We all have a few select baits that we instinctively turn to when the fishing gets difficult. As bass fishing is getting tougher by the day in many parts of the country, having the utmost confidence in your baits is vital for a good day on the water. For this very reason, you will always find a Bandit Flat Maxx in our boats.
When you make your first cast with the Flat Maxx, you will immediately notice its outstanding castability. Many crankbaits can be an absolute pain to fish with—you make a perfect cast, delicately landing the plug right next to a sexy blowdown, only to be forced to reel it in and do it all over again due to the hooks tangling on the bill. With the Flat Maxx, there is absolutely no possible way for the front treble to hook the bill. You can twist and pull the front treble hooks every way imaginable without any tangling whatsoever. Any crankbait fisherman can really appreciate that.
Most anglers have had some great crankbaits in the past that catch a bunch of fish, but just don’t cast well. In both calm and windy conditions, this crankbait sails through the air with no “helicopter” effect. This characteristic makes the Flat Maxx ideal for targeting big bass on windy primary points. As the bass begin their excursion towards deeper water, this crankbait will catch those transitioning fish in some of the most unfriendly casting conditions imaginable.
Perhaps the most important trait of this crankbait is its “hunting” action. While each Flat Maxx does run straight out of the box every single time, throughout your retrieve you will notice an occasional switch in directions. To wary bass, slight directional changes appear more natural, triggering their predatory instinct to attack it. Although the industry offers anglers an infinite number of crankbaits to choose from, we have found it very difficult to find an affordable crankbait with a true “hunting” action. In addition to its unique action, the Flat Maxx is very simple to tune, making it a great choice for those awkward casting angles in skinny water.
Bandit designed the Flat Maxx with a coffin-shaped lip, differentiating this crankbait from a traditional squarebill. When fishing it through thick wood cover and big chunk rock, the uniquely-shaped lip allows the bait to make its way through the crud with ease. If it hits a piece of cover, a simple pause will cause the Flat Maxx to switch directions, making it hard for a big bass to ignore. This crankbait is a workhorse, as its resistance to annoying hang-ups gives anglers the opportunity to cover more water and the confidence to throw it into the nastiest cover on the lake.
While the Flat Maxx certainly isn’t the only crankbait on the market with rattles, don’t think that all rattling crankbaits are created equally. This bait emits a much different, deeper rattling sound than other similar crankbaits. You would be hard-pressed to find a crankbait in your tackle box that has the same sound as a Flat Maxx. In pressured public fisheries, bass become accustomed to seeing the same baits every weekend, making the distinctive sound of the Flat Maxx deadly for highly pressured waters. The rip rap of bridges are very common places for bass fishermen to target, and you can go right behind other anglers and catch fish with a Flat Maxx that they have missed.
Lastly, the Bandit Flat Maxx holds up well to the everyday abuse of squarebill fishing. With a durable paint job and a solid connection between the lip and the body of the bait, you can count on your Flat Maxx to catch fish for a long time to come. Although durable, it’s still important to practice caution when casting around structure, as they will crack if you fire them into a dock.
If you’re fighting the battle against finicky fish this season, we definitely recommend the Bandit Flat Maxx. With a price tag of $5.39 per bait, this crankbait offers outstanding fish-catching characteristics for a very reasonable price.
To view the entire line of Bandit Flat Maxx Crankbaits, please visit Tacklewarehouse.com.
