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  1. #1
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    Those fishing DT 6 crank baits..quesions

    How are your Rapala DT6 crank baits holding up? Lots of bad reviews on TW about the bills coming off.Is this still an issue?
    What colors do you prefer in spring? Fishing a usually simi-clear (not stained) man made impoundments in Pa. I normally throw chart/blk back and blue gill square bills in shallow grass.Do I stick with these patterns?

  2. Member
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    #2
    Also looking for a longer rod to throw these on. 7'4"-7'6" alternative.

  3. Member
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    #3
    Only problem I've had with bills coming off have been my fault. Smacking them on the water to clear grass, smashing them against rocks on a cast and a couple side arms into the tm head.
    Ive got several in my box that have boated so many bass the paint is gone.
    I would imagine the people complaining about them breaking are doing the same and expecting balsa to stand up like a plastic bait

  4. Banned
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    #4
    I agree 100% they only break if you smack them on the water or off of something. It’s a little more delicate but they catch fish.

  5. Banned
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    #5
    I've lost bills from smacking them on the water. You would think I'd quit doing it after breaking 3 or 4 bills but nope.
    Last edited by liljakec; 01-26-2020 at 09:26 PM.

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    #6
    Most people dont seem to realize these are a mass produced balsa bait. They’re gonna break.

  7. Moderator Fishysam's Avatar
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    #7
    Only broke a couple slapping on the water , never from a fish
    Mercury 250 proxs 2B115089

  8. Member
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    #8
    No issues at all with breaking and I fish them all the time. Broke a few hitting stuff and exploded one off my console graph one time. DT-6 is my go to crank and there’s a lot of good colors (many in my boxes are so scratched up and still get’ em).
    As for rod, I have a St. Croix Mojo Cranker 7’4”(Glass blend) rod with Lews BB1 Pro that is my dedicated DT-6 rod and it’s always on the deck.
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  9. Member
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    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by XingEyeballs View Post
    No issues at all with breaking and I fish them all the time. Broke a few hitting stuff and exploded one off my console graph one time. DT-6 is my go to crank and there’s a lot of good colors (many in my boxes are so scratched up and still get’ em).
    As for rod, I have a St. Croix Mojo Cranker 7’4”(Glass blend) rod with Lews BB1 Pro that is my dedicated DT-6 rod and it’s always on the deck.
    Thanks for sharing your set-up.Is that rod currently discontinued?

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    #10
    I have not had any problems with the bills breaking. But; I did get a batch that has a hair line crack running down the side from the bill to the tail.
    And these are still new in the boxes.

  11. Moderator Fishysam's Avatar
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    #11
    Quote Originally Posted by jiggerjake View Post
    Thanks for sharing your set-up.Is that rod currently discontinued?
    maybe so, i have the same rod for lipless and dt6/dt4 and small squarebills like it a lot
    Mercury 250 proxs 2B115089

  12. Member
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    #12
    Yes, the bills are delicate and poorly secured to the bait, but that is not the main issue with DT6. The biggest problem is that the baits are not sealed very well and become water logged after a few hours of use. Not so much of an issue when the water is warm because they float ok in warmer water. But when the water is cold the baits go from slow rise to neutral buoancy to slow sink to hung too often. If you fish them around flats and grass its not a big deal, but if you fish them around rock or cover you going to lose a lot of them or have to swap them out during the day. I was a believer in them for a long time but have gotten to where hardly throw anymore. In most cases it is not the action or the color the fish is striking anyway. It is the availability of the bait in their face. When you get beyond the hype of a brand or color you will find can catch fish on almost any crankbait that runs at the depth you are fishing. Not popular to hear, but is the reality.

  13. Member DrewFlu33's Avatar
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    #13
    Agree with the above, I've only broken them by smacking them off the water to clear grass or by smacking them off of rocks or a bridge piling or something.
    2011 Skeeter ZX225
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  14. Member
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    #14
    DT 6 in "Parrot" will catch fish in any type of water clarity! "Caribbean shad" is a more muted version of Parrot and works very good as well.

  15. Member
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    #15
    I have to seen too many lip failures from the DT6. My partner had a fish on in a tournament and got a crankbait lip back. Darn things get bites I just can't trust them.

  16. Member Jesse-C's Avatar
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    #16
    For those not liking the dt6 durability you should check out the bill lewis MR6

  17. Member
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    #17
    I'm guity of breaking them slapping them on the water. I haven't bought a DT in 5 or 6 years now. The last ones, the first 16 broke after a couple fish. No water slapping. The next 16 I tied on, right out of the package...broke on the second cast. What pissed me of the most, was I fried a brand new spool of Gamma cuz of that lure!

    Haven't bought a DT series since, which sucks because I can't find a replacement that works nearly as well. They are fish catchers!

    I too, have several that have been used, abused, caught hundreds of fish, slapped on the water countless times, paint trashed...and haven't came apart!

  18. Member Quillback's Avatar
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    #18
    Dobyns Champion 764 a 7'6" crankbait rod that will toss a DT6.

    Yeah they are fragile, but TW has them on sale for $5 and change until the 17th. LBF has a 20% off sale right now. So you break a few, but if you're catching fish I wouldn't let a less than $6 crank that I may have a few break hold me back.

  19. Member
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    #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Jesse-C View Post
    For those not liking the dt6 durability you should check out the bill lewis MR6
    The MR6 are nice but i've had a dt and a MR6 laying side by side on the deck several times and never got a sniff on the MR while the dt was getting smoked all day long.

  20. Member DrewFlu33's Avatar
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    #20
    The Berkley Digger is a dead ringer for the DT as well. Haven’t fished it enough to get a good comparison, though they are both Fritts designs so I bet they’re very similar. Digger is definitely more durable, but needs hooks upsized in my opinion.

    Sort of off topic, speaking of a Berkley cranks, I have grown quite fond of the Berkley Dredger. Very, very good baits, again after upsizing hooks a bit.
    2011 Skeeter ZX225
    225 Yamaha HPDI Series 2
    Minn Kota Ultrex 112 52"
    Console: HDS 16 Carbon
    Bow: HDS 12 Carbon, Solix 12 G2, Mega 360

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