DT Flats...........Yeah or Nay

[RumRiverRat]

Not to hijack another thread.

I attempted to keep Rapala in business last summer and went on a Crank Bait Buying Binge.

I have 4 Plano 3701's crammed full of Crankin Raps, DT 4's, 6's and DT Flats.

I love the Crankin Raps and DT 4 and 6's for fishing the Mississippi for smallmouths.

Funny thing is I could not catch a cold with the DT Flats.

I could cast to a spot and not get bit and then the other guy in the boat could throw a DT 4 or Crankin Rap in the same spot and the fish smash the lure as soon as it hits the water.

This happened numerous times.

I could throw DT Flats over shallow rock piles on Mille Lacs and not get bit, then throw the Cranking Rap or the DT 4/6 and put 3 or 4 fish in the boat on consecutive casts.

So what gives?

Operator Error?

[guidemane]

I use them both, however the round bodied dt series imitates a crawdad much better than the flat sided bait does. The flat baits work better in open water or where shad or some other type of baitfish, is the primary forage. JMHO.

"Ace"

[NTW]

Interesting... I've used them in areas as gill imitators and bass/pike/walleye have bit.

[RumRiverRat]

We learned that the smallies on the Miss from Camden Bridge down to Ford Dam key on Baitfish more that crawdads.

The Crawdad patterns worked better in August and September. But Baitfish pattern cranks were top producers.

At the start of the season cranks in Baby Bass colors would out fish any other color 20 to 1.

I figured with the narrow baitfish profile of the flat that they would work better.

[Nick Kuhn]

They work well on LM and pike. Never tried to get smallies with them so I can't really say. I've even picked up an eye or two on them, although those catches seemed very out of place.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Ive done well with them.

Could be lots of factors...

Flat and round baits give different flash and vibration signatures, different size/profiles, different diving depths...

Just use what you have confidence in and what the fish are biting on a given day or given time, but yes the flats catch fish.

What time of year did this occur? Have you given them a shot in colder water?

[bemidjibasser]

I think turnup kind of nailed it. Flat baits have a tighter wiggle than rounded baits that wobble. From my experiences, a flat bait works much better in colder water early and late in the year, where rounded baits work better in the warmer water months.

[Deitz Dittrich]

As I said in the other post.. the DT Flats may be one of my fave baits out there.. The DT 7FS.. yummy.

[Friar_Tuck]

round body cranks don't imitate a craw at all. a crank may imitate a craw if your diggin them in the bottom possibly. cranks imitiate baitfish or simply perceived as easy prey. the difference is the water they move & vibrations given off.

my experience as mentioned above is warm water ='s fat cranks(wide wobble) & colder water ='s flat cranks (tight wobble) ~ generally speakin ;0)

[RK]

Hiya -

Could be as simple as using them in current vs. still water.

Not all cranks work well in current and the Flats might be on of those. I love the Bomber 5A and 6A for river smallies for just that reason - they run great even in pretty heavy current. Sounds like the DT4 and 6 might too.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[RK]

RR - interesting observation on them feeding more on baitfish than crayfish. Sometimes guys hear 'smallmouth' and automatically think 'crayfish' but they're fish eaters a lot of the time. On lakes whether they're looking up for baitfish or down for crayfish can be a huge determining factor in presentation. If they're looking up it can be hard to get them to look down, and vice versa. It's one of the first things I try to figure out.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[guidemane]

Cranks don't imitate craws at all?????

I'm afraid I can't agree with that at all my friend. I catch 100's of Smallies evey year on crawdad pattern crankbaits. The fish I catch are spitting crawdads up all over the place. I think that makes it pretty obvious that they are feeding on craws and the baits they are hitting, are imitating that forage.

"Ace"

[Friar_Tuck]

colors i agree with have an affect but cranks don't imitate a craw. there is nothing about a crank that moves like a craw. just like a spinnerbait doesn't imitate a bluegill or whatever~it just resembles a food source/easy prey.

[Cecil]

I have had great luck with Bandit cranks in current too. I do think the round bodies track better in current than the flats. It would make sense that the water just flows around them better.

[guidemane]

If you don't think a crankbait running along the bottom, doesn't in any way imitate a crawdad, you may want to watch how a crawfish moves when it's on the run.

Ask any pro what is a crankbait imitating when it's bouncing along the bottom and he'll say "A crawdad"....

Spinnerbaits may not look like a bluegill to you, however there is no way you can tell what it looks like to a bass. That afterall is all that matters, right?

"Ace"

[Friar_Tuck]

I did say this above in my original post

Quote:

a crank may imitate a craw if your diggin them in the bottom

i'm quite familiar with how a craw, defensive craw or what a fleeing craw looks like. a crankbait doesn't resemble the movements at all. except maybe diggin in the bottom looks like a fleeing craw a bit by kickin up sediment. imho a craw colored crank is more about the color & water displacement/vibrations then it is about mimicking an actual craw.

anyhoo' whether its just a reaction strike of simply perceived as an easy meal doesn't matter as long as it produces.

[guideman]

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

P.S, Thanks Rick!

[RumRiverRat]

RR - interesting observation on them feeding more on baitfish than crayfish. Sometimes guys hear 'smallmouth' and automatically think 'crayfish' but they're fish eaters a lot of the time. On lakes whether they're looking up for baitfish or down for crayfish can be a huge determining factor in presentation. If they're looking up it can be hard to get them to look down, and vice versa. It's one of the first things I try to figure out.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

The pattern is very consistent on that stretch. The number of 1 to 3 inch baitfish that jump out of the water ahead of your lure is amazing. Plenty of food in that stretch for the fish.

If we saw baitfish jumping we knew we were going to catch fish.

I am confident in saying that the Smallies on that stretch look up a lot of the time to feed.

They routinely smash a DT4 as soon as it hits the water, as long as you get in right next to the bank, the key is deciding what type of banks to fish.

[Superduty]

Off topic, but if they are hitting the dt's as soon as they hit the water, I would think a topwater run parallel(spelling?) to the bank would be deadly. Worth a shot anyway.

[Juan Grande]

I have a bunch of those DT flats too since they're on sale a lot at Cabelas. Haven't caught much them yet though.

When you're picking out a crank to use do you always try to match the food source or do you just try different colors to see what works? The reason I ask I have one of those DT Flat (7') in purple and yellow. Cool looking color pattern, but I'm not really sure what it would imitate. A bullhead maybe?

[RumRiverRat]

Off topic, but if they are hitting the dt's as soon as they hit the water, I would think a topwater run parallel(spelling?) to the bank would be deadly. Worth a shot anyway.

It probably would.

The fish that tend to hit the bait as soon as it lands are right next to the bank. I suppose if you hit them on the head they just react.

I can throw a Weightless Texas Rigged Zoom Fluke and they will absolutely crush it as soon as it hits the water as well.

[RumRiverRat]

Juan,

You used that crank a Mille Lacs the first time we went up there right?

That would be a good color for Pike or Largemouth.

I love Bright Colored Cranks for Pike.

Typically with cranks I use natural looking in clear water and brighter colors in darker water.

But Firetiger patterns seem to work in all water regardless of clarity.

[Juan Grande]

Yep, good memory. I really like Fire Tiger too.

How did hunting season treat you?

[RumRiverRat]

Yep, good memory. I really like Fire Tiger too.

How did hunting season treat you?

Shape and action of the crank is important as well.

Good, had several memorable duck hunts.

If you want to scratch the Bass Fishing Itch 6 or 8 weeks earlier than normal this year let me know. You have my email and #.

[Juan Grande]

Sounds good Rick, I'll give you a call when the ice starts to thaw.