Flat-sided crankbait recommendations

[WaskaCrank12]

Hello -

This spring I will be going into my second year of fishing - I am looking to slowly grow my supply of gear/lures/baits. 

I am watching videos/reading reviews on flat-sided crankbaits - yet much of that stuff appears to be people shilling for their sponsor/company.

In this post I am specifically looking to find if you as BR community members have recommendations for Flat-sided crankbaits. (ie, brand/model/colors)

I live in MN, the lakes I will be fishing have fairly clear water. 

Thank you for your time and expertise.  

[A-Jay]

If I could only fish ONE flat-sided crank,

it would be the 6th Sense Crush Flat 75X Crankbait in Baby Bluegill.

 

A-Jay

 

10 years of reliable service for me.

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/134908-favorite-square-bill/?do=findComment&comment=1500595

 

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Dang A-Jay is quick on the trigger.....beat me to my reply.

 

No doubt, the Crush Flat 75x is the best big fish flat side crank I've found.   

 

Frittside cranks are fantastic as well.  

 

Lastly, the Rapala Tiny 4 and new Tiny 7 are dynamite as well. 

 

Then just pick the colors based on the forage in your lakes.   For me I'm trying to match Threadfins. 

[Pat Brown]

Frittside and the Crush Flat 75 are the only ones I have!

 

You can't go wrong with many of the rapala cranks for colder water/tighter action also.  Not *quite* flat sided but perhaps more versatile!!!

 

My favorite flat sided crank by far this time of year is a lipless crankbait though 😎😎😎

[thediscochef]

Gonna cast my vote for the crush flat 75 as well.

 

I have a frittside and a kvd1.5f.

 

Crush blew both away at the power plant lake last month. It wasn't close either 

[RHuff]

Hands down my best producing flat crank has been the Frittside 5 

[scaleface]

Bomber Flat A catches fish , its inexpensive and tough.

[casts_by_fly]

I love the og6 and ajay posted most of my colors on the right side of his box. I also like and carry live river shad as a clean water baitfish imitator. it runs true to depth on thin mono and normal long casts. I liked them so much that I picked up the og4 (tiny 4?) before last season but they are LIGHT!  I couldn’t fish them effectively with the rods I was carrying. Just know that going in. 
 

 

[Columbia Craw]

I like four models. Each has a unique vibration and silhouette.

 

Luhr Jensen Speed Trap

6 th Sense Flat 75

Spro Little John Flat 50

Rapala OG Slim  

[LonnieP]

Spro Little John

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Third that Little Jon 50/type R.....surprised I forgot about it.   

 

I've actually caught more fish on the Little Jon 50s than the others I listed in my reply, but the Flat 75x uniquely seems to trigger a much bigger bite.     

 

 

[txchaser]

2.9 double digits* in three different lakes on the 75x, so it's hard to complain about.

Their finesse f4 is louder and smaller, it fishes well too. 

 

I have some frittsides but no real time with them yet. I got them in 7 and 9 since I can't get the 75x there. Will learn more this late winter/prespawn whether they are big fish getters. 

 

*The .9 is I had it on the line and when I got it to the boat I kept trying to get it into the net and it was too big. Not kidding. She shook me off. Fishing alone. When I called my friend to cry about it, he asked me why I didn't just reach down and grab the fish. I was so tunnel visioned I didn't even think about it.  

 

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

@txchaser  That's all the testament to the power of that 75x one needs, awesome stuff!  

 

They actually come with hooks needed to catch a DD sized fish.   So stout, and sticky.

[PhishLI]

11 minutes ago, txchaser said:

Fishing alone. When I called my friend to cry about it, he asked me why I didn't just reach down and grab the fish. I was so tunnel visioned I didn't even think about it.  

Here's a good reason NOT to lip a fish with a mouth full of trebles.

 

When I started to remove it, I could see nothing of the hook whatsoever as I cut it off right at the weld and flush with my skin. Just about a 1/16" of the hook's point was showing. It took a half hour and I almost quit several times. Brutal.

[Jmurphy87]

This is what I use for flat side cranks

 

frittside 5 

og slim 6, 4

strike king chick magnet 

crush 75 flat

 

I have caught fish on most of them, all depends on what you want to use. I need to get some spro little John’s to go with the ones I got.

