Lucky Craft RC 1.5 Review
Rick Clunn teamed up with Lucky Craft to put together a bait that targets the shallow crankbait market. With its square lip, this bait tackles shallow terrain such as wood, rocks, brush, or just about anything you want to throw at it.
| Rod: | Shimano V-Rod 6’6″ MH |
| Reel: | Shimano Citica 200D 6:3:1 Ratio |
| Line: | 10lb Stren Mono |
Performance: Unlike the normal trend of finding one good bait per every five or ten bough, each RC 1.5 behaves the same out of the package.
TIP: I found that using a line with more stretch (like mono), gave a more natural retrieve by allowing less hangups, when compared to using a fluorocarbon line.
Clunn says that “his rod length preference is 7 feet, but he warns that rod action is more important that rod length”, and prefers to use a “Heavy action rod”.
Trigger time: My goal for the day was to showcase this bait by using it around cover and allowing it to prove itself around various terrain. I started fishing points and hooked into this guy who was hiding under a submerged tree in 4 feet of water.
The stock hooks are plenty sharp and don't need changed.
After leisurely fishing for a while I started targeting points around current, where bass would be hiding waiting for shad. In just 2.5 to 3 feet of water I found a school of striped bass that were hungrier than a fat guy at a buffet. The current was headed towards me, and the bass were staged, waiting to eat. I found this beautiful spot.
Fishing this bait on the outside of weedlines is a sure bet.
The results were immediate. On the second cast just 5ft outside the corner weedline you see in the picture (left corner), the bait was hammered by the bass you see below.
The very next cast I layed into another striped bass, and it wouldn’t let go.
In about 3.5 hours of work, I collected 6 nice bass. That’s enough to put a smile on any anglers face. Right?
Shortly after I caught this bass as well.
The next cast I got another on the shallow crankbait
Durability: After banging off a few dozen trees and scraping away at the hard lake bottom, this bait is going to take a beating. While the hooks stayed flesh-piercing sharp, the body took its fair share of the damage.
While you may be telling yourself, “wow, this looks bad”, i assure you, no baits were harmed in the filming of this review. The RC 1.5 continued to run true, and not once did any of the baits require tuning to get them to run correctly. This is a testament to the quality that the people at Lucky Craft make top notch baits.
The final word: Lucky Craft and Rick Clunn have teamed up together to make a deadly shallow crankbait. Many tournament anglers also see the benefits of this bait and consider it a “go-to” anytime shallow cover comes into play. I think that any angler, regardless of skill level will have a fun time with this bait because it offers a diverse range of uses.
Value: |
9 |
Durability/Strength: |
8 |
Component/Quality: |
9 |
Performance: |
9 |
Application: |
9.5 |
Our review criteria breakdown.. Click Here!
| Advantages: |
 11 great looking colors to choose from. |
| Quality components. Always sharp hooks. Red eyes |
| Easy to cast, and virtually snagless thanks to the square lip. |
| Low price point! |
| Disappointments: |
 Having 1 color just isn’t enough! |
Overall Score: 9.25
