Strike King 5XD: the crankbait that has to hit bottom to catch
The right lure in the wrong spot still catches nothing. CarnaFish spots the zone that works, from a single photo.
A crankbait swimming freely in mid-water catches very few fish. The same crankbait banging into rock, deflecting, hanging for half a second and then setting off again catches plenty. This is not a nuance: it