Little John Equals Big Results

Over the years, I've been fortunate to have several companies ask my opinions on baits. I get to see tons of prototypes and baits that companies may only be thinking about. I've thrown rare baits (only a few ever existed), and I've always given my honest feedback.

I get to do this not because I'm a great angler, but because I'm a bait junky. I look at all the little things and analyze them first based on design, durability and fish-catching ability, secondly on price point.

Do they run true? Do they have a unique action? Are the components the best? Are the paint jobs exceptional? And most importantly, do they catch bass?

Price is important as well, because anglers always want the latest and greatest, but will compromise many times if the cost is too high. You can make the greatest bait in the world, but if anglers can't afford them, you won't sell very many. So companies that make a quality product at a cost-effective price always catch my eye.

Over the last few years, I've seen bait designs that were out of this world – scale patterns, lifelike paint schemes, and the best in quality components, but they came with price points the average angler couldn't match.

I truly believe that there's a fine difference between perfection and "just good enough," and may times "just good enough" catches more bass than the high-dollar spread. Plus, losing a $6 bait doesn't make you want to throw up, so you can put it where the bass live and not be afraid to lose it. You're also more comfortable throwing it in waters where toothy critters swim.

I was recently invited by Spro's Tim Norman take a trip and test out his entire lineup. He wanted my honest opinion, and I ran his baits through the testing gauntlet. I previously reviewed the Spro Dean Rojas Hydro-Pop60, which I tested on that trip. and found it to my liking. (To read that review, click here). My next stop on the Spro tackle-test tour started with a brand-new bait designed by Bassmaster Elite Series pro and crankbait nut John Crews.

His Little John flat-sided crankbait is a compact shallow-diver that runs at 3 to 5 feet. It that has the attributes of the finest Japanese baits, but at a price point that's more comfortable for the majority of anglers.

About the bait, Crews told me: "I'm a big believer in handmade crankbaits, but most are hard to cast and aren't very durable. I wanted great action, and durability was crucial. A hated that a $20 bait was easily broken, and how each bait was a little different, because if you found one that really worked, it was often difficult to replicate it with another bait. I was thrilled with this opportunity with Spro so we could solve all of these problems."

More about why and how Crews designed the bait, plus his advice on how to fish it, can be found in a new BassFan Pro Fishing Tip (click here to read it).

My Tests

Because of its compact design and strong castability, the Little John is perfect for fall fishing when shad and baitfish have grown to a similar size and are bunched up over points and shallow flats. Those flats that house brush are even more tantalizing, and this bait performs well in places where I'd normally throw a spinnerbait.

Depending on rod angle and retrieve speed, the Little John runs from a few inches to 5 feet deep. I found it worked particularly well on a stop-and-go retrieve, and noticed the weight-transfer system (that utilizes soft tungsten) made the bait quiver when it stopped and started.

As a result of the weight-transfer system, I found this bait fished very well in the wind.

Also, the gill design serves to create pressure waves around the bait that ultra-smooth-sided baits wouldn't. There are two fairly deep gill lines that indeed change the water flow past the lip toward the rear of the bait.

The line-tie is an oblong split ring that Crews feels gives the angler the best option each and every time. There's no confusion on where to tie, and the split ring won't affect how the bait runs.

Some other notable findings: