Just out of curiosity what are everybody's top 5 Crankbaits. It will be interesting to see because I am not one to use many crankbaits. I have to give my one to the popper though!

BassBuster

It's a toss up...

I like the Mepp's spinner in Silver.

I also really like the perch-colored shad-rap or whatever it would be called. Medium depth, medium-size. I have caught smallies/northerns/walleyes on it, and lots of trees! Reminds me to buy a new one.....

Rapala Deep Tail Dancer
Smithwick Signature 4 inch stick bait
Rubber frog
Mr. Twister Twin tail Jig

For the boundary waters, here's what I use:

Floating rapalas - size 9 and 11
Rattle traps
Rapala shad raps (size 7 mostly)
Smithwick rogues
Mann's deep 30+ (for lake trout)

Fat Raps and Shad Raps, in various sizes/patterns.

butthead

Original floating Rapala
Tiny torpedo
Jitter Bug
Hot-n-tot
Shad Rap

One simple word... Rapala
Cranks, Sticks, and Topwaters... I have caught more largemouth on an 11 G that you can imagine... even 2 5.5lb bass at one time.

Bruce

Norman Deep baby N perch, shad, craw

Norman deep tiny N same colors

Excalibur fat free guppy same colors

Shallow Fat free guppy

Bandit 200 taco sal.

I love crankbaits!!

My favorite old timer is the mud bug.

I don't know what a taco 200 sal is but the name alone makes me want to buy one.

Thank you everybody who replied it was very interesting to see what everybody likes. I am a big fan of Rapala my self. I was just at Cabelas yesterday and they have a new lure made by Rapala it is called the X-Rap. It cost $6.49. I passed on it but wondered if anybody likes it. P.S. marc bates, could you put a picture of a Hot-n-Tot up. I have never heard of them.

1 Taco Sallad is a bandit color that is sort of green/ charteruse with an orange throat and a black dot. 200 is the size medium runner 6 to 8 ft. I love the name too.

2 i do not own an x rap but if there is one thing I know about fishing lures it is that they will have a clearance sale on them one day. I just bought 48 bags of soft plastics for 25 cents each. I have bought 10 dollar bagley's lures for 2.50 and 6 dollar excalibur lures for 1.99. You just have to keep your eyes open and a few bucks in your pocket. Heck, my local harware store had a table of closeout lures over the summer and they do not even carry sporting goods!

Go lipless!!!
Rat-L-Traps, 1/4 to 1/2 oz in golds or browns.
Same for the Rattlin' Rapalas.
Original floating raps.
X-raps are crack for Northerns. They must eat them when they see them.
My fifth choice? The humble Bumble Bug. Remove the original hooks on it and replace just the rear one with a #10 treble. You'll catch fish, from perch to sunnies to smallies to northerns, all day long with that thing.

I will try to put a picture of a Hot-an-tot on tomorrow. I have a new camera and have downloaded with it yet. It is great on Walleye, but have caught many things on it. We use them for salmon in Michigan mostly, but we find them to be killer on Walleye.

thanks marc!
You all have been a big help for me as well as probably more people that dont comment very often. Good luck to everybody.

BassBuster

Here is the Hot-n-tot

This is a small one they come in a lot of sizes. I will change the hook size, making them a little larger. I like the natural colors especially the shad colors the best. This lure shakes and darts side to side. It has more motion than any lure I have ever used.

two old standbys for me. the shadrap and the rattlin rap

personally i dont like the "glass" shadraps. they actually sink or are near neutral buoyancy. they wont back out of a snag like the original balsa version does. favorite smallie tactic is to "tumble" a #7 silver shadrap down shallow rapids.

Marc, I am also from Mi., I like your choice of color on that Hot-N-Tot. The salmon and even steelhead have a hard time resisting that silver and black.

It is my favorite color combo for most lures. Black and silver is my favorite for Rapalas especially. The Hot-n-tot just catches such a large variety of fish, that I can't help but try it almost every where I go. I do try other color combos, but black and silver still seems to be the best.

#4 Glass Shad Raps (Orange and/or White)
#5 Shad Raps (Perch/Walleye/Black Silver/Blue Silver)
#5/#7 Canadian Orange Shad Rap
#7 Taildancers in any color
Hot'n'Tots Black and Silver / Perch Color

"Crankbaits"...OK, that eliminates jigs, spinners, soft twister stuff, etc..
I like the Lindy Shadling (big one), Bagley Killer B-2, Bomber A, and various Rapalas. I always have a Rattl-Trap &/or Rattlin Rap too, although I haven't had much success with one yet...but the day will come!

Thank you everybody for your great replies!! I was also thinking has anybody tried just throwing a big Northern Pike or Muskie lure behind the boat just while they are paddling across the lake to get to their destination? I am thinking about trying that because if you think about how many miles you paddle and and how many big Northern Pike or Muskie you paddle over. I think it would be very fun to catch a 40lb Northern Pike or Muskie. Does anybody do this?

Please keep the great replies flowing!! :)

BassBuster

P.S. Marc bates I got myself a hot-n-tot the other day and can't wait to use it! By the way for anybody that is interested in getting one the are made by Storm not Rapala.

I would almost guarantee that you will hook into something if you are able to keep a line in while paddling. I've seen it done numerous times.

I have basically three favorites ranked in preference:

#1 - Good old Bass Oreno, mostly in the perch pattern (then black, then redhead - white body)

#2 - Weedless Jitterbug. I take off the metal blade, screw in a small eyescrew. The action is a little more subtle but is a KILLER!
Colors are ranked, perch, then solid black, then frog.

#3 - Rapala floating "sticks", I prefer the small to medium sized plugs in black/silver, black/gold, and some custom colors I paint my self.

All three of the above have produced well at various times. I also flyfish and tie my own bass and pike flies, as well as trout lures.

Oh yeah, I fish with a Quantum bait casting rod and reel, 6# test stren and a 6" black steel leader. I have landed many northerns and muskies in the 35 to 45 inch class on this rig, and rarely a break off.

I am really getting the itch to get out on the water...

Andy

In Nature There Is Order...

Maybe it was just the day, but it seemed like every time I through my firetiger wally-diver into the shallows a smallmouth would hit it. It seemed snagless, too.

countdown rapalas. do they even make them anymore? all mine are riddled with tooth marks and filled with epoxy. a very versitile crankbait. Jan

Kanoe

They do make the countdown Rapalas still i dont know where you live but Fleet Farm, Cabelas, and Gander Mountain are probably the best places to check. I have seen them around though.

BassBuster