two of my most productive are relatively inexpensive:

 

Norman Fat Boy (Redear pattern)

 

Red Eye Shad (orange shad)

 

 

 

[Fishes in trees]

You are in Excelsior Springs,  right down the road from you is Rogers Lures, in Liberty.  They are good people and can help you with decisions like this and lighten your wallet at the same time.  Right now, at Rogers, in Liberty, Timber Tigers are on sale for half price.  Those are my first choice for shallow cranking.   Load up on DC-8s and DC5s, get a few of the DC4 and the wake bait DC1.  You can get set up , box and everything for way less than $200.

[Don't Tell The Wife]

Thanks guys and some good lures there.  FIT I know the guys at Rogers very well.  I used to buy from them at the old store and hit the newer store pretty heavy too.  I haven't bought much fishing stuff from them until just recently but if you saw my garage with all the ducks and geese you would think I have a serious problem.  A buddy and I have been stocking up on some new rods, IMX, and shimano reels.  They always seem to have the best prices.  All rods are 30% off right now. 

[HoosierHawgs]

Take a good luck at the BPS XPS Squarebills. I like to shop local, and do that a lot, but those baits are only $4.29 or $15 for a 5 pack and are on par with much more expensive baits. Also, I really like a translucent gold color when it comes to crankbaits, so whatever brands of baits you go with, I would look into that type of color.

[Suspendingjerk]

Take a good luck at the BPS XPS Squarebills. I like to shop local, and do that a lot, but those baits are only $4.29 or $15 for a 5 pack and are on par with much more expensive baits. Also, I really like a translucent gold color when it comes to crankbaits, so whatever brands of baits you go with, I would look into that type of color.

I will agree the action of the Xps lures isn't bad..

But I have bent many of hooks that came with those baits.. So with the price I would have to spend to replace with decent hooks.. I could have bought something a little higher quality.

[Raul]

250 dollars for shallow crankbaits a truckload of money, with 250 you can have all the crankbaits you need for all depths.

[HoosierHawgs]

I will agree the action of the Xps lures isn't bad..

But I have bent many of hooks that came with those baits.. So with the price I would have to spend to replace with decent hooks.. I could have bought something a little higher quality.

This is a true statement, I would recommend changing out the hooks on these baits as well.... If you really want to upgrade look at some of the Lucky Craft Square Bills, they are on sale for $7 on BPS website.

[Munkin]

By the looks of what you have I would only add a few baits? KVD 1.5 baits in Chart/black back, craw, and gizzard shad. Some Bandits size 100 and 200 in similar colors and you should be set. That gray/white Baby 1- you have there was the most productive crank I used in MO when I spent 17 weeks at FT Leonard Wood. Honestly I don't see a need to spend $250 on crankbaits? One thing you do need is a lure retriever that run about $15 as it will save you hundreds of dollars in baits.

 

Allen

[HoosierHawgs]

I enjoy the Bandit Squarebills as well. Get one in chartruese, that is the ultimate dirty water bait. The fish can see it, and it is loud as heck!

[gulfcaptain]

While everyone lists lots of squarebills and brands, I would say list them in this fashion if you're looking to fish a shallow box.

 

Squarebills: Nomally a wide wobble and seach bait

 

flatsided baits: Tight wiggle 

 

wakebaits: Extremely shallow with different bill styles.

 

other: these are baits that do not fit into the other catagories.  Heddon has a great bait that is hard to find excep on BPS website (swimming image) others are shallow running cranks that aren't squarebilled.  

 

Then you have silent, rattle, plastic and balsa.  

 

So for $250, I would get several brands with different lip designs that all run in that range as well as sizes.  

[ABW]

Pick up some Academy CRS squarebills. They are real cheap. I got like 15 for 60 bucks one time.

[speed craw]

Rapala dt4, bandit 100 , ima square bills are a fine choice. No one brand or type crankbait will be the ticket all the time. On a side note , keep your eyes & ears open for yard sales and estate sales . I picked up several high dollar fishing stuff for next to nothing.

[fishballer06]

Decent start already. I'd add:

 

DT4 and DT6

Arashi

Aska

Biggie Poppa

[Comfortably Numb]

Acadamy CRS and CRM squarebills

[fisherrw]

Spro fat papa and strike king 5xd ans 6xd

[smalljaw67]

You have a good selection already, move on to another category and when you are satisfied with your box you go fishing and that is where the rest of your baits will come from. What will happen is you will talk to anglers that are doing good using a type or brand of crank you don't have and you'll add another and before you know it you'll have a really nice collection. One tip on cranks, if you find a style that is really good in the waters you fish, like  say a certain type of square bill, make sure you have at least 4 different patterns or colors and try to get two of each one, for example you are doing well on a KVD 1.5 in green gizzard shad, well I'd make sure I have at least 2 of those and maybe 2 sexy shad, 2 chartreuse black back, and 2 Clearwater minnow. Of course those colors are just examples but try to get a few different ones for different conditions and water clarities because there are times when a shock color like the chartreuse black back will out perform a sexy shad and vice versa, and the most important part of it is to have fun, I know fishing is the ultimate fun but buying new tackle is really fun too, so go have a ball by getting some stuff that you think or know will work on the waters you are going to fish.

[Senko lover]

You can't go wrong with 1.5s, they're your best bet for the money. I have the Lucky Craft rc2 as well and like it. BTW, you can have an adequate cranking box for under 50. In fact, what you have there in that picture is far more than I have. 

[OkobojiEagle]

I would take the lures you already have and start fishing...

 

 

oe

[Catch and Grease]

Try some of academy's flat sided square bill crankbaits! They are great!