Kevin Van Dam Forums

TorqueConverter - 14 January 2012 05:18 AM

Boss Hog - 06 May 2010 09:54 AM

So this past Saturday me and some of my fishing partners got up real early and went to Wal-Mart yes i know it’s not a bps but we had to get some random stuff. So since I am big on cranks and Ive really never used Rapala I got the DT-6. So the name gives it away DT-6 meaning it dives 6 feet. So we went to my buddie Justin’s grandpa pond were just not to long ago caught a 7 pounder.

I fished with The DT-6 for about 30 min all around the pond until I got to the last corner. When I got to the corner I casted and caught a 4 pound bass not bad. So right now I’m really likeing the DT-6, so the last cast I threw out I latched onto a 6 pounder!

So basically write down your opinions about this crankbait.

Beau.

DT-6 and 4 in bluegill is my favorite finesse crank.  A lot of the times the hard plastic rattlers will get ignored while these silent balsa cranks will produce.  I like them mid-summer on tops of humps in pressured bodies of water, like lake Okaboji Iowa.  An excellent crank but not exactly something I’d throw in low pressure farm ponds.  I’d go with a longer-casting, brighter colored hard plastic rattler like the BPS XPS flat crank in pumkinseed color.

Are you located up around the Iowa Great Lakes? I ask this because I am from down south in CB

LilJakeC - 14 January 2012 09:07 AM

TorqueConverter - 14 January 2012 05:18 AM

Boss Hog - 06 May 2010 09:54 AM

So this past Saturday me and some of my fishing partners got up real early and went to Wal-Mart yes i know it’s not a bps but we had to get some random stuff. So since I am big on cranks and Ive really never used Rapala I got the DT-6. So the name gives it away DT-6 meaning it dives 6 feet. So we went to my buddie Justin’s grandpa pond were just not to long ago caught a 7 pounder.

I fished with The DT-6 for about 30 min all around the pond until I got to the last corner. When I got to the corner I casted and caught a 4 pound bass not bad. So right now I’m really likeing the DT-6, so the last cast I threw out I latched onto a 6 pounder!

So basically write down your opinions about this crankbait.

Beau.

DT-6 and 4 in bluegill is my favorite finesse crank.  A lot of the times the hard plastic rattlers will get ignored while these silent balsa cranks will produce.  I like them mid-summer on tops of humps in pressured bodies of water, like lake Okaboji Iowa.  An excellent crank but not exactly something I’d throw in low pressure farm ponds.  I’d go with a longer-casting, brighter colored hard plastic rattler like the BPS XPS flat crank in pumkinseed color.

Are you located up around the Iowa Great Lakes? I ask this because I am from down south in CB

I live in Lincoln Ne, but I grew up 30 miles east of CB.  Southwest Iowa is not the best place to be for hot fishing action lol.  The only bodies of water I’ll fish nearby are 2 to 3 hour drives each way from my parents place.  Creston has two nice reservoirs and despite the fishing and boating pressure, west Okaboji is always a blast.

I really like the bluegill paintjob on them, and 1 spring The fish were really hitting them. By the end of that spring I had over 20 baits that either spilit in half or the bills had broken off, this was from DT 4 all the way thru DT 14. I like Rapala as a company, but have never spent over 180 dollars in 1 spring to not have a single bait left after spring was over. the DT line breaks easy.

I really dont use any of the shallow DT series. I throw the DT10 most of the time. They have held up with the exception of a couple cracked bills.

Top10 - 15 January 2012 10:49 AM

I really like the bluegill paintjob on them, and 1 spring The fish were really hitting them. By the end of that spring I had over 20 baits that either spilit in half or the bills had broken off, this was from DT 4 all the way thru DT 14. I like Rapala as a company, but have never spent over 180 dollars in 1 spring to not have a single bait left after spring was over. the DT line breaks easy.

I keep hearing about these durability issues of the DT-series all over the net.  I have not had any issues with the lures and I’ve been fishing with them off and on since they came out.  There was a period of time about 4 years when I quit fishing while I was on active duty so perhaps a series of bad batches came though during that time?  Are the polycarbonate bills cracking or coming unglued?  If they are coming unglued then that is simply unacceptable.  I really don’t fish mine around rocks very often but have up rooted plenty of aquatic vegetation and burned them along the bottom on lakes with soft-bottom content.  My father caught a 26’’ walleye this past summer on a DT-20 bass fishing and the worst the fish did to it was a tooth puncture on the balsa body.

I was going to buy a full line of the baits this spring in various colors but I am second guessing that purchase now due to these issues.  I’d like to know how you guys are fishing them and any advice on how to avoid these problems.  I have plenty of other cranks to throw around hard-bottom if that is their issue?

I fish rip-rap and some rock piles. Its the hard stuff that will mess the bills up. Wood, gravel, and shells usually just rough to end of the bills up. Easy fix if it affects your retrieve.

twitch - 16 January 2012 03:49 AM

I fish rip-rap and some rock piles. Its the hard stuff that will mess the bills up. Wood, gravel, and shells usually just rough to end of the bills up. Easy fix if it affects your retrieve.

Thank you, I’ll keep them away from hard bottom.  I’ve always had a durability fear of hard bottom content with balsa baits.  One last question, can you say that the durability of the DT-series is sub par, even for a balsa bait?

They have been durable for me. Used several of the same cranks for 4-5 years and havent had to do anything but change hooks.
Now that might change if I hook into a big cat or striper, but for bass they do well.