What are generally considered the best performing 3-5’ crankbaits for $10 or less?

[Ohioguy25]

I know KVD seem to be popular, are they the undisputed champs of affordable shallow divers? If so, what particularly makes them so good? If not what else compares?

[woolleyfooley]

Idk how much they cost now but spro has several models of squarebill crankbaits that run under 5 feet.

[Jar11591]

I’ve had enough success with the DT line from Rapala that they’re all I’ll throw for cranks. In this case it would be a DT-4. May not be the “best” crankbaits but they’ve been serious fish catchers for me. 

[LrgmouthShad]

On the squarebill front, the Rapala BX Brat is a great choice. You can often find them on sale nowadays for under $10. I agree with @Jar11591, the DT line by Rapala is a staple.

[casts_by_fly]

1 hour ago, Jar11591 said:

I’ve had enough success with the DT line from Rapala that they’re all I’ll throw for cranks. In this case it would be a DT-4. May not be the “best” crankbaits but they’ve been serious fish catchers for me. 

Same for me. The dt6 in the spring is a thing. The color set offered across the lineup hits all of the right spots for me. They don’t rattle, but with our clear water that’s not a problem. And you can scale up or down from 4-20 with basically the same bait. And they work. 
 

I throw in the og4 and 6 circuit bill for a square bill. 

[DogBone_384]

Rapala gets my vote.

[Pat Brown]

Berkeley Frittside, Rapala DT Line/OG Slim and Rocco, Spro Lil John.

[greentrout]

The Bandit Red Crawdad ...try it ...

[king fisher]

Academy Sports H2O Square bill is well under $10 and catches bass as well as any square bill I have tried.

 

6th Sense crush 50, crush 100, cloud nine mini mag, and Movement 80 X The 80X might not get down to 3 feet, but comes through brush like no other.  It also has a unique wide wobble that on certain days is what the bass want.  6th Sense has awesome colors, for me, and great hooks for the bass.

 

Norman Fat Boy, another one that barely gets down to 3 feet, but comes through cover well, and gets bit for a way under $10

 

Rapala DT 6  has saved the day for me.

[Ohioguy25]

3 hours ago, woolleyfooley said:

Idk how much they cost now but spro has several models of squarebill crankbaits that run under 5 feet.

Are those better than KVD?

[papajoe222]

I know that square bills are currently popular, but another option is something like a Bomber Model A. They offer different models for different depth ranges and are not only affordable, but they are fish catchers.

[FishTank]

I think the KVD baits, to be kind, are not that great. I bought tons of them years ago and the guys I fish with use them as well. We all struggle to get them to run right and the hooks are a waste. You might get 1 out of 3 that run OK and 1 out of 5 that perfect. Plus, for me, they really don't catch fish that well. The XD models are a different story, except for the hooks. I replace them straight out of the box. 

 

For a decent bait around $10, I have liked the Bill Lewis ATV. The handful I have, have been great right out of the box. They also have really good hooks. For around $10 (maybe $12), I also order the OSP Blitz and the Deps Evoke Shad from a JDM site. Not exactly cheap but they are great and good to go with quality hardware. 

[rangerjockey]

I'm not sure why but I seldom see Rapala baits in the tackle shops around here outside of Bass pro of course. I think it's more of a northern thing.

Anyway, I throw the Lucky crafts mostly, the 1.5 and the big daddy strike. I agree on the Bill Lewis ATV.

Also if you like balsa the black label is worth a try.

 

[IYAOYAS]

12 hours ago, Jar11591 said:

I’ve had enough success with the DT line from Rapala that they’re all I’ll throw for cranks. In this case it would be a DT-4. May not be the “best” crankbaits but they’ve been serious fish catchers for me. 

Check out the OG Rocco. It's a balsa squarebill designed for Rapala by Ott Defoe. It's replaced all my squarebills now.

[Tackleholic]

Check out the clearance sales and hold your britches to wait for the 25% off sales;  the selections within your chosen price range will increase.

