It’s hard to beat the feeling of catching a big bass on a deep diving crankbait—something about it just never gets old. With deep cranking season approaching throughout the south, consider trying the SPRO Little John DD crankbait. I’ve been using it for years with continued success and I’ve found it to produce big bass when many other deep divers fall short. When the bass go deep, this crankbait is on my deck at all times.
There are several things I like about this lure:
- Castability
- Dives quickly
- Durability
- Quality components
- Tight wobble
Launch ridiculously long casts with ease
The SPRO Little John DD has a tungsten ball inside of it which serves two distinct purposes—it creates a unique sound but more importantly, it allows for insane casting distance.
In order for a deep diving crankbait to reach its operating depth quickly, a long cast is imperative. I’ve fished this bait in both heavy winds and in slick calm conditions and have yet to backlash my reel. It’s heavy enough to throw without babying your reel and the weight transfer system loads your rod excellently on the back cast. If you lob this crankbait instead of “whipping” it, you’ll be blown away by your casting distance.
I’ve actually had other anglers idle to my boat while I’m fishing offshore just to ask what crankbait I’m using. They’ve never seen casts as far as the ones I was making with the Little John DD, so they were itching to get their hands on some.
Dives quickly and efficiently
I’ve fished with a lot of deep crankbaits that only reached half of their advertised depths. Sure, it’s irritating as heck, but it wastes money. There’s no point in buying a deep crankbait that won’t dive deep. I want to get down to the bass and knock on every piece of surrounding cover I can find.
The Little John DD dives very quickly, which allows me to cover water more efficiently and put by lure in front of more bass. I’ve been throwing it on 10-pound Sunline Reaction FC fluorocarbon and I haven’t had a single problem hitting 17 to 18 feet on almost every cast. Just last week on a filming trip, I caught a bunch of great bass with this crankbait after hitting hard spots in 18 feet. With a super-long cast, I’ve certainly been able to collide with cover in 20 feet of water.
I’ve also been extremely impressed by the Little John DD’s ability to find its way through cover. If you like to deep crank, you know you’re bound to lose a few crankbaits every now and then. Very, very rarely have I lost a Little John DD. Whether I’m beating brush piles with it or ticking it on underwater rocks, it deflects from cover very well without sacrificing any running depth.
Durability
Crankbaits are most effective when collided with cover, so it’s important to find a durable crankbait. The last thing you want is an expensive deep diver to lose its color, crack its bill or split its belly. Once that happens, it’s never the same.
The SPRO Little John DD is super durable and holds up very well to both fish catches and hard collisions with deep cover. The bill stays securely connected to the body and the paint stays intact. You’ll notice a little bit of hook rash after a few trips, but that’s a normal occurrence with big plugs. The one in these pictures has been used for a very long time and it still looks great and operates perfectly.
No modifications required
I love modifying crankbaits, but to be totally honest, I’ve never had to mess with a Little John DD. It comes ready-to-fish right out of the package.
Like SPRO’s other hard baits, the Little John DD comes stock with outstanding Gamakatsu hooks and quality split rings. That’s probably my favorite thing about their line of lures—I rip ’em out of the package, tie ’em on and start fishing. I don’t have to replace dainty little tinfoil hooks and fragile split rings. Every DD I own is untouched from the package.
I also love the oval-shaped line tie on this lure. I don’t really like round split rings because it’s too easy for your knot to slide into the openings and become frayed. These oval line ties allow me to retie very quickly without screwing around and making sure my knot is on the “good side” of the split ring.
Catches pressured fish
Deepwater bass can be super easy to catch in the very early weeks of summer, but they get tougher and more educated as the summer continues. In really crowed fisheries, some schools probably see hundreds of crankbaits each week, so they become conditioned to specific characteristics and sounds.
When the fish get finicky, this crankbait will still catch plenty of fish. It has a very tight wobble for a deep diver—which also decreases cranking fatigue—and its sound is much different than others’. Instead of a “knocking” or “rattling” sound, the DD emits a “thud”. You may think I’m splitting hairs, but it makes an enormous difference when fishing for pressured bass. This is why I have a specific setup specifically for this plug—it never leaves my boat in the summer and winter months. I put a lot of trust in it.
If you’re an avid deep crankbait angler, I definitely suggest getting your hands on this crankbait. If you’re a newcomer to deep cranking, I think this crankbait will put a great taste in your mouth while learning the technique. Either way, it catches a bunch of fish and I’m in love with my collection.
The SPRO Little John DD is available at TackleWarehouse.com.
