| How to Fish the Lucky Craft RC Series BDS:
When Rick Clunn fishes his Lucky Craft RC Series crankbaits, he does it with attitude. The four-time Bassmaster Classic Champion designed these fat-bodied, square-billed lures to boldly crash through cover and provoke strikes - and that's exactly how he fishes them.
"The RC is a 'target' bait," Clunn explains. "By that I mean it's designed to make contact with specific objects or targets, usually shallow, visible pieces of cover like stumps, laydowns, pilings or rocks."
The RC Series will run to a depth of 4 feet, but Clunn uses his rod to manipulate the lure's depth as it approaches a target.
"I use the rod to control the angle and depth of the bait to make sure I contact the 'sweet spot' on the target," he reveals.
On one cast, Clunn may crank the RC with his rod tip down low in order to hit the base of a stump in 4 feet of water. On the next cast he might raise the rod tip up to get the bait to crawl over the top of the stump.
Since he is often cranking the RC around hard cover, Clunn uses line in the 14- to 20- pound test class.
-His rod length preference is 7 feet, but he warns that rod action is more important than rod length.
-When it comes to hooking fish, Clunn likens this style of shallow cranking to flipping or pitching where the rod must have enough power to turn the bait in the fish's mouth so the hooks can penetrate.
"When choosing equipment to fish the RC, pay close attention to your rod action," Clunn advises. "Shallow cranking calls for a very stout rod - a true heavy action rod, not a medium-heavy. These are big-bodied baits that are attacked by big fish in thick cover, and a softer rod simply does not provide enough power to hook the fish and move it out away from the cover."
Clunn's Cranking Credibility
Seasonal Patterns for the Lucky Craft RC Series BDS
Rick Clunn's Fishing Dreams
| Lucky Craft |
Length |
Weight |
Dive Depth |
Class |
Belly Hook |
Tail Hook |
| RC BDS 0.5 |
1 3/4" |
1/4oz |
0-1ft |
Floating |
#6 |
#6 |
| RC BDS 1.5 |
2" |
1/2oz |
1-2ft |
Floating |
#4 |
#4 |
| RC BDS 2.5 |
2 3/4" |
1/2oz |
2-3ft |
Floating |
#2 |
#2 |
| RC BDS 3.5 |
3 1/4" |
3/4oz |
3-4ft |
Floating |
#2 |
#2 |
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