| If you haven't gotten any Lucky Craft crankbaits | | | | eggs off bass beds."Clunn's second favorite time of |
| yet, you may have missed the boat, (literally!). This is | | | | year to fish these baits is in the late summer to fall |
| the hottest bait on the market besides the Sweet | | | | time when bass are following shad into the backs of |
| Beaver which will be in the Delaware Tackle store | | | | creeks."During the late spring and early summer the |
| soon, (I just spoke to Andre Moore), and they are | | | | 2.5 and 3.5 are my preferred sizes," Clunn says. "In |
| moving and backorders are down to 3-4 weeks now, | | | | the fall, when shad are the main bass forage, I'll start |
| and will soon be up to date. Anyway, back to the | | | | with the 2.5, but if bass want a smaller profile, I'll drop |
| Lucky Craft crankbaits. Are they expensive? Yes!! | | | | down to the 1.5."Clunn's Cranking CredibilityRick Clunn |
| Are they worth it?? YES!!! I climbed a tree to get one | | | | knows crankbaits. Whether it was his astounding |
| when it was the last one left in a particular color. One | | | | 1990 Bassmaster Classic win on the James River with |
| of our Pro Staff threw himself into the water from | | | | a cedar "coffin-bill" diver, or his 2000 FLW Tour |
| his boat to get one back, it is that good!You can go | | | | Wal-Mart Open victory on Beaver Lake with a |
| right in behind any number of anglers competing at | | | | shallow square-billed wobbler, or his impressive 2001 |
| any level and catch bass right behind them on these | | | | BASS Megabucks victory on an ultra-deep diving plug |
| baits. You don't have to listen to me though, listen to | | | | - Clunn has fashioned a legendary bass fishing career |
| Rick Clunn and a thousand others who know how | | | | out of his knowledge of diving baits.Of course, he is |
| effective this bait is!Clunn's Fishing DreamsIn 2001, | | | | best known for his four Bassmaster Classic wins, |
| Rick Clunn completed his quest for the BASS "Triple | | | | three of which came on crankbaits. In addition, he |
| Crown" by winning Megabucks. Though he had won | | | | has won 10 other BASS events and 3 FLW events. |
| four Bassmasters Classics and an Angler of the Year | | | | Of those 13 victories, 8 were achieved with |
| title earlier in his career, it was the Megabucks title | | | | crankbaits.Essentially, Clunn has turned crankbaits into |
| that eluded him the longest."I had been so close to | | | | a science. He has spent hundreds of hours analyzing |
| winning Megabucks on two other occasions," Clunn | | | | crankbait actions in an effort to identify their strike |
| recalls. "So when I won Megabucks at Douglas Lake | | | | provoking qualities. He coined the term "deflection" to |
| in 2001, it was certainly a satisfying win."Now that | | | | describe the way a crankbait should "bounce" off a |
| Clunn has won nearly every major title in competitive | | | | piece of cover to trigger a strike.Lucky Craft Lures |
| bass fishing, what's left for him to accomplish?For | | | | tapped Clunn's rich crankbait knowledge when they |
| Clunn, the eternal dream of bass fishing is not about | | | | set out to design the ultimate square-billed shallow |
| filling his shelves with trophies; his bass fishing dream | | | | diver."Wood crankbaits have always been heralded |
| is fueled by the quest to, "touch perfection.""Certainly | | | | for having the best deflection properties," Clunn says. |
| winning is a part of the fishing dream," Clunn says. | | | | "However, wood baits are fragile; they have trouble |
| "But it's not the whole dream. Winning and touching | | | | standing up to the abuse a tournament angler can |
| perfection are two different things."Clunn defines | | | | dole out during a rigorous day of cranking stumps or |
| touching perfection as a period during the fishing day | | | | rock. So I helped Lucky Craft design a bait that |
| when the universe becomes timeless and he is fishing | | | | combines the durability of plastic with the intense |
| every moment with such absolute perfection that | | | | deflection of wood."These buoyant, fat-bodied |
| doubt, judgment and expectation no longer | | | | shallow runners feature a unique square bill that gives |
| exist."Everything becomes effortless because all | | | | a more radical deflection for a plastic bait."Many of |
| negativity ceases to exists," he explains. "All negative | | | | the bills on traditional square-lipped baits are thick and |
