Americana Outdoors E-Magazine - June 2021

calls aggressive trophy bass from a distance.

“Like the original Little John, it has more of a pivoting action,” Crews said. “It’ll get down to 8 feet deep, and thumps in an annoying fashion to trigger even reluctant biters.”

“They’re both good year-round, especially in crowded areas,” Crews explained. “But the MD has more of a swimming action and comes through cover really well, while the shallower-diving version has more of a pivoting action.” Both come in silent versions as well as “Type R” rattling models. “The two times I really like a rattle are when I’m around a whole lot of baitfish and when I’m fishing in grass. The rattle helps the bass find the bait.”

Finally, for those committed deep water anglers who want to tempt pressured schools, SPRO offers two models that will touch and even exceed the magic 20 foot mark. The DD 70 is a 3/4 ounce beast that “comes through deep brush really well.” The ultimate deep diver, however, is the DD 90, which Crews said will easily grind into the bottom at 23 feet on a long cast with the proper tackle. “There are only a handful of crankbaits that’ll get that deep, and this one has a lot more subtle wobble than some of the other extra-deep-diving baits.” Of course, even the best cranking tools won’t excel if you don’t put them in the proper places. Crews said that “you always want your crankbait to be deflecting off cover or close to cover. Because they’re often moving at a rapid pace, it’s also essential to use a cranking rod with some “give” in it. That allows the fish to take the bait, rather than you pulling it away.” If you’re not cranking throughout the water column, you’re not making the most of your time on the lake, and SPRO gives you the full set of tools to get the job done all year long.

The newest addition to the team is the Little John Micro DD 45, featuring an ultra-compact body that still gets down in a hurry. “I wanted a small, subtle vibration crankbait that would get deeper than anything else that size,” Crews explained. “That little rascal will get every bit of 9 or 10 feet down but it’s still heavy enough to throw on baitcasting gear. It’s great in the early prespawn, and in highly pressured areas. Those fish in that depth range don’t see subtle vibrating crankbaits very often.”

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the Little John XL, a 3/4 ounce large-bodied thumper that