Hard baits: Flat-sided crankbaits

A flat, thin body, often balsa, with a thin lip: a tight, fast shimmy instead of a wide wobble. The cold-water crankbait, fished slowly over rock in spring and late fall when a fat bait moves too much.

ItemDetail
Depth1–3 m (3–10 ft)
BodyFlat sides, 5–7 cm (2–2.75"); balsa floats up fast, plastic versions hold depth
WhereRock, riprap, clay banks, channel swings in cold water
SeasonLate winter, pre-spawn, late fall; water under 12 °C (54 °F)
Rod / line7' (2.13 m) moderate; 8–12 lb fluorocarbon
ModelsRapala Shad Rap, Berkley Frittside, Bagley Balsa Shad, SPRO Little John, Jackall Bling

Slow down until you can barely feel it: the tight shimmy works at speeds a round-body bait cannot run.

Top 10 in four markets

United States

  1. Berkley Frittside 5 Crankbait — $12.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Shallow Diving Crankbaits (5' or less)' > Square Bill section (148 items) sorted by Popularity: #5; 2-5 ft (0.6-1.5 m), 2-1/4 in (57 mm), 1/3 oz (9.5 g); David Fritts flat-sided plug in plastic: tight balsa-like thump and flash (TW lists it among squarebills); 4.3/5 avg (4 reviews)
  2. Rapala Ott's Garage OG Rocco 5 Crankbait — $11.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Shallow Diving Crankbaits (5' or less)' > Circuit Board Bill section (45 items) sorted by Popularity: #1; 5 ft (1.5 m), 2-1/2 in (64 mm), 3/8 oz (10.6 g); premium balsa body with a circuit-board square lip, medium wobble; 4.4/5 avg (5 reviews)
  3. Rapala Ott's Garage OG Tiny 4 Crankbaits — $8.97 - $11.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Shallow Diving Crankbaits (5' or less)' > Circuit Board Bill section (45 items) sorted by Popularity: #2; 4 ft (1.2 m), 2-1/4 in (57 mm), 5/16 oz (9 g); thin flat-sided balsa with a rounded circuit-board bill; very tight wobble; 4.3/5 avg (7 reviews)
  4. Strike King Chick Magnet Flat Sided Crankbait — $5.00 - $11.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Shallow Diving Crankbaits (5' or less)' > Circuit Board Bill section (45 items) sorted by Popularity: #5; 3-5 ft (0.9-1.5 m), 2.25 in (57 mm), 7/16 oz (12.4 g); Andy Morgan's homemade-style flat side in plastic; circuit-board lip; 5.0/5 avg (1 reviews)
  5. Strike King Hardliner Flat Sided Crankbaits — $5.00 - $11.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Medium Diving Crankbaits (6-10')' > Circuit Board Bill section (10 items) sorted by Popularity: #1; 5-7 ft (1.5-2.1 m), n/a; balsa-inspired flat side with a thin circuit-board lip, extra-tight wobble for cold water
  6. Rapala Ott's Garage OG Slim 06 Crankbaits — $11.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Medium Diving Crankbaits (6-10')' > Circuit Board Bill section (10 items) sorted by Popularity: #3; 6 ft (1.8 m), 2-3/4 in (70 mm), 1/2 oz (14 g); flat-sided balsa slim body, medium wobble with a tight side-to-side; 4.8/5 avg (13 reviews)
  7. Berkley Clickin' Frittside 7 Crankbait — $5.00 - $12.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Medium Diving Crankbaits (6-10')' > Coffin Bill section (8 items) sorted by Popularity: #1; 5-7 ft (1.5-2.1 m), 2-1/2 in (64 mm), 3/7 oz (12 g); flat-sided Frittside 7 with a clicking sound and coffin bill; 5.0/5 avg (1 reviews)
  8. Black Label Tackle Cliff Pace Hickster Flat Balsa Crankbait — $17.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Shallow Diving Crankbaits (5' or less)' > Circuit Board Bill section (45 items) sorted by Popularity: #14; 3-5 ft (0.9-1.5 m), 2-1/4 in (57 mm), 5/16 oz (9 g); hand-carved balsa, flat slender body and circuit-board lip; tight wobble; 5.0/5 avg (2 reviews)
  9. 6th Sense Flat Finesse F4 Crankbait — $7.97 - $9.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Shallow Diving Crankbaits (5' or less)' > Circuit Board Bill section (45 items) sorted by Popularity: #16; 4-6 ft (1.2-1.8 m), 2-1/2 in (64 mm), 1/2 oz (14 g); flat-sided body with a circuit-board bill, fast tight action; 3.3/5 avg (3 reviews)
  10. Bill Lewis Hammer Flat Crank — $9.99. Tackle Warehouse 'Shallow Diving Crankbaits (5' or less)' > Circuit Board Bill section (45 items) sorted by Popularity: #22; 5 ft (1.5 m), 2.4 in (61 mm), 3/8 oz (10.6 g); flat sides, internal knocker and circuit-board lip; tight wiggle for fast or cold-water cranking; 3.0/5 avg (2 reviews)

Canada

  1. Berkley Frittside 5 — C$16.99. anglingsports.ca 'Crankbaits' collection, best-selling sort #9 of 97; runs 1.8–2.4 m (6–8 ft); 2-1/2" / 1/3 oz; flat-sided, balsa-style tight action
  2. Berkley Clickin' Frittside — C$13.99. anglingsports.ca 'Crankbaits' collection, best-selling sort #19 of 97; runs 1.8–2.4 m (6–8 ft); 2-1/2"; flat-sided with single ceramic knocker
  3. Rapala Shad Rap SR05 — C$15.99. anglingsports.ca 'Crankbaits' collection, best-selling sort #21 of 97; runs 1.2–2.1 m (4–7 ft); 2" / 3/16 oz; balsa shad, tight wobble
  4. Rapala Shad Rap SR07 — C$16.99. anglingsports.ca 'Crankbaits' collection, best-selling sort #22 of 97; runs 1.5–3.4 m (5–11 ft); 2-3/4" / 5/16 oz; balsa shad, tight wobble
  5. Rapala Shad Rap SR08 — C$16.99. anglingsports.ca 'Crankbaits' collection, best-selling sort #32 of 97; runs 2.4–3.6 m (8–12 ft); 3-1/8" / 1/2 oz; balsa shad
  6. Rapala Shad Rap SR09 — C$16.99. anglingsports.ca 'Crankbaits' collection, best-selling sort #34 of 97; runs 2.7–4.3 m (9–14 ft); 3-1/2" / 5/8 oz; balsa shad
  7. Rapala OG Slim 6 — C$16.49. anglingsports.ca 'Crankbaits' collection, best-selling sort #44 of 97; runs 1.8 m (6 ft); 2-1/2" / 3/8 oz; balsa flat-side
  8. Megabass IXI Shad Type-3 — C$24.99. fishingworld.ca 'CRANKBAIT' collection, best-selling sort #31 of 50; anglingsports.ca 'Crankbaits' collection, best-selling sort #69 of 97; runs 2–2.5 m (6.5–8 ft); 57 mm / 3/8 oz; flat-sided shad crank
  9. 6th Sense Pressure Series PD10 — C$8.49. anglingsports.ca 'Crankbaits' collection, best-selling sort #51 of 97; runs 3 m (10 ft); 2.5"; flat-sided finesse crank
  10. Megabass IXI Shad TX — C$24.99. fishingworld.ca 'CRANKBAIT' collection, best-selling sort #35 of 50; runs 1.5–2 m (5–6.5 ft); 57 mm; flat-sided shad crank

Japan

  1. mibro Cheetah — ¥1,980 (naturum list price). naturum 'クランクベイト' (Crankbaits) category, best-selling sort #11 (also keyword 'フラットサイド' #4); 1.2 m (spec); 56 mm / 9.6 g; flat-sided
  2. mibro Cheetah Type-C — ¥1,885 (naturum list price). naturum 'クランクベイト' (Crankbaits) category, best-selling sort #13 (also keyword 'フラットサイド' #5); 1.5 m (spec); 56 mm / 10 g; flat-sided, coffin lip
  3. Megabass Over Rev Crank (ORC) — ¥1,871 (naturum list price). naturum 'クランクベイト' (Crankbaits) category, best-selling sort #43 (also keyword 'フラットサイド' #9); 0-0.1 m (spec); 70 mm / 5/8 oz; flat-sided sub-surface crank
  4. Strike King KVD 1.5 Flat Side — ¥990 (naturum list price). naturum keyword search 'フラットサイド' (flat side) in bass hard lures, best-selling sort #12 (not in the genre top 50); to 8 ft / 2.4 m (spec); 2.75 in / 3/8 oz; flat side
  5. Berkley Frittside 5 — ¥1,430 (naturum list price). naturum keyword search 'フラットサイド' (flat side) in bass hard lures, best-selling sort #16 (not in the genre top 50); 2-5 ft / 0.6-1.5 m (spec); 55 mm / 1/3 oz; flat side, balsa-like
  6. Bomber Flat A — ¥1,089 (naturum list price). naturum keyword search 'フラットサイド' (flat side) in bass hard lures, best-selling sort #20 (not in the genre top 50); 3-5 ft / 0.9-1.5 m (spec); 2.5 in / 3/8 oz; classic flat side
  7. Daiwa Fukuhira — ¥1,188 (naturum list price). naturum keyword search 'フラットサイド' (flat side) in bass hard lures, best-selling sort #24 (not in the genre top 50); 1.5 m max (spec); 55 mm / 9.5 g; flat side, tight action
  8. Evergreen Flat Force — ¥1,750 (naturum list price). naturum keyword search 'フラットサイド' (flat side) in bass hard lures, best-selling sort #28 (not in the genre top 50); 1.2-1.5 m (spec); 62 mm / 11.5 g; flat side

← Squarebill crankbaits · Topwater hard baits →

Hard baits

Sub-surface hard baits by what makes them move: crankbaits with a lip (squarebill, medium, deep, flat-sided), lipless crankbaits, jerkbaits (suspending, floating, deep), hard swimbaits (glide baits with one joint, multi-jointed swimbaits), spybaits, and the topwater hard baits: poppers, walking baits, prop baits, wake baits.

  1. Crankbaits
  2. Deep-diving crankbaits
  3. Medium-diving crankbaits
  4. Squarebill crankbaits
  5. Flat-sided crankbaits
  6. Topwater hard baits
  7. Poppers
  8. Prop baits
  9. Walking baits (walk-the-dog)
  10. Wake baits
  11. Jerkbaits
  12. Suspending jerkbaits
  13. Water temperature and buoyancy tuning
  14. Nose split ring and loop knot
  15. Jump the slack and rod work
  16. Jerkbait colour and rattle selection
  17. Jerkbait rod, reel and line formula
  18. Jerkbait treble hook sizes and feathered tails
  19. Floating jerkbaits
  20. Slow-sinking jerkbaits
  21. Sinking jerkbaits
  22. Deep-diving jerkbaits
  23. Hard swimbaits
  24. Glide baits (single joint)
  25. Multi-jointed swimbaits
  26. Lipless crankbaits (VIB)
  27. Spybaits
  28. Choosing a hard bait: mechanism, depth, season

Hard baits