There are lots of bass lures out there – one of the best lures for bass is a crankbait.
Crankbaits are some of the most powerful bass lures, because anglers can cover a large amount of water in little time.
Often, bass anglers use crankbaits to scout unfamiliar waters quickly and find the areas with the most bass.
Top 10 Bass Fishing Crankbaits
- Strike King Pro-Model 6XD Crankbait
- Rapala Rippin’ Rap 6 Lipless Crankbait
- Bomber Model A Fishing Lure
- Spro Little John Crankbait
- SteelShad Lipless Crankbait
- Norman DD22
- Rapala Crankin’ Rap 3
- Booyah Streak IV
- Luhr Jensen Speed Trap Crankbait
- Rapala DT6 Fishing Lure
We’ve compiled the best crankbaits for bass fishing, based on the opinions of experienced anglers, quality of materials, and more.
Strike King Pro-Model 6XD Crankbait
Strike King, a trusted brand known for lures that trigger bites, has one of the favorite crankbaits on the market.
The Strike King Pro-Model 6XD Crankbait is great for bass, and can dive 19 feet and deeper. It is lightweight and perfect for long distance casting, and the further you cast the deeper it can dive.
The Strike King Pro-Model 6XD Crankbait has a uniquely shaped bill, which is balanced to create a steep diving angle.
The bill allows the lure to track well, and help it dive deeper and faster, despite the lure’s large body. This crankbait comes in various colors to attract bass in all types of water.
Rapala Riggin’ Rap 6 Lipless Crankbait
Rapala lures are some of the best on the market, and the Rigging’ Rap 6 Lipless Crankbait is known for triggering bass strikes. This lipless crankbait has hard vibrating action, as well as a rattle to further entice bass. It has a textured body and holographic eyes as well.
The Rapala Riggin’ Rap 6 Lipless Crankbait is long-casting, and works well in both clear and muddied waters. It is equipped with two VMC black nickel hooks, and comes in 17 colors for all situations.
Bomber Model A Fishing Lure
The Bomber Model A Crankbait is a favorite among many pro bass fishers. It is saltwater grade, so it is safe and durable in both salt and freshwater.
This crankbait is lightweight, so it casts easily and aerodynamically through the air, hitting your intended spot every time. The Bomber Model A Fishing Lure is also extremely strong and virtually indestructible.
The Bomber Model A crankbait has a realistic action, mimicking the movements of a wounded fish, so bass will be quick to bite. It comes in 33 colors, and is fitted with ultra sharp hooks to increase hooksets.
Spro Little John Crank Bait
Spro is another well respected fishing brand, and their Little John Crank Bait is one of the best on the market. The Spro Little John Crank Bait is made from soft tungsten, which makes it great for long casting and also safe to use in lead-free waters. This crankbait runs at depths of 3 to 5 feet.
The lip of this crankbait is made from a computer chip board, to create more feel and so that it is also more durable. The Spro Little John Crank Bait is fitted with sharp Gamatsaku trebles, and is one of the best shallow running crankbaits to choose from. It comes in 23 colors.
SteelShad Lipless Crankbait
Another great lipless crankbait, this lure from SteelShad is known for catching bass, as well as walleye and trout.
This stainless steel crankbait has sharp VMC hooks to improve hooksets. The SteelShad Lipless Crankbait can be fished in all depths, from 2 feet to 60 feet. It is versatile and works well in many conditions.
The SteelShad Lipless Crankbait is well balanced, for long distance casting and maximum vibration in the water. Its action triggers strikes. This crankbait is available in 5 colors.
Norman DD22
The Norman DD22 crankbait is one of the top-rated crankbaits out there. A favorite among bass anglers, the Norman DD22 is a deep-diving crankbait that is known for attracting big bass.
It has sharp treble hooks for improved hooksets, GELCOAT to ensure durability and keep the paint from chipping, and is made with quality materials.
The Norman DD22 Crankbait can dive deep, usually diving 15-18 feet depending on the cast. It is lightweight and comes in 42 colors to attract all types of bass in a variety of waters. It has a loud rattle and great action.
Rapala Crankin’ Rap 3
Another great pick from Rapala, the Rapala Crankin’ Rap 3 Crankbait is sure to lead to an exciting catch. This crankbait is round bodied, with a durable construction. It has a loud rattle system to lure in bass and trigger strikes. Premium VMC Treble Hooks ensure increased hooksets.
The Rapala Crankin Rap 3 has a realistic external scale pattern, better for tricking bass. This crankbait is designed to target specific depths, with swimming depth preset. Its quick diving design ensures it gets to your desired depth efficiently, where its holographic eyes and realistic design can trigger bites. The Rapala Crankin Rap 3 comes in 7 colors.
Booyah Streak IV
Booyah is another trusted brand, known for great bass fishing lures. The Booyah Streak IV is Booyah’s best crankbait, top-rated among bass fishers.
This deep diving crankbait is designed for extreme distance, and can crank down to up to 25 feet. The Booyah Streak IV has an aggressive dive plane and a hard wobble.
This crankbait has a unique foam-injected body. Its wire-through design adds extra durable strength from the line tie to the hooks. Ultra sharp treble hooks increase hooksets as well. The Booyah Streak IV Crankbait comes in 8 enticing colors.
Luhr Jensen Speed Trap Crankbait
The Luhr Jensen Speed Trap Crankbait has a high-action, multi-speed tournament design. This lure is preferred by many pro bass anglers, so it is sure to help other fishermen find results. It thin-walled construction allows for maximum vibration to lure in bass.
The Luhr Jensen Speed Trap Crankbait has strong, VMC round bend treble hooks for hooking bass. It is a medium diving crankbait that won’t roll over at any speed. It comes in a wide variety of colors and sizes for all types of bass fishing.
Rapala DT6 Fishing Lure
Another great lure from trusted fishing brand Rapala, the Rapala DT6 is another well-known crankbait for bass. Recommended by the pros, the Rapala DT6 has a quick dive resting position. It is fitted with an ultra-thin polycarbonate lip for perfect balance and quick dive action.
Made with balsa wood, the Rapala DT6 Crankbait has the perfect crankbait action, with carefully placed internal weights and a thin tail. It is long casting and lightweight, travelling up to 150 feet. The Rapala DT6 comes in a variety of eye-catching colors.
What is a Crankbait?
A crankbait is a power fishing lure, known for deep diving, although there are shallow diving crankbaits as well. Crankbaits are hard bodied lures, usually with a round body. Their design is meant to replicate the movement of a baitfish. Crankbaits also have a distinctive wobble.
Most standard crankbaits have a lip or bill that protrudes from the face of the lure. This helps them to cut through water and dive quickly. There are also lipless crankbaits, however, which can also work well while bass fishing.
Different crankbaits can dive at varied depths, but depth also depends on the speed of retrieval, size of the lure and its lip, and other factors.
Types of Crankbaits
There are different types of crankbaits, although all crankbaits are similar in that they dive, mimic baitfish movement, and can cover a lot of water fast.
Some basic distinctions between types of crankbaits are standard, lipped crankbaits vs. lipless crankbaits, and deep diving vs. shallow diving crankbaits.
The lip of a crankbait is crucial to its diving ability, so a general rule of thumb is the bigger or wider the lip, the deeper a crankbait dives.
Shallow diving crankbaits are used in shallow waters like shorelines, while deep diving crankbaits are generally used in deeper bodies of water, or in areas where the bass have moved into deeper water, like in the summer.
How To Fish a Crankbait
Crankbaits, like other power lures, are fished quickly. Crankbait fishing involves making lots of casts to cover as much water as possible. Often, and especially with deep diving crankbaits, these lures are cast long distances, also to cover more ground.
Typically a straight retrieve is used when reeling in crankbaits. Reel faster at first to get your crankbait to its optimal depth, and then reel it straight in.
When casting your crankbait, you should cast slightly further than your target, so that it has reached the right depth by the time it hits your target area. Keeping your rod tip low will help a crankbait reach the preferred depth faster.
Choose a crankbait color that resembles the baitfish in the area where you’re fishing. Since they are meant to mimic bass bait fish, bass will be more likely to bite at a crankbait that matches the baitfish in their environment.
Final Thoughts
Pick from the best crankbaits for bass fishing and test them out on your next fishing trip! For other bass lures like the best bass jigs, buzzbaits for bass, frog lures, and more, check out Fishmasters! Fishmasters is your guide to all things fishing.
Tried quite a few of these- , but Yozuri 3DB series puts them all to shame. It is a shame they weren’t mentioned. The 3DB shine and finish flat catches “donkey” bass- plus the lures take a beating. Lipless, Shallow and Mid divers have all done well. People at work keep asking me what I’ve been throwing-Caught so many fish the water level has started to go down where I live. Lol (For real give them a shot- you won’t regret it.)
Thanks we will consider for a future edit to the article.
Really great post about crankbaits for bass. This answered the majority of my questions. When I read this I actually opened up a word document and started taking notes haha.
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Interesting stuff about crankbaits for baits! I’ll probably share this with some of my friends. Thanks again for posting it.