[Huckfinn38]

My favorites in order. I caught a lot of fish late fall and through December on 1 & 2

1. Otts Tiny Deep 7

2. Berkley Frittside 5

3. 6th sense Flat Finesse F4

4. Spro Little John 50

[Mbirdsley]

spro little john MD 50 is a multi species killer. bass, Northerns, and walleye love to hammer them.  only need 2 colors silver olive back and chartreuse blue back. 

 

spro little john. sexy shad 

 

KVD strike king 1.5 makes a good inexpensive flat side.  bunch of good colors. 

 

Fat free shad are on my buy list to try 

 

i have a couple fritzsides but, havnt really used them.  I probably should be using them early season seeings how they suspend. 

[rangerjockey]

 I agree the 6th sense is a good bait. I just aint going to put any money into Milikins pocket.

The fritts, little John and Otts stuff are good and I like the Brians balsa

[Glenn]

SPRO Little John MD55 is all you need.

[tander]

The Frittside 5 is the only flatside I fish. As far as colors, I throw chart./blue back, honey shad, and spicy mustard. I probably catch 75% of the fish I catch on this bait. This is not only a winter bait, it's also great in the hot days of summer.

[Dan N]

A lot of great baits mentioned- 

my favs:

Bagley flat balsa B2

Rapala OG tiny 4

[NorthernBasser]

I think all the main/good ones have been mentioned. Here's a size comparison between some of them. 

 

Most people, including me, throw flatsides primarily early and late in the season. But they also do well for me in summer months when the water is really clear or if I'm fishing a really high pressured lake.

 

1- SPRO Little John MD50 (some have mentioned an MD55. I don't think there's a Little John 55. Might be thinking about the RKCrawler 55). This one has a knocker/rattle/transfer system).

2- Rapala Ott's Garage OG Tiny 4 (silent) 

3- Rapala Ott's Garage OG Slim 06 (silent)

4- Berkley Chick Magnet Jr. (rattle/knocker)

5- Berkley Chick Magnet (rattle/knocker)

6- Berkley Clickin' Frittside 5 (rattle/knocker)

7- Berkley Frittside 7 (silent)

8- Megabass Sonicside (silent)

9- 6th Sense Crush Flat 75X (rattle/knocker)

10- Ichikawa Flat Shad 65MD (silent)

 

 

edit- forgot about the 13 Fishing Flat Daddy (rattles/knocker). It's relatively new to me. TBH I never caught anything on it last year, but I also didn't fish it much. I did like how it ran, though.

 

[Bankc]

I like the Rapala OG Slim and Berkley Frittside.  Though, in conditions where people like to throw a flat sided crankbait, I often find myself gravitating towards a Shad Rap, which also has a really tight wobble.  The shad rap is a little better around rock and rip rap, and the OG slim and Frittside a little better around wood.  Shad Raps are hard to cast, but they're also hard to beat in cold water.  

[Mbirdsley]

1 hour ago, NorthernBasser said:

I think all the main/good ones have been mentioned. Here's a size comparison between some of them. 

 

Most people, including me, throw flatsides primarily early and late in the season. But they also do well for me in summer months when the water is really clear or if I'm fishing a really high pressured lake.

 

1- SPRO Little John MD50 (some have mentioned an MD55. I don't think there's a Little John 55. Might be thinking about the RKCrawler 55). This one has a knocker/rattle/transfer system).

2- Rapala Ott's Garage OG Tiny 4 (silent) 

3- Rapala Ott's Garage OG Slim 06 (silent)

4- Berkley Chick Magnet Jr. (rattle/knocker)

5- Berkley Chick Magnet (rattle/knocker)

6- Berkley Clickin' Frittside 5 (rattle/knocker)

7- Berkley Frittside 7 (silent)

8- Megabass Sonicside (silent)

9- 6th Sense Crush Flat 75X (rattle/knocker)

10- Ichikawa Flat Shad 65MD (silent)

 

 

edit- forgot about the 13 Fishing Flat Daddy (rattles/knocker). It's relatively new to me. TBH I never caught anything on it last year, but I also didn't fish it much. I did like how it ran, though.

 

the top spro in your picture is the one i’m talking about the MD 50 not MD 55 my mistake.

[heavyduty]

On 1/10/2024 at 4:06 PM, A-Jay said:

If I could only fish ONE flat-sided crank,

it would be the 6th Sense Crush Flat 75X Crankbait in Baby Bluegill.

 

A-Jay

 

 

 

 

 

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