Credit Where Credit Is Due

[Avalonjohn44]

I had previously 'panned' the KVD1.5, perhaps unfairly comparing it to the RC1.5, but need to change my position on it.

Reason being, I've been fishing with the KVD1.5 in some snaggy areas where I didn't want to risk my RC and it has produced in spades... I have ten quality fish (and many more dinks) in two days on the KVD lure and almost as important, I haven't lost a single lure, it comes through the brush like a CHAMP.

While I still think I cannot feel its action as well as I can other lures, there is no denying that this bait flat out catches fish, and I recant all of my previous negative statements.

I still haven't witnessed the hunting ability, but right now, who cares, I'm catching fish.

[brushhoggin]

cool. are you using the silent ones? i've been wanting to experiment with them recently. what colors did you go with?

[Shad_Master]

One of the biggest reason lures don't catch fish is we don't throw 'em. I know what you mean about not wanting to throw a high$ lure into a brush pile - but a couple of years ago, I bought one of each color of those always on clearance crank baits you find at BPS to use on a lake with lots of brush piles - threw 'em all day, never lost one and caught fish. Still wonder what would have happened if I had the cajones to throw a quality crank in that mess.

[Hooligan]

Oh, the KVD fishes well, there's no doubt of that. The faster you move it, the better it works. Part of the reason you don't "feel" it like other baits is that it's far tighter than the RC series. It's tighter than almost any other squarebill out there currently. It doesn't have the roll that others do, so it doesn't feel like it's moving as much water, it is, though. I'll still fish my RC series baits over the KVD in most situations, but the KVD has its rightful place. The Luck E Strike 1.5 is pretty killer.

[Bass_Fanatic]

Oh, the KVD fishes well, there's no doubt of that. The faster you move it, the better it works. Part of the reason you don't "feel" it like other baits is that it's far tighter than the RC series. It's tighter than almost any other squarebill out there currently. It doesn't have the roll that others do, so it doesn't feel like it's moving as much water, it is, though. I'll still fish my RC series baits over the KVD in most situations, but the KVD has its rightful place. The Luck E Strike 1.5 is pretty killer.

Is the Luck E Strike closer to the RC or the KVD? Been thinking of getting some, but I already have 3 3700 boxes full of squarebills...

[Hooligan]

It's very close to the RC Lucky Craft. The paint quality is dead on, from everything I've seen thus far, too.

[Five-Alive]

Agree and agree ..... I have been catching fish on the 1.5 AND the Luck E strike is like the Lucky Craft RC but they are very light weight. I got the largest size and have caught a decent number of fish with them as well.

[Avalonjohn44]

Haven't even seen the Luck E version yet. Another lure on the list to grab 5 of...

[kLuo]

Why is everyone using the 1.5 and not the 2.5? Is the smaller bait profile really that much better? I would think that you would get many more dinks with the 1.5, but I have never tried the 1.5 before. Could someone enlighten me please?

[Hooligan]

Huge difference in the profile and speed/vibration of the 2.5. I'm not terribly fond of it for banging on timber and rocks, it's great in open water and over weeds. Most of the reason I'm not fishing them is that fish are generally dictating a smaller profile. I've fished the RC.5 more than any crank this year, and have caught some genuine pigs on it. Bigger bait doesn't always mean bigger fish, nor does a smaller bait mean strictly dinks.

[kLuo]

Bigger bait doesn't always mean bigger fish, nor does a smaller bait mean strictly dinks.

Very true, I agree. I didn't realize that the action of the 1.5 and the 2.5 varied so much. What makes the 1.5 better for going through cover? And on that note, what makes the 2.5 better for open water?

[Hooligan]

1.5 is tighter, bangs off things more effectively. You can move the 2.5 slower, still getting a great action out of the bait, but ticking the tops of grass. Just a preference thing. If you've not fished them, you really won't get it.

[Bluebasser86]

I also prefer the 1.5 over the 2.5. I've fished both quite a bit and even when I'm catching them on the 1.5 if I switch to the 2.5 the bite seems to almost stop and the ones I catch aren't any bigger, just less of them. I haven't got to fish the Luck e strike version much yet but it seems very similar to the RC version.

[Primus]

I'm still new to the Strike King and have caught a few fish on it. That side I have used the RC 0.5, 1.5, 2.5 & 3.5 for years fishing for Northern strain bass in SW Michigan. The 0.5 in the Ghost color is my go to crank in clear shallow water light wind conditions on pressured lakes, it's come through for me so many times when the bass refuse the bigger profiles.

The 1.5 is my bread & butter that I use 80 % of the time, even though it's a squarebill and people associate this style for banging of wood it's also highly effective ripping off of shallow grass and this is my all time favorite shallow crank.

The 2.5 & 3.5 get the call when I'm looking for bigger fish or when fishing murky water. It's also a great option when fishing that transition from darkness to first light as the vibration calls them in.