Americana Outdoors E-Magazine - June 2021

SPRO® HAS CRANKING COVERED AT ALL DEPTHS! For twelve-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier John Crews, a crankbait is a money-making tool that triggers strikes throughout the water column, but without the proper vibration and deflecting qualities, you’re going to get beaten every time. That’s why he relies on SPRO® crankbaits whether he’s bumping bottom in a foot of water or dredging offshore structures over 20 feet deep. “The biggest thing with a crankbait is that they have a vibration that appeals to the lateral line of a bass unlike any other bait,” he said. “There are times when that’s the only thing they’ll touch.” Still, not every crankbait fits the bill for every scenario. That’s why the veteran pro employs a full arsenal of diving plugs.

It starts with the hard-hunting Fat John 50 and 60. Although Crews himself has the physique of an athlete, he relies on these wide-bodied “bad dudes” in water less than 3 feet deep. “They move a ton of water and create a bigger presence than other lures their size as you reel. Sometimes that appeals more to a bass, especially big bass.” When bass demand a more subtle crankbait, that’s when he turns to the original Little Johns, flat- sided, tight-wobbling lures that embody the best attributes of old-school handmade crankbaits, without their downsides. “All of the Little Johns were built on the premise of hard plastic with the characteristics of wood. They have the shape, size, bill angle, and that same lively action of the old-school balsa baits, but they still cast extremely well and are more durable.” The original Little John 50 may be compact, but at 1/2 ounce and with a tungsten weight-transfer system it casts like a bullet and covers the 3 to 5 foot range efficiently. The MD50 has a larger lip that gets it down to the 7 to 9 foot range, but that’s not the only difference.