What cold water flat side cranks have you been throwing this year?

[LowRange]

I've been getting back into cranking and have been getting bit on the Rapala OG Tiny 04 and Berkley Fritside. Going to throw some Bomber Flat As this week in a new lake. They have a weight transfer system in then now or maybe always did. Not sure. Seems interesting.

[hoohoorjoo]

SR5 and SSR5, Jackall Bling 55, Norman Flat Broke.

[LowRange]

That flat broke jointed bait looks interesting. Anyone take a belt sander to a wood bait and make a flat side? I have a old Bagley that was done to by a local from the table rock are I bought years ago. Never fished it. I should this season. It has Teflon coated hooks and dares back to when that was a wonder material.

[uljersey]

Did very well on these YoZuri Flat cranks this past winter.

[hoohoorjoo]

Did very well on these YoZuri Flat cranks this past winter.

Forgot about those. I throw those, too. They do catch fish.....man, I really need to simplify.

[Polkfish1]

I tried Mibrio cheater flat sides this year as a “something new” for me. I got a few in the type c version which is a coffin bill. They are expensive for what they are. But, very consistent fish catchers and with that coffin bill they really breeze around and over grass.

[City17Banner]

The smallmouth bass have begun prestaging for the spawn in 8-10FOW and the OSP HPF Ver2 flat side crank has been crushing the smallies so far this spring in our NW Wisconsin waters!

[LowRange]

What water temps are you guys throwing your flatsides in? I start around 38 and end around mid 50s before the square bills or "normal shallow cranks" start to win out.

I usually start the season in April in upper 30s to low 40s water temps targeting rip rap on sunny days in transitional areas like points at the mouth of spawning coves/bays with Rapala OG, Fritsides, Flat, super cedars, lipless and sometimes shad raps along with jerkbaits and bladed jigs. As the water warms the flatsides get swapped out for wide woblers, the jerkbait for poppers and the bladed jig stay.

My favorite for the super shallow super cold water bite in the Rapala OG tiny 04 followed by the smallest size Fritside. That balsa and thin circuit board bill Tiny 04 is super alive even at a crawl when my other plastic baits are dead at those speeds. I'll crawl it in 1 to 2 feet of water on long shallow banks when rip rap isn't available. I prefer the big size Fritside in rip rap because it will hit a rock and then basically suspend on the pause and the square bill keeps it from getting stuck. Flat As get stuck but are more boyant and sometimes that float is a trigger in less cold water and also allows the bait to be worked faster. OGs work in rip rap too and have a buoyancy between the Fritside and Flat As but I only have the Tiny 04 and 7. I need to add the 06 and fish it along side the Fritside 5 Biggun which is my current favorite.

[goldrod]

I don’t think of flatsides as a cold water crank I use them year round

The OSP HPF Spec I and II ARE over looked limit getters
Evergreen Flat force all around bad to the bone.
Lucky craft KJ flat is great
PH Custom Lures Crankbait should be here Saturday
Jackall Bling 55 Crankbaits ( I have not received yet)

It was one hot summer day bites were hard and I threw a mercy cast near some pads. This bass annihilated the osp hpf and that was instrumental in me changing how I look at flat side cranks

[Johnny A]

The smallmouth bass have begun prestaging for the spawn in 8-10FOW and the OSP HPF Ver2 flat side crank has been crushing the smallies so far this spring in our NW Wisconsin waters!

Jah!