Weedlessness: All good things must come to an end. Even with our aftermarket LureSaver split rings, the Fat BDS4 depicted in most of our pictures here fell victim to an unrecoverable underwater
ensnarement. While we were quite successful in recovering our test bait from a number of previous snags, our string of luck had to run out sooner or later, and as we were pulling out or last resort lure retriever to try and knock our bait free, our 12lb Yozuri Hybrid, perhaps weakened by abrasion on previous snags, snapped and our
handsome bait was lost to the depths of the California Delta.
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The last known location of our Lucky Craft Fat BDS4 test bait. Anglers with information on the whereabouts of our BDS4 are
encouraged to respond :)
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Durability: Durability of the BDS4 bait as a whole is very good, but the finish of our MS MJ Herring did show signs of wear from retrieve over rocks and through branches over the course of 3 trips before we lost it
to the afore mentioned snag. This wear showed up as actual chips in the finish not just scratches or abrasion.
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The BDS4 cranks from Lucky Craft come stock with top quality #2 hooks |
Our backup bait, with the flat, Mad Craw finish proved more durable against chipping than the reflective MS MJ Herring, but more prone to scratches and abrasion marks. Through the entire course of our tests, not one of our two baits suffered from actual cracks in the body or other prominent failures.
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a lure
description on
the bottom makes
the BDS
identifiable
from any angle
in the tackle
box
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Application & Effectiveness:
As a shallow running crank,
we found the BDS4 effective
primarily in stained,
shallow water situations. We
were unsuccessful at coaxing
any strikes in the clear
water reservoirs we fished
primarily because we could
not get the bait down to the
zone where the fish were
holding nor did the bait
call these fish up from
their depths.
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Not only does the finish of their baits shimmer in the sun, but Lucky Craft spares no expense with the intricate markings molded into their baits including the bait's lateral line
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In the California Delta,
however, the BDS4 did very
well retrieved over and
through weed beds, around
the rip rap levees, and
along break lines. We found
it effective even in heavy
boat traffic situations with
pleasure boaters zooming
around the area in which we
were fishing. The very large
#2 hooks while perhaps
providing for a greater
chance of snags, are
fantastic at hooking fish on
even the lightest of
strikes.
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Our backup, the BDS4 in Mad Craw, called up this
feisty bass for a photo opp |
Ratings:
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Lucky Craft BDS Ratings (?/10)
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Construction/Quality |
Lucky Craft has a reputation
of providing top quality baits and our two BDS4 baits were no exception |
9 |
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Performance |
Straight and true out of the box, this bait does not
disappoint except in the durability of the finish |
9 |
|
Price |
A premium crank at a premium price |
7.5 |
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Features |
Oval split rings,
laser sharp hooks, quality finishes, very good ability to recover from snags even if we did lose one during our test |
9 |
| Design |
Available in 36 stunning finishes designer perhaps more for the angler than the fish |
10 |
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Application |
A great option in a shallow running crank |
8.5 |
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Total Score
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8.83 |
Pluses and Minuses:
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Plus Minus
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| J Fantastic Finishes |
L Finishes are not as durable as we'd like |
| J Quality hooks at a proper size for the bait |
L If you're used to a $5 crankbait, these baits will hurt. |
| J Incredible detailing in the body of the lure |
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| J Good weedlessness in a crank |
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Conclusion: Is there such a thing as a missing baits alert? Saddened as I was to lose one of our test baits, I was equally thrilled to have found yet another reliable crank from Lucky Craft that I can depend on not only in the water, but in any well stocked tackle store. Many of the high priced, import lures are difficult to find - not Lucky Craft. When it came time to replace my lost bait, all I had to do was walk into my favorite tackle store and pull another off the shelf. The BDS4 series is a thrilling bait to fish. Thanks to it's wobbling action, the bait keeps you in tune with the environment below and strikes are
unmistakable as anything
"different" is easily
detected. The only question
we have now is, how to make
room for yet another
"favorite" bait.
