Bass fishing is a multi-billion-dollar business. And the marketplace is flooded with lure manufacturers all vying for a bite of that action. Some have figured out how to not only reinvent but also improve upon the wheel. Others, however, have to think outside the box. We’re going to look at a few of those as we sample what’s new with crankbaits.
Lunkerhunt Glitch Blade Crankbait
The Lunkerhunt Glitch Blade Crankbait is as much of a mashup as its name implies. Taking the front end of a crankbait and the tail end of a blade bait, Lunkerhunt merged the two to create a shallow diving, tail-swinging oddity that doesn’t look all that bad in the water.
The blade creates a bit of a clanking noise as it rocks back and forth and knocks against the body of the crankbait. There is some added flash from the blade half for sure, though I’m not sure how much more than if it were just a chrome-painted squarebill.
Still, the bait ran true right out of the pack and has strong and sharp hooks on it. I didn’t catch anything during the few casts I got, but I’m confident this bait will get bites.
Shimano World Rush Flash Boost Squarebill Crankbait
For the Flash Boost Squarebill, Shimano left a window of the bait transparent on both sides to reveal a flashing piece of foil within. This foil is suspended within the bait on a spring and is set into motion with the slightest movement. This Flash Boost technology is a pretty cool concept, and something I really like about Shimano’s Gravitator glidebait.
In the squarebill, I’m not sure how necessary it is. I believe bass will bite this bait, as it’s a straight-running quality squarebill build — the hooks are fantastic, too. But I don’t know if the Flash Boost will be the deciding factor. I think this one will catch a lot of fish, but even more fishermen.
6th Sense Unit 24 Crankbait
This monstrosity of a lure stood out for sure when I was looking for new and unusual crankbaits. At nearly eight inches long and weighing over three ounces, this segmented, super-sized crankbait is the largest I’ve ever thrown. I tested it in a pond I know to be around 24 feet at its deepest. This crankbait is designed to run 22 to 26 feet deep. I can tell you that I was unable to find any direction I could throw it where it wouldn’t dig down and grind on the bottom.
When I picked this one out, I was thinking “deep-diving glide bait” just because of its sheer size and segmented nature. But I spaced on physics, and was kind of bummed to find that it ran like a normal crankbait, perhaps with a slightly wider tail kick. Still, we’ve seen anglers counting down glidebaits with forward-facing sonar — we know the deeper fish will hit a bait this size. Now, with the Unit 24, you can get an extremely large bait down to them even quicker.
Nishine Lure Works Chippawa XDD Crankbait
I first tried out a Nishine crankbait in August 2020. I distinctly remember how much it impressed me but haven’t revisited the company’s products since. Well, after sampling the Chippawa XDD, I hope that I don’t make that mistake again. This crankbait is my favorite of the oddities we’re looking at today, because it solves a problem.
I’ve long wanted a deep-diving crankbait with a smaller profile. One that I can use in the winter to hang close to steep banks and bluffs — something that would get a little deeper than the Shad Raps and other finesse crankbaits. The Chippawa XDD shoots to the bottom, runs true, and gets a 2 1/2-inch bait down to 15 feet deep. Love the quality of these baits. Love the hooks. This is one I see myself using a lot this winter.
Lunkerhunt Boshi Blade Crankbait
The Boshi Blade Crankbait is another Lunkerhunt creation that pairs the trend and true fish-cantingness of a crankbait with that of a blade. Lunkerhunt attached a blade to the belly of this bait using what would usually be the forward hook hanger. To modify the bait so that it could still hold two trebles, the Boshi sports an additional hook hanger right under the bill of the crankbait.
This one ran a little to the left out of the pack. I did like the tiny blade dangling underneath it. It got me thinking, though, about how much of a difference it could make on a shad color crankbait just to swap out stock hooks for shiny silver ones. Red hooks are obviously a big deal to a lot of crankers. So, it makes sense that this little blade could entice a bass over the edge. Either way, a pretty cool bait to cap off the “what’s new in crankbaits” conversation.
