Precision Crankin'

When you're fishing structure, you've got to know where the bass should be. Pick out that pair of stumps rising off a ledge in 18 feet of water. Sonar doesn't show a fish, but there just has to be at least one good one.

Finding such a spot is less than half the battle -- hitting the spot with precision is the next part of the equation. A new crankbait you must try for such situations is Rapala's DT (stands for "Dives-to") Series. The DT10 is rated and tested to kick structure 10 feet down when fished on 10-pound-test line. Its big brother, the DT16, does likewise for stuff in the 16-foot range, like our little stumpy spot.

The bait's bill design is new, crafted with the technical know-how than no less a crankbait guru than David Fritts. The slightly curved polycarbonate lip slices the water to make the bait dive at a steep angle. As a result, you're where you want to be fast.

At the other end of the cast, it hugs bottom till it's close to the boat, then abruptly rises. So you have more coverage when cranking stumpfields, ledges, deep rockpiles, and other productive structures. You will like this bait.

Power Casting Made Easy

Weigh the bait with your rod tip. See how it flexes in readiness. Now rear back and fire. Let her rip! That's the way to propel a crankbait when you want to cover water to find fish fast. Or when you're searching a major flat for a concentration of fish holding in some patch of cover.

When you power a cast, you want your lure to do its part, flying true and far, not tumbling or planing off. Like a bullet they say, but how many baits do that consistently? Rapala's DT crankbaits don't just dive with precision, they also cast with precision. That means you'll have your lure in the strike zone for extra minutes each hour. That adds up in a 10-hour day. Could mean that big one you're looking for.

The secret of long casting lies in the balance of the DT cranks. There's enough weight in that thin tail to drill the air. The DT lands with its bill facing you, ready to nose down and dive. Designer David Fritts says he can cast the DT16 50 yards. Let's go out and try to beat him!

Rattling Balsa

Balsa cranks float up fast, which means less trouble in snaggy conditions. Balsa gives when big predators bite down on it -- so it doesn't slip out of their mouths easily on the hookset. These advantages and others have endeared balsa to plug fishermen for over half a century.

One disadvantage has always been the lack of versatility with regard to sound. Balsa cranks have seldom imcorporated rattles -- until now. The new Rapala DT Cranks incorporate brass rattle chambers, providing a balsa solution for high-water conditions in rivers and reservoirs with lots of wood cover. In cloudy or muddy water, added sound is a plus. In wood, the DT Crank backs out of trouble with a little slack line, and sounds off as soon as the retrieve is resumed.

DT Cranks are built in solid halves, with holes drilled midway through each half, perpendicular to the direction of line pull. Brass rattle chambers are inserted in these holes and the bait is fused together.

With the rattle chamber running side-to-side, or perpendicular to the pull, the bait gets the most rattle possible per motion. Each side-to-side motion causes the bearings to slide and collide, so as long as the DT Crank is moving through water, it's sending out a constant message: bite this, smart bass.

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