Who makes the best crankbaits? What's your favorite?

[Micro]

I've fished lotsa Bombers, some Rebels, and lotsa Rapalas, and a few others.  I don't think I've ever fished a Bandit or a Bagley (I know I don't own one).   I hear Bandits and Bagleys are the bomb-diggity of balsa cranks.

Who makes the best crankbaits?  What's your favorite?  

Thinkin' about getting me some Bagleys and Bandits.

[Jake.]

My vote is for Lucky Craft. They ALWAYS run true right out of the box and have killer paint jobs. My favorite LC is the RC 1.5 in Copper Green Shad.

[5bass]

I'm not big on Bandits but Bagley's are great cranks. I really like the BB1 and BB2, plus the DKB's. The Bomber Model B's are made of balsa and I've been throwing them since they came out....they are great cranks around brush.

I guess my all time favorite crank hasn't changed but I'm using it less and less each year with all the new baits coming out. That's the #5 Rapala Shad Rap. A little hard to throw sometimes but it's a consistent producer.

[Jimzee]

Boy you're gonna get a lot of answers on this topic.  I think it will be like rods and reels, only favorites listed.

I say my favorite at the moment is the Rapala DT series.  I've just became interested in cranks in the past year and have purchased many here recently.  I will not have a good idea of a solid favorite until the spring.  Some names I have purchased recently include WEC, Evergreen, OSP, and Zip.  I still like my Megabass, Jackal, Lucky Craft, and others, but I find myself using the DT's more.

[Marty]

Who makes the best crankbaits?

I don't think there's an answer. Over the course of 38 years I've used many brand and models, most of which can get the job done. They all have properties that appeal to a fish's senses.

What's your favorite?

Rapala Original Shad Rap. Don't ask me why, I just have a lot of confidence in it, but I haven't attempted to test it and try to determine if it's better than others.

[.dsaavedra.]

my friend you are wrong...rapala is the bomb diggity of balsas!!!!!  ;D

i dont even think bandit makes balsa baits. i could be wrong.

but my vote goes to rapala with the best cranks by far!!!! amazing quality at a very affordable price.

bandits would be my second choice, they make some good baits to cover all depths.

[Micro]

Boy you're gonna get a lot of answers on this topic. I think it will be like rods and reels, only favorites listed.

Of course.  But what else do we have to do?  My wife's ironing and my kids are playing their Wii.  

[Jimzee]

Boy you're gonna get a lot of answers on this topic. I think it will be like rods and reels, only favorites listed.

Of course. But what else do we have to do? My wife's ironing and my kids are playing their Wii.

Good point.  Come on people, give us the lowdown on the crankbaits you like to use.  I have a serious crankbait buying bug since I'm stuck in the house.

[Oscar O.]

I love the Wii! ;D Anyway i have to agree with some of the previous posts that the Original Shad Rap is my favorite. I don't think that i have many other brand crankbaits, or other hardbaits for that matter, the price is great and so is the quality.

[Terry_]

  Rapala DTs are the best that I can afford. I hope this spring to try some of the Lucky Craft cranks. I also might try some custom balsas. I think Marty said it best, it's all about confidence. As long as you have confidence in what you use stick with it.

[Micro]

i dont even think bandit makes balsa baits. i could be wrong.

Could be.  I don't have any Bandits.  But I'm just interested in people's best cranks - balsa or plastic.

I like Rapalas, too.  I usually fish cranks most when the water gets cold.   Rapala DTs in chartreuse and orange, or in red craw colors produce well for me.  I've caught a lot on Bomber Fat As in red craw colors and fire tiger.  Rebel Crawfish in various sizes in red and chartreuse do well, too.

In spring I do pretty well with Rapala Fat Raps in silver and perch color.  I also do pretty well with Bomber Square As over grass.   Shad Raps in perch, firetiger, gold and silver always produce something.  

I bought some Glass Shad Raps and am looking forward to trying these.

[Munkin]

Well since I am a shallow cranker I cannot give any opinions on the deep divers but here are my 5 favorite in no particular order.

1. LC RC 1.5

2. Bandit 100

3. Rebel Wee-R

4. Mann's baby 1-

5. Diawa Ti crank (not sure what the actual name is but it is the shallow diving one with the titanium lib)

Now I own at least 300 crankbaits and a lot of them work but these work all the time.

Allen

[.dsaavedra.]

Now I own at least 300 crankbaits and a lot of them work but these work all the time.

HOLY FREAKING CRAP!!!! thats alot of crankbaits! wish i had taht many :

[Jimzee]

Well since I am a shallow cranker I cannot give any opinions on the deep divers but here are my 5 favorite in no particular order.

1. LC RC 1.5

2. Bandit 100

3. Rebel Wee-R

4. Mann's baby 1-

5. Diawa Ti crank (not sure what the actual name is but it is the shallow diving one with the titanium lib)

Now I own at least 300 crankbaits and a lot of them work but these work all the time.

Allen

 That Rebel Wee-R has put a lot of bass in my boat.  The biggest bass I have ever seen in person was hooked on a Rebel Wee-R.  Notice I said "hooked".  My brother rookied it up.

