deep running crankbait suggestions

[tkoglin]

What deep diving crankbaits do you recommend for SmallMouth?

[Bronzefly]

For me, so much of that depends on the water temperature and clarity.  I have had success on deep clear lakes with the Lucky Craft Flat CB D-20 series, usually in the more "natural" colors.  They have a slightly more slender profile than a Norman DD 22 and a much different action and sound that smallmouth seem to prefer.  Another very nice deep crank is the Megabass Deep X-100.  It is a smaller target and has fantastic action.  They both have produced well on lakes like Dale Hollow, Cherokee, and Center Hill especially in the spring and fall.  In summertime, I rarely target smallies with a deep running crank - but have caught them on Mann's 30+ cranks while looking for big Largemouth.  Good luck!  

[Tokyo Tony]

These are my favorite deep cranks for smallies:

http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0048138122289a&navCount=1&podId=0048138&parentId=cat20388&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCatcat20166-cat20388&catalogCode=XH&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20388&hasJS=true

If you haven't tried them you're missing out.

[MickD]

Bill Norman Deep Baby N's are hard to beat, in Gelcraw finish, especially.  I have caught everything from suckers to salmon on them, and smallmouths really like them.  You often have to fish them very slow with stops, especially in cold water.

[CJ]

Bomber Fat Free Shad

[Upside]

Norman DD22's  and Rapala DT16's

[zachvii]

My favorite deep diving cranks for smallies are Luhr Jensen Hot Lips.  They are only 1/4 oz, but they dig down to over 10 feet easily and they have great rattles that small mouth love.  My other favorite is wiggle warts.  Warts are great when the fish want something slow. You can reel them very slow and the smallies love them. Any crawdad pattern is great.  

[Sinjin Kim]

Zipbait MZ-19!!! Hands down the best med-deep diving crank on the market today; or at least for one of the most pressured lakes of all of America (Castaic).

[basspro48]

The smallmouth in the local rivers stay shallow pretty much year round (0-12ft.) so the deepest I go is a Bandit 200 series or a Norman Deep Baby N. But I really have no need for those huge cranks that dive 20+ feet because around here, if you're fishing that deep you're not catching anything

[ThomasL]

I vulture ebay for every old bagleys honey b and rebel deep teeny r you can find,the smaller size works well on 8-10 lb test magnathin or maxima perfection line. :

[Cade Laufenberg]

The smallmouth in the local rivers stay shallow pretty much year round (0-12ft.) so the deepest I go is a Bandit 200 series or a Norman Deep Baby N. But I really have no need for those huge cranks that dive 20+ feet because around here, if you're fishing that deep you're not catching anything

same here..in the summer anyway. Right now's a different story...they winter in that water man!

As for the cranks...Rapala SHAD RAPS....nobody has said that yet. They have a profile that both largemouth and smallmouth love..but especially smallmouth. Can't leave out cotton cordel's famous line of Wally divers. Don't know if they are a nation wide thing or more of an "up north" walleye fishing thing..but they put the smack on the big smallies!! When I think cranks, i think skinny. Longer, skinnier baits seem to draw the best attention from smallies. Not that they won't eat any other crank, this is just what I have found and have tramendous confidence in.

[Tin]

Bomber fat free. Also know of a guy who has won a couple tourney's on Champlain with big bags of smallies fishing a shallow diving crankbait carolina rigged and fished in 25-30 feet of water.