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TackleTour Autopsy: Diving into
KVD's Strike King 6XD Crankbait
| Date: |
11/21/10 |
| Tackle type: |
Lure |
| Manufacturer: |
Strike King |
| Reviewer: |
Zander |
Introduction: On the operating table is Strike king's hot 6XD
crankbait which was designed with the help of KVD and employed on his 2nd place
finish at the 2009 BASS Elite Series event at Kentucky Lake. Let's take a closer
look at this deep diver.
The lure that KVD helped design,
the Strike King 6XD crankbait
Strike King 6XD: The 6XD is very similar to
the Strike King 6 Series baits but the new XD (stands for extra deep) is
designed to get way down to 18+ foot depths. KVD describes both the importance
of dive depth to get into the strike zone and proper wobble to get bass to
strike. In order for the 6XD to achieve maximum diving depth it needs enough
room and time to dive so casting distance is also an important factor and
because of this Strike King goes through a lot of effort to make sure the lures
are balanced so they not only cast easily but run consistently once in the
water.
talk about consistency, each lure
sits identically to the next
The 6XD also features a durable lip design that
allows it to achieve a steep dive angle and deflect off structure when coming
into contact with rocks and timber or simply digging into the lake bottom. The
company offers the 6XD in both regular (includes rattles) and silent models.
You have been chosen...
Each lures is 3" in length (minus the transparent
lip) and weighs 1oz. each. The lure is available in a wide range of patterns
that can address baitfish species from coast to coast and there are both opaque
and translucent patterns so anglers can utilize these baits in varying degrees
of water clarity.
The 6XD Green Back Chartreuse
takes one last dip
Once you attach a name like KVD to a bait it
already has a head start in terms of market acceptance but what also makes the
6XD so popular is the lure's aggressive price of $4.99 each.
This lure is 3" in length minus
the diving lip
Autopsy: We started things out for the 6XD
with a quick dunk in the test tank. The lure sits a dive angle but floats when
prone. We found the lures extremely consistent with each and every lure sitting
identically when at rest. We had to pick one pattern to operate on and like a
predatory fish we honed in on the pattern that stood out the most... the Green
Back Chartreuse.
The lure features surprisingly
good stock hooks
Once the hooks were removed it was time to take a
closer look at the bait's lip and profile. Though capable of getting down
quickly the 6XD doesn't have a huge lip so water resistance is not as great as
with some other lures, this allows you to crank the 6XD for longer periods with
reduced fatigue. At the widest section of the lures' belly it is only 30.41mm
thick making it smaller than some of it's competitors in profile.
The 6XD is not all that large a
bait for such a deep diver
The 6XD actually looked "cute" and
I actually felt bad about pinning it in the vise...
...nonetheless it was time to
wound this lure
Next Section: Scrape harder that lure's
finish is tough! |