[GRiver]

I like BPS square bills, ringing at about $6 (5.99) … they catch fish, plus they are my filler when get my $50 free shipping.

[LonnieP]

9 hours ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Are those better than KVD?

Yes but they’re more than 10$

[primetime]

I tend to like most offerings from Rapala (DT series probably my favorite), Strike King (tend to trust all of them) and Academy store brand for crankbaits that aren't crazy expensive.

 

Luhr-Jensen Speed Traps

Bomber Square A's are inexpensive and work great, i would suggest changing the trebles as the stock hooks are not the best lately. 

 

Berkely has some good ones as well....

[Munkin]

Bandit 100 and I agree that the SK KVD 1.5 doesn't work as well as the LC 1.5.

 

Allen

[scaleface]

Inexpensive but no longer made. My favorite shallow running cranks are the old rogers Big Jim and the Rapala Crankin Raps.

[ike8120]

I use a mixture of name brands of crankbaits. There are always pretty good sales on all the major tackle dealer websites.Also checkout your local shops. I didn't like the ones from Temu or Ali what you see is not what you get IMO.

[KP Duty]

On 3/18/2025 at 9:39 PM, papajoe222 said:

I know that square bills are currently popular, but another option is something like a Bomber Model A. They offer different models for different depth ranges and are not only affordable, but they are fish catchers.

Agreed.  I like the 4a...very similar to a bandit 200.

[DinkDonkey30]

I fish crank baits a lot. 6th sense are my go to. They have various models depending on what you want them to do. I have tried several KVD cranks with very little success. Rapalas aren’t bad. Googan deep cranks get bites as well but I can’t stand that brand so I don’t buy them. You get what you pay for with cranks. It’s important to look at how they are built to see if it’s going to work as advertised. Line tie placement, bill construction body shape/seam if they are plastic etc. It’s possible to fix some that don’t run right but it can be a real hassle. Bass After Dark had a great podcast with some of the best crank bait anglers known that go into depth about them. There are also lots of other videos on YouTube etc about cranks. 

[5by3]

Lucky craft 1.5 for 6.99 is highway robbery in a good way.

[Ohioguy25]

1 minute ago, 5by3 said:

Lucky craft 1.5 for 6.99 is highway robbery

But why are all lucky craft cranks silent?

5 hours ago, DinkDonkey30 said:

I fish crank baits a lot. 6th sense are my go to. They have various models depending on what you want them to do. I have tried several KVD cranks with very little success. Rapalas aren’t bad. Googan deep cranks get bites as well but I can’t stand that brand so I don’t buy them. You get what you pay for with cranks. It’s important to look at how they are built to see if it’s going to work as advertised. Line tie placement, bill construction body shape/seam if they are plastic etc. It’s possible to fix some that don’t run right but it can be a real hassle. Bass After Dark had a great podcast with some of the best crank bait anglers known that go into depth about them. There are also lots of other videos on YouTube etc about cranks. 

Really, 6th Sense outperform KVD?? That is news to me. I thought they just looked pretty, is this a widely shared sentiment or just your personal experience?

On 3/18/2025 at 11:07 PM, FishTank said:

I think the KVD baits, to be kind, are not that great. I bought tons of them years ago and the guys I fish with use them as well. We all struggle to get them to run right and the hooks are a waste. You might get 1 out of 3 that run OK and 1 out of 5 that perfect. Plus, for me, they really don't catch fish that well. The XD models are a different story, except for the hooks. I replace them straight out of the box. 

 

For a decent bait around $10, I have liked the Bill Lewis ATV. The handful I have, have been great right out of the box. They also have really good hooks. For around $10 (maybe $12), I also order the OSP Blitz and the Deps Evoke Shad from a JDM site. Not exactly cheap but they are great and good to go with quality hardware. 

Thanks, I actually have a good number of those ATV and I like them a lot. I knew they casted great but I wasn’t exactly 100% on their performance. I will fish them with more confidence now!