# 6th Sense Cloud 9 C6: the crankbait that dives fast and holds its line > Bent bill, weight transfer and loud rattles let the Cloud 9 C6 reach 1.2 to 2.4 m within a few cranks and stay there for the whole retrieve. - Source : https://carnafish.com/en/leurres/6th-sense-cloud-9-series-c6-crankbaits/ - Language : en-US - Updated : 2026-09-23 ## Spec sheet - Brand : 6th Sense - Model : Cloud 9 Series C6 Crankbaits - Type : Shallow diving crankbait - Target species : Bass, Perch - Size : 6.5 cm / 2.56 in - Weight : 14 g / 1/2 oz - Running depth : 1.2 to 2.4 m / 4 to 8 ft, held for the whole retrieve - Retrieve speed : from a slow crawl to a fast retrieve, the wobble stays wide either way - Action : wide rolling wobble, the bent bill scoops water and makes the bait deflect off cover - Rigging : loop knot or snap to leave the bill free, factory size 4 extra wide gap trebles - Colors : natural scaled pattern in clear water, chartreuse with a blue back in stained water, red craw in spring over hard bottom A bank with two metres of water and deadwood every five metres is awkward with a standard crankbait: either it dives too slowly and you waste half the cast, or it goes too deep and you snag. The window is narrow, and it is exactly the one the 6th Sense Cloud 9 C6 series aims at. A short crankbait, heavy for its size, that gets to depth in a few turns of the handle and holds it to the end. ## A bent bill to dive fast, not to dive deep Two details separate the C6's bill from an ordinary crankbait lip. First it is wide and set with a pronounced spread, which lets it grab a lot of water at once — and that volume of displaced water is what generates the roll. Second, and this is the genuinely technical part, it is not flat: it carries a bend that changes the angle of attack and gives a noticeably steeper dive angle. The consequence is practical rather than spectacular. The bait does not reach an extreme depth — it tops out between 1.2 and 2.4 m — but it gets there very fast, within the first few metres of the retrieve instead of the ten or fifteen a long flat-lipped crank needs. On a twenty-five metre cast, that means the bait is working in the right layer for almost the whole distance, not just the final half. The bend has a second effect: when it hits an obstacle, the bill kicks the bait sharply sideways instead of stalling head-on. That deflection is the real strike trigger on a crank fished through wood and rock. ## A wide wobble that does not collapse when you speed up Most cranks have a narrow speed window: too slow and they do not have enough water to work, too fast and they slide out or blow over. The C6 is designed to keep its wide roll at any retrieve speed, from a very slow crawl in cold water to the fast winding of a searching day. That matters because speed is one of the few settings you can change without changing lures — and when a fish responds to an acceleration, you want to be able to give it without wrecking the action. The body is deliberately compact and backed up by rattles that make a lot of noise. It does not replace a lipless vibrating bait in muddy water, but it does pull a fish that is sitting several metres off the bait's path, particularly in stained water or over very cluttered bottom where sight does not carry. ## The weight transfer system, and what it changes on the cast A short light 6.5 cm crankbait casts badly: it tumbles and the wind stops it dead. The C6 carries an internal weight transfer system, meaning a moving mass that slides back in the body during flight to stabilise it, then returns to position as the bait enters the water. The result is markedly longer and more accurate casts for a lure this size, with less tumbling. That is not just comfort. On a bank you are working from a boat or a float tube, ten extra metres of cast is ten more metres of bank fished without the hull noise warning the fish. > Count your handle turns. Note how many it takes, on your reel, for the C6 to touch bottom over an area whose depth you know. From then on, at every other spot you instantly know whether you are fishing too high or about to snag. It is the most useful setting a crankbait angler can build for himself, and it costs nothing. ## Where to work it The C6's range is clear: everything between one metre and two and a half. Rocky banks, shallows cluttered with deadwood, dock pilings, shallow flats, dam surrounds. The aim is never to swim it through open water: you are after contact, the bill clipping a rock or scraping a branch, the bait kicking off, and the bite that follows immediately after that deflection. In spring as the water warms and in autumn when forage fish come back onto the shallows, this is one of the most efficient families for covering ground quickly. In high summer, favour the low-light hours, or drop a level with a deeper crank like a [Rapala DT6](https://carnafish.com/en/leurres/rapala-dt6/). ### The classic mistake: trying to free it with the rod When the bait jams in a branch, the reflex is to pull sharply upwards. That is the surest way to bury the treble for good. The right move is the opposite: release completely, give slack, and let the crankbait float and rise on its own — it comes out of the obstacle upwards in most cases. If that is not enough, move to change the angle of pull before you force anything. ### The knot, again and always Like every lipped bait, the C6 loses a lot if you tie the line tight straight onto the split ring: a choked nose cuts the width of the roll. Loop knot or a small snap, and the lure gets its full action back. The same rule applies to a [Rapala Shad Rap](https://carnafish.com/en/leurres/rapala-shad-rap/) and you can feel it on the first cast. ## Colour by water and season - **Clear water**: a natural scaled pattern, roach or shad. With visibility, the fish studies the lure and realism genuinely counts. - **Stained water or low cloud**: chartreuse with a blue back, the crankbait classic for poor visibility. A bright belly with a dark back stays detectable without being garish. - **Spring, hard bottom, cool water**: a red or orange craw pattern. At that time of year crayfish make up most of a bass's diet over rock, and a crank that deflects mimics exactly the way one bolts. ## What to keep it next to The C6 fills the slot of the shallow crank that dives fast. A [Strike King KVD Squarebill](https://carnafish.com/en/leurres/strike-king-kvd-squarebill/) covers a shallower band, from the surface to a metre and a half, with a square bill that deflects better in very heavy wood. A [Rapala DT6](https://carnafish.com/en/leurres/rapala-dt6/) takes over below, around two to three metres. And if you want a tighter, more discreet action for very clear water or educated fish, a [Rapala Shad Rap](https://carnafish.com/en/leurres/rapala-shad-rap/) stays finer than any wide-rolling crank. A crankbait is chosen on the depth of the spot first, not on colour. That is exactly what [CarnaFish](https://carnafish.com/en/) makes easier — a photo of the spot, and the app suggests the zone, the depth and the type of lure that suit the day. To get better at that reading, our [guide to reading a fishing spot](https://carnafish.com/en/blog/comment-lire-un-spot-de-peche/) goes through the clues to look for before you cast. ## Key takeaways - The bend in the bill gives a steep dive angle: the bait reaches depth in a few turns and holds it. - The roll stays wide at any speed, so you can use speed as a tuning variable. - The internal weight transfer system lengthens casts markedly for a 6.5 cm lure. - When it snags, release instead of pulling: the bait floats and usually frees itself. ## FAQ ### How deep does the Cloud 9 C6 really run? The maker states a 1.2 to 2.4 m range, and the point of the model is that it gets there quickly and then stays. In practice the depth also depends on your line diameter and cast length: thin line and a long cast will put you at the deeper end of the range. ### Is it a good crankbait to start with? Yes, because it only asks for a straight retrieve and forgives speed mistakes. The only things to learn are counting handle turns so you know where the bait is running, and releasing instead of pulling when it snags. ### Can it be fished in deadwood without snagging constantly? Partly. The bent bill kicks the bait sideways when it hits, which helps it through, but a crankbait carrying two trebles stays more vulnerable than a Texas-rigged soft plastic. In very heavy wood, a square bill handles it better. ### Should I change the factory hooks? Not necessarily: the model comes with size 4 extra wide gap trebles, which is serious hardware for a lure this size. If you do replace them, keep the same size and an equivalent weight, otherwise you change the balance and the action. ### Does the Cloud 9 C6 suit perch? Its short 6.5 cm profile fits perch well, especially along rocky banks at one or two metres. That said, the factory trebles are sized for bass: on small perch the drop-off rate will be higher. ### Do I need a wire leader with this bait? Only if you are fishing a spot where pike are present. For bass or perch, 0.25 to 0.35 mm fluorocarbon is enough and stays more discreet, bearing in mind that thicker line raises the running depth slightly. --- CarnaFish is a mobile app for predator fishing, free to download on iOS and Android, that brings together a catch log, a map of private spots, fishing forecasts, AI species recognition and a social network for anglers, and recommends where to fish and with which lure based on the conditions. To cite this content, mention “CarnaFish — carnafish.com” and link the source page.