[Avalonjohn44]

Bandits are plastic.  They are excellent cranks.  I have caught more on a bandit 100 than any other crankbait.  They are my favorite plastic cranks, come in a million colors, and simply produce a lot of fish.

I have gotten heavily into Bagley's this year, and have built up a pretty big collection of them.  They also catch a ton of fish, but the durability of these baits is questionable.  One cast onto a rock and the lure is just about done unless you get lucky.  I will start giving all of my bagleys an extra few epoxy coats this winter.  Other than durability, Bagley's might have the best action of all cranks.

Other good cranks are Lucky Craft Rick Clunn 1.5s, Anything Megabass, and anything Rapala.  I don't bother with Mann's, Bomber, or Norman lures, I have had too much trouble with them - from extreme fragility, to never running true...  

[LCpointerKILLA]

I like the shad rap and had a lot of success with it in the past. Shallow water-wise I like the Luckycraft RC 1.5, but I'll go as small as an RC .5, the latter has caught some large fish.

[basspro48]

I'm a huge fan of Bandit and Bagley cranks, but I also have my share of LC's, Lee Sisson's, and a couple Norman's....

These are my top 5 fish catchers for local waters.

1. Bandit 100 series. Chart/Shad

2. Bandit 200 series. Rootbeer

3. Bagley Kill'r B. Brown/Craw

4. Bagley B-Flat. Tennessee Shad

5. LC Gerald Swindle mini GDS. Chart/Shad

And here's a few baits that I know I can catch fish on pretty much anywhere...

1. Bandit 200 series. Chart/Shad

2. LC Rick Clunn series. Copper Green Shad

3. 1/4oz Rat-L-Trap. Chrome/Blue back

I like these baits because they just flat out catch fish for me consistently.

[Other.]

I really like Bandit 100's and Bandit 300's. They WERE plentiful at my local  Dick's but I went there twice and there were hardly any. They have a practically a whole row for Rapela. But only leave a 3 foot area for Bandit, Rebel, Bill Lewis, and Yo-zuri all cramped up.

My favorites

1. Bandit 100's and 300's

2. Manns Baby -1

3. Lew's Speed Lures. (The hooks are crap though so I replace them)

[Micro]

3. Lew's Speed Lures. (The hooks are crap though so I replace them)

I'm glad someone mentioned Lews. These lures are cheap, probably because of the crap hooks they put on them. Otherwise, they seem to be well made, have good actions and the finishes seem to hold up very well.

I got several from my kids for Christmas a few years ago. They got them out of he bargain bin and put them in my stocking. They were the shallow runners. They picked red craw, white shad, sparkely white shad and firetiger (probably 'cuz they thought they were pretty). They got me a handful of the diving kind, too. I tried them and was pretty impressed with the way they acted. I replaced the hooks on most of them with larger trebles because the ones they came with were too small. I've caught several nice fish with them. I bought a few of the minnows and jointed minnows, too. These are pretty nice as well. Good bait for under $3. You gotta factor in better hooks. And get a pack of adhesive eyes because they tend to fall off.  

[Mid-MO]

Personally, I prefer Norman Middle N's and Deep Little N's. I also use a Wiggle Wart almost year round (on Lake of the Ozarks). Those are my two top choices.

Norman crankbaits almost always look better in the water - the glitter really makes a difference. Strike King produces a decent crankbait as well - plus they are about as cheap as any.

I've tried Bandit and had problems with them cracking on rock. I've also tried Rapala & Bomber but never liked them much either. I throw Lucky Craft Pointers but can't bring myself to buy the crankbaits ($15 a piece) the way I lose crankbaits.

I've never been a fan of Bass Pro's line of lures but I'm intrigued by the new Pro Series they have out this year. Look like a knock off of Lucky Craft and about 1/2 the price. Lots of good colors too. I'll probably try these out too.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_74320_100005001_100000000_100005000_100-5-1

[Triton9]

i'd have to say that Bandit is my fav crankbait co. i have caught more fish on bandit cranks then any other cranks i have ever used COMBINED. bandits are a mainstay in my arsenal. my fav. bandit model would have to be either the 100 or 200 series. great cranks all around, they're cheap, and they perform as well if not better then 90% of the expensicve cranks i have tried. give the ol' Bandits a try.

[FishTank]

Here are my favorites in order.

1. Lucky Craft Flat Minis

2. Rapala DT's

3. Bomber Model A

4. Manns -1

[Ky_Lake_Dude]

Bandit 100-300 series and the Flat Maxx series are by far my favorite crankbaits. I also like the Strike King crankbaits. The only problem with those is the backs will split sometimes. I really like Lucky Craft too but I haven't had a much better catch rate for me to want to pay that high price. I highly recommend Bandits because they are productive and are in a reasonable price range. One problem with Bandits though is that they usually need a little bit of tuning out of the box but they are so productive for me I don't mind tuning them a little bit.

[Jeff H]

My favorites are Rapala.  The old #5 and #7 Fat Raps are my #1, perch color has been my top producer in recent years.   I also like the Manns Baby 1- in the spring.  I really don't crank much, fish jerk baits WAY more often.

[Branuss04]

I've always like the Normans, but found a Poe's and am starting to fall for them.  The Normans are more in my price range also.