Best Deep Diving Crankbaits for Year-Round Success
Deep diving crankbaits are my favorite lures to use when targeting bass. Over the years I have tried hundreds of different deep divers and narrowed my selection down to just 9 crankbaits.
During the summer there are 5 deep divers I like to use to target deep bass. In the winter my selection is even smaller at only 4 lures. Below you will find the best 9 deep diving crankbaits that have proven themselves over the years.
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Best Deep Diving Crankbaits for Warm Water
When fishing warmer water, you want a wider action. Summertime especially is all about solid and bright bold colors. My favorite 5 summer deep crankbaits are:
1. Azuma Timmy Horton Z Boss
The Azuma Z Boss has a sleek profile that reduces drag and dives faster. The reduced drag makes a noticeable difference in fatigue after a day of fishing. The sleek design produces a tight wobble action to trigger lure shy fish.
The Z Boss has a weight transfer system that allows you to make further casts. Longer casts ensure your lure spends the maximum time in the strike zone.
Sizes: 22 or 24
Colors: Grand Shad, Gold Digger, Gold Digger Chartreuse
| Lure | Length | Weight | Depth |
| Azuma Z Boss 22 | 3-3/8″ | 1-1/2oz | 15-18ft |
| Azuma Z Boss 24 | 4″ | 1-7/8 oz | 17-21 ft |
2. Stike King 10XD
The Strike King 10XD is a mammoth bait. It measures 6″ in length and can dive 25 feet. The 10XD allows you to reach fish that aren’t used to seeing crankbaits at that depth. The large size and diving depth make it a great lure for targeting giant bass.
The large size and weight of the lure will cause fatigue faster than the smaller baits you are used to. When fishing a 10XD it is important to make sure you have a rod designed for larger baits.
Colors: Sexy Blue Back Herring, Olive Shad
| Lure | Length | Weight | Depth |
| Strike King 10XD | 6″ | 1.92 oz | 25 ft |
3. Duel Hardcore Bullet 7+
The Duel Bullet has a very large bill like the 10XD but the body is much smaller. This allows the bait to reach those deep depths while remaining in a smaller profile. This makes it have less drag so it won’t tire you out as much as a 10XD.
Colors: Blue Sexy Shad, Green Gizzard Shad
| Lure | Length | Weight | Depth |
| Duel Hardcore Bullet Crank 7+ | 4″ | 2 oz | 20-27 ft |
4. Norman DD22
The Norman DD22 is one of the cheapest crankbait on our list. This makes it perfect for new anglers wanting to try out deep-diving crankbaits for the first time.
Colors: Lavender Shad, TW Ghost Chart Blue, Chili Bowl
| Lure | Length | Weight | Depth |
| Bill Norman DD 22 | 3″ | 5/8 oz | 15-18 ft |
5. Strike King 6XD
The Strike King 6XD is my personal favorite summertime bass lure and I’m not alone. It is one of the most popular deep-diving crankbait and it is perfect for someone looking to try a deep crank. If you just want one deep crank then this is the one.
Colors: Powder Blue Back Char, Sexy Shad, Blue Gizzard Shad
| Lure | Length | Weight | Depth |
| Strike King 6XD | 3″ | 1 oz | 17+ ft |
Best Deep Diving Crankbaits for Cold Water
When fishing deep cranks during the colder months you want to use more natural colors. You are looking for crankbaits with a tighter wobble. My favorite 4 winter deep crankbaits are:
1. River2Sea Tactical Bassin’ DD
The River2Sea Tactical Bassin’ DD was specifically designed for cold weather by Matt Allen and Tim Little from Tactical Bassin. This lure thrives when water temperatures drop down into the 50s to 30s. It is designed to be fished fast to force fish to chase it down. It has a tight wobble action and puts out a great noise with its beads.
Recommended Colors: Ghost Minnow & Mirrored Minnow
| Lure | Length | Weight | Depth |
| River2Sea Tactical Bassin’ DD | 3″ | 3/4 oz | 18 ft |
2. Megabass Deep-X 300
The Megabass Deep-X 300 is a bigger profile, deep diver. It is great for targeting giant bass. Its bill has a balancing system that helps it dive almost vertically so the bait spends more time at its maximum depth.
Ideal for knocking into rocky bottom to create irregular deflection and darting.
Colors: Sexy Ayu, Kisyu Ayu, MB Gizzard
| Lure | Length | Weight | Depth |
| Megabass Deep-X 300 | 2.95″ | 3/4 oz | 12-15 ft |
3. Megabass Deep-Six
The Megabass Deep-Six is another great deep diver by Megabass. It has a long thin bill to help it dive deep quickly.
The Deep-Six has a moving balancing system that helps cast longer, deeper diving angle, and produce better action at its maximum depth.
When casting, the weight moves to the tail to maximize aerodynamics and casting distance. When diving, the weight moves to the nose of the lure to increase the diving angle, which helps it reach maximum depth faster.
When the Deep-Six reaches its maximum diving depth the balancer allows the weight to slide which increases its action by transitioning from wobbling to rolling.
Colors: Ito Wakasagi, MB Gizzard, Kisyu Ayu
| Lure | Length | Weight | Depth |
| Megabass Deep-Six | 3.15″ | 7/8 oz | 20 ft |
4. SPRO Mike McClelland RkCrawler
SPRO Mike McClelland RkCrawler
The SPRO RkCrawler like the name suggests thrives when fishing around rock. You want to make a ton of bottom contact causing the lure to deflect off the rock aggressively. This lure comes in a ton of different craw colors because crawdads primarily hangout around rock. If your body of water has a lot of rock this lure is a must-have.
Recommended Colors: Molting Craw & Phantom Brown
| Lure | Length | Weight | Depth |
| Spro Rk Crawler | 2.17″ | 1/2 oz | 9-14 ft |
Learn how and when to use deep diving crankbaits.