Strike King Pro-Model Crank Baits
One of the best ways to cover water really quickly in order to figure out where the fish are is to run a crank bait. You’ve learned the basics about crank baits from my previous article Crank Baits, but now I want to start focusing on specific ones. This time I will feature the crank baits from Strike King, specifically the Pro-Model. These have to be my favourite lures to use and they are no joke. Bass gobble these guys up and I’ve also caught numerous pike on them too. They are very versatile for all fishing conditions and come in such a variety of running depths that you can really pick and choose the right one for what you’re fishing.
The models are varied and come in everything from a very small and light 3/16 oz and go all the way up to a beefy 1 oz. These lures are perfect for bait-casters and are an easy worry free way to get your bait into the strike zone. Here are the basics that you need to know. Series 1, 3, 4S, 4, 5, and 6 all have an oval shaped lip. As they go up in series number they also go up in size, weight, and the depth they run. Depending on the series model you can get them to dive anywhere from 2 to 14 feet. The easy way to check this out is to simply read the packaging, it will tell you all the specs on the bait. Another added bonus with these guys are the rattles which create more noise and vibration that really entice the fish to bite. Since fish are really sensitive to any vibrations, the rattles along with the side to side action of this bait will for sure land you some nice bass and the occasional pike.
The other models are the Mini 3, Series 1XS, Series 6XD, and the KVD. The mini is perfect for early season fishing when the shad are still small. By now you should of heard the saying “match the hatch” which basically stems from fly fishing but is also transferable to regular fishing. The idea is that you want your bait to represent exactly what the fish are eating, so early in the season a small bait like the Mini 3 is perfect, since the bait fish are small.
The Series 1XS is slightly different from the other series of baits as it has a square lip. Personally I find this square lip to be perfect for throwing the bait into heavy structure, such as tree stumps and fallen wood. With the shorter square lip I find my bait bounces off the trees a lot easier than with the oval shaped lip from the regular series baits. The regular series are a better choice for more open water if the fish are hiding deeper in the water column. If they are really deep you can turn to the Series 6XD. This bad boy drops, and drops quick into 19 feet of water for really deep fishing.
Finally comes the KVD from this Pro-Model line up. Now if I have to tell you about KVD you need to learn a little more about fishing. KVD stands for the top bass angler in the world, Kevin VanDam. If you know or follow the fishing tournaments, you know about KVD. He is the reason why this whole Pro-Model line up was created, and his KVD model is similar to the Series 1XS except that it has no rattles. If you are on a quiet lake and the fish are close to you, use the KVD and you won’t spook the fish.
As for colours, there are a ton to choose from. I have found that for my style of fishing and the lakes I fish on a regular basis, the traditional Sexy Shad colour is the best. For 2011, they call this colour The Chartreuse Sexy Shad, but I have caught a few pike on the Citrus Shad as well, so it all depends on what you’re after. Since there is such a wide range of colours my suggestion is to get a few of these baits in a few colours and see what works for you. Try getting a more natural colour, a high visibility colour like red, and a colour that is somewhere in between. For fishing the lakes of Southern Ontario bass the Strike King Pro-Model crank bait is the perfect way to start since it is a super easy to fish and hardly ever gets hung up on trees.
