Bandit versus Academy H2O (crankbaits)

[jafacman]

I was comparing the two and chose to purchase 16 H2O's.
I could see a little difference in the design but very near the same shape, color and size.
Bandits at $4.99 each and the H2O's at $3.29 obviousely was the desiding factor.
Could this be a mistake, only time will tell.
Half were model-s (shallow) and the rest were model-d (deep) comparable to Bandits series 100 and 300.
I archived this time last year and saw that a few members had good success with these style crankbaits.
I hope that can serve a multi purpose with the crappie and strippers in Tobosofkee.
I did read an article about removing the rear trebble hook and adding a few feet of line with a jig attached. It said that the action of the crank would greatly improve the action of the trailing jig, but i aint so sure that would be a good idea. Might ruin a good lure but could also improve it too. Have any of yall seen or done this?

[WannabeeFishing]

I did read an article about removing the rear trebble hook and adding a few feet of line with a jig attached. It said that the action of the crank would greatly improve the action of the trailing jig, but i aint so sure that would be a good idea. Might ruin a good lure but could also improve it too. Have any of yall seen or done this?

I use a variation on this by pulling a rooster tail type spinner 18" or so behind a deep running crankbait. I remove the rear hook because I'm afraid it may cut the leader. I also use a swivel to avoid any twist in the leader causing the crankbait to spiral.

I like the Rapala DT series or Mann's deep runners because they seem to run at the advertised depth. The spinner does not severely affect the depth and I've pulled in some really nice crappies.

It wouldn't hurt my feelings to pick up a bass or striper on the remaining hook on the crankbait.

[jafacman]

That swivel is a good idea, gonna be trying it with a few other experiments also.

Thanks WannabeeFishing

[ol96er]

Yall got me fired up about this now....went out yesterday afternoon afer reading this and cut the back hook off one of my least favorite deep divers, added a short piece of 10# Floro on the back and tied on a roadrunner. Looks like the wiggle from that crankbait might just get some attention down deep.....best part is you give em 2 baits to choose from. Anybody got any success stories using this method?

[WannabeeFishing]

Although most of my fishing partners find trolling boring, I LOVE IT!!! I keep a 3600 size box with just shad colored crankbaits. The box includes 2 each of Rapala DT -6, DT - 10, DT - 16 and a pair of Mann's Deep 22+. This allows me to select a depth that places the lure just above where I note the fishies hanging out on my depth finder. It also lets me pull at different depths on either side of the boat when the slope of the bottom allows. Some day I'll get up enough courage to put a couple out on the planer boards.

Spinners like the Mepps/Rooster Tail lures are very effective on my home lake for crappie, but they are hard to get deep. That's where I got the idea to pull them behind the crankbaits. I've caught several crappie around 1.5 - 2 lbs and some nice white bass mxed in.

[gabulldog]

it works but when i run jigs off the back i dont take the hook off i put i split ring around the shaft of the back treb and tie to that i havent lost the back lead to a fish yet

[jafacman]

I trolled 2 deep and 2 shallow H2O's last nite and took a hard strike on the shallow shad colored one a little after midnight. I didnt hook it but I was very happy. I think it only ran 4ft deep and i'm possitive the model D runs 10ft deep at any speed above .7 mph as i pulled thru some sandy flats and thats where it hits bottom at. I ran it thru 12ft area's and even at 2 mph it didnt hit.
I liked .9 or 1.1 mph cause all rods had the most distinctive tap tap tap too em
Is there a model that runs deeper than 10ft ? I would like to hit 14ft because the thermocline is setting up on Tobo at 15ft and the graph gets loaded with fish right on top of it in certain areas of the lake. The guys at Acadamy dont know except they're pretty sure one of em does

[gabulldog]

there was a chart for the Bandits on this site last year i think with them you could get 25+ just by puting more line out ya might want to play with that all so can put a egg sinker 4 foot up from crank and that will put deeper too