Most any time of the year, a bass can be caught on a medium-diving crankbait. There are certainly times where the 6- to 8- foot depth range is the absolute best place to catch them, too. But if you’re just looking to get bit any time of the year, tying on a medium-diving crankbait and keeping it wet is a really good way to put a bass in the boat. Today we’re going to review such a bait, the Hardcore MR 60F, and point out one reason in particular it sets itself apart from many others in its genre.
Magnetic weight transfer system
Let’s start with the thing that sets this bait apart-its castability. Some medium-diving crankbaits are a little too small and a little too lightweight to cast well, especially in heavy wind. But Hardcore incorporated their patented magnetic weight transfer system that makes a relatively small bait cast like a really big one.
Here’s how it works.
There’s a ball bearing in a chamber within the Hardcore MR 60F. When the bait is horizontal, the ball rolls toward the bill of the bait where a magnet in the belly locks it into place. As you load up your cast by bringing the bait behind you, the ball dislodges from the magnet and rolls into the tail end of the bait. Now as you bring the bait forward to release the cast, the bait flies through the air tail-first, making it as aerodynamic as possible.
What happens next
So the magnetic weight transfer system created a longer cast… now what? Well, when the bait hits the water, the ball rolls back to the front of the chamber and locks in on the magnet. This resets the bait for the presentation and puts the majority of the bait’s weight right in its belly, which creates a much wider wobble action.
The MR 60F does have a particularly wide wobble, which Hardcore credits to both the weight transfer system and the rounded bill. There’s been a lot of discussion over the years about a wide wobble being less effective in certain seasons than a bait with a much tighter action. While I certainly have experienced a few days in particularly cold weather where a bait with a super tight action is the absolute deal, by and large I’d pick a bait with a wider wobble throughout the majority of the year which is again why this is just a good bait for anyone to tie on in an attempt to get bit.
Good size and color options
The size of this bait is another reason the MR 60F draws a lot of strikes. The 60 stands for the bait’s length at 60 millimeters, or about 2 3/4 inches. So this bait does a good job mimicking a wide range of prey throughout the year. And with color patterns to coincide, you have a bait with in MR 60F to imitate anything from a small bluegill to a shad all the way to a crawfish.
Again, having a bait that hits a sweet spot in depth range at 6 to 8 feet and has a good size to add to the action, castability and color selections, you’re looking at a good combination of bite-generating characteristics. But getting bites isn’t the point, getting bass to the boat is. So let’s look at the hardware.
Hooks and splits rings
The MR 60F is loaded down with good hardware front to back. Three black nickel split rings serve as hook hangers and the line tie. Two super-sharp black nickel round bend hooks hang from the bait, ready to stick to whatever swims by. These hooks are a fairly thin wire hook, which I like on a crankbait this size.
If I were fishing a squarebill or lipless, I’d likely bump these hooks up a notch or two to a bolder, stronger short-shank triple grip-style hook. But for a bait in this depth range, I’m not usually worried about wrestling the fish out of wood like I would be with the squarebill or pulling them out of thick vegetation like I would be with a lipless. Instead, I’m typically fishing a bait like this in fairly open-water scenarios with a clean or rocky bottom. Having a thinner wire hook allows for softer hooksets and better hookup ratios when fishing in cooler water when fish might just swat at a bait like this.
In conclusion
The Hardcore MR 60F is a good mid-range crankbait. With Hardcore’s patented magnetic weight transfer system, the castability and action of this bait is second to none in its genre. The MR 60F gives you a bait for the 6- to 8-foot range that can closely mimic the color and size of the majority of the forage you’ll find there anytime of the year. And when you get bit, the hooks and split rings are up for the task of bringing the fish to the boat. It’s definitely an all-around solid bass fishing bait.