| things are purged and transformed into positive | | | | it hinders their ability to dive and reach a critical |
| things. The wind becomes a positive because it | | | | vibration," Clunn says. "I worked with Lucky Craft in |
| pushes you to the next fish. Getting hung up | | | | designing a bill for the Lucky Craft that is much |
| becomes a positive because it leads you to a | | | | thinner so it cuts the water better for consistent |
| different casting angle that produces a fish. Your | | | | tracking and enhanced deflection."How to Fish the |
| mind, body and soul become one and everything | | | | Lucky Craft SeriesWhen Rick Clunn fishes his Lucky |
| works in harmony - it's truly a special place."However, | | | | Craft Series crankbaits, he does it with attitude. The |
| touching perfection is rare, even for | | | | four-time Bassmaster Classic Champion designed |
| Clunn."Sometimes it lasts for 15 minutes; sometimes it | | | | these fat-bodied, square-billed lures to boldly crash |
| lasts for an hour," he reveals. "Only once have I | | | | through cover and provoke strikes - and that's |
| touched perfection for a full day, and it was | | | | exactly how he fishes them."The crankbait is a |
| amazing."The desire to touch perfection more | | | | 'target' bait," Clunn explains. "By that I mean it's |
| frequently and for longer periods of time is what | | | | designed to make contact with specific objects or |
| keeps Clunn casting."As humans we want to touch | | | | targets, usually shallow, visible pieces of cover like |
| perfection in something - mine just happens to be in | | | | stumps, laydowns, pilings or rocks."They will run to a |
| fishing," he says. "To touch perfection on the water | | | | depth of 4 feet, but Clunn uses his rod to manipulate |
| for any length of time is my eternal fishing dream; to | | | | the lure's depth as it approaches a target."I use the |
| touch perfection for an entire tournament and win is | | | | rod to control the angle and depth of the bait to |
| my ultimate fishing dream."Seasonal Patterns for the | | | | make sure I contact the 'sweet spot' on the target," |
| Lucky Craft Crankbait SeriesFour-time Bassmaster | | | | he reveals.On one cast, Clunn may crank the bait |
| Classic Champion Rick Clunn designed Lucky Craft's | | | | with his rod tip down low in order to hit the base of |
| crankbaits to be fished any time bass are | | | | a stump in 4 feet of water. On the next cast he |
| shallow."The seasonal applications of the crankbait | | | | might raise the rod tip up to get the bait to crawl |
| vary depending on the kind of fishery you are dealing | | | | over top of the stump.Since he is often cranking |
| with," Clunn says. "For instance, you can use the RC | | | | around hard cover, Clunn uses line in the 14- to 20- |
| almost anytime of the year on water bodies like river | | | | pound test class.His rod length preference is 7 feet, |
| systems where fish live shallow most of the time. | | | | but he warns that rod action is more important than |
| However, on deep clear impoundments, where fish | | | | rod length.When it comes to hooking fish, Clunn likens |
| go deep during the winters and summers, the bait | | | | this style of shallow cranking to flipping or pitching |
| has less of a seasonal range."No matter what kind of | | | | where the rod must have enough power to turn the |
| fishery he is on, Clunn has found these plugs to be | | | | bait in the fish's mouth so the hooks can |
| most effective during two periods: late spring and fall. | | | | penetrate."When choosing equipment to fish the |
| Also, he lets the season have some bearing on the | | | | crankbaits, pay the close attention to your rod |
| size he will throw."The 2.5 and 3.5 are good for | | | | action," Clunn advises. "Shallow cranking calls for a |
| imitating pesky bream," Clunn explains. "My favorite | | | | very stout rod - a true heavy action rod, not a |
| time to fish these bigger lures is the late spring, from | | | | medium-heavy. These are big-bodied baits that are |
| the post-spawn through early summer. That's when | | | | attacked by big fish in thick cover, and a softer rod |
| the bigger female bass have spawned out, but | | | | simply does not provide enough power to hook the |
| they're still up shallow eating bream that are picking | | | | fish and move it out away from the cover. |