Buyer's Guide: Deep Diving Crankbaits For Winter And Summer Bass Fishing

Which crankbaits catch the most fish? With thousands of crankbaits to choose from, which baits are worth trying? Today we've gathered our top picks for Summer Time Cranking and our top picks for Winter Time Cranking, and combined them into the ultimate Crankbait Buyer's Guide. No need to second guess this year, these baits have stood the test of time!

When most anglers think of deep cranking they think of summer ledge fishing and Fall feeding frenzies. While there has been a huge swing in the past year toward Winter time cranking, many anglers still don't realize its full potential. Armed with the right baits, Winter cranking can produce the biggest bass of the entire year! 

Today's video has been separated into two categories so you don't confuse the right baits for Summer with the right baits for Winter. You'll find links to all of the baits (in the order they appeared in the video) along with rod and reel recommendations. All of the baits go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

In-Depth Winter Crankbait Video: https://youtu.be/FPaL13899uc

Previous Buyer's Guides... 

-Swimbaits: https://bit.ly/395vTT6

-High End Combos: https://bit.ly/35PNOeu

-$500 Combos: https://bit.ly/3lW1o5I

-$400 Combos: https://bit.ly/3lSfwwz

-$200 Combos: https://bit.ly/2USSCJv

-$100 Combos: https://bit.ly/37aupED

Warm Water Baits... 

-Strike King 6XD: http://bit.ly/2ery44M

Favorite Colors: Sexy Blue Back Herring, Summer Sexy Shad

-Berkley Dredger 25.5: http://bit.ly/2I8xOcA

Favorite Colors: Irish Gold, Honey Shad

-Strike King 10 XD: http://bit.ly/2gHT4F0

Favorite Colors: Sexy BlueBack Herring, Powder Blue Chartreuse

-Azuma Z Boss 22 and 24: http://bit.ly/2poLKUC

Favorite Colors: Grand Shad, Ol Blue

-Megabass Big M 7.5: https://bit.ly/2yHmm4R

Favorite Colors: Jukucho Shad, MB Gizzard

Cold Water Baits... 

-R2S Tactical DD 75: http://bit.ly/37dclbX

Favorite Colors: Mirrored Minnow, DD Minnow

-Megabass Deep Six: http://bit.ly/2A3clKP

Favorite Colors: MB Gizzard, Ito Wakasagi

-Megabass Deep X 300: http://bit.ly/2sSQHpt

Favorite Colors: MB Gizzard, Megabass Sexy Shad

-Spro Rock Crawler: http://bit.ly/2NFPA5t

Favorite Colors: Phantom Green, Mud Bug, Ozark Craw

All-Around Crankbait Rod... 

Rod- Shimano Zodias 7'6" MH Glass: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Shimano Tranx 200 HG: http://bit.ly/2Tv0yCy

Line- Sunline Assassin 15 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Budget Crankbait Rod... 

Rod- Shimano Intenza 7'6" MH Glass: http://bit.ly/2QADLTq

Reel- Shimano SLX XT HG: http://bit.ly/2BRTYL8

Line- Sunline Assassin 15 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Winter Speed Cranking Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 906 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Shimano Bantam MGL HG: http://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line- 12 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Hat: https://bit.ly/31EYB8W

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G

Post Spawn Crankbait Fishing Tricks - Speed Cranking For Aggressive Bass!

Forget the way you fish crankbaits! If you're not speed cranking in the post spawn, you're missing an amazing opportunity to catch big bass. Its all about TRIGGERING a reaction strike. Whether you're a Southern Largemouth guy or a Northern Smallmouth guy, you have an amazing opportunity right now to force feed your crankbaits to the bass. The crank's ability to fire up a feeding frenzy is second to none as bass are moving toward their Summer haunts and you don't want to miss it!

This technique works incredibly well this time of year. It doesn't matter if your fish are 20' deep feeding on outside ledges or 2' deep on shallow rock bars. The method works in both scenarios, you just need to adapt the specific baits to maintain the speed at different depths. We find that carrying a variety of squarebill crankbaits, mid divers, and deep divers will allow you to adapt to changing conditions. Also, traditional knowledge would encourage using ghost colors in clear water but we've found that during this period you can see incredible results fishing bold colors like Chartreuse or chartreuse/Blue, even in gin clear water. 

Below you'll find a breakdown of the baits and equipment Matt discussed along with size and color recommendations. The links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

Summer Bait... 

-Strike King 6XD: http://bit.ly/2ery44M

Colors: Chart Sexy Shad, Powder Blue Back Chart

Squarebills... 

-Strike King KVD HC 1.0 Squarebill: http://bit.ly/2Pz3HvE

Colors- The Shizzle, Summer Sexy Shad

-Lucky Craft BDS-3: http://bit.ly/2blTVwI

Colors- Golden Shiner, Ghost Minnow

-Damiki BTC 60: https://bit.ly/35yagXK

Colors- Baby Bow, Threadfin Flash

Deep Cranks... 

-River2Sea Tactical Crank DD 75: http://bit.ly/37dclbX

Colors- Metallic Shad, Natural Gill

-Megabass Deep X 300: http://bit.ly/2sSQHpt

Colors- See Through Chart, Blue Back Matte Chart, Sexy Ayu

-Norman Deep Little N: http://bit.ly/2acSLUd

Colors- Chart/Blue, Chartreuse Shad, Nutter Shad

Mid Cranks...

-Norman Deep Baby N: http://bit.ly/2O9CAcu

Colors- Chart Blue, Nutter Shad, Sexy Shad

-SPRO Rock Crawler 55: http://bit.ly/2BLmsVN

Colors- Phantom Green, Missouri Craw, MudBug

Hook and Split Ring Upgrades... 

-Owner Hyperwire Size 3 Split Rings: http://bit.ly/2v8ArBX

-Owner ST-56 Size 4 Trebles: http://bit.ly/2cVg7xW

-Gamakatsu EWG Size 4 Trebles: http://bit.ly/2cZrsbY

Fluorocarbon Crankbait Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 906 CBR (7'6" MH): http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Bantam MGL 150 XG: http://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line- Sunline Assassin Fluorocarbon 12 lb: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Braid Crankbait Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 845 CBR (7'6" MH): http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Bantam MGL 150 HG: http://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 20 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Maxima Ultragreen 12 lb Mono: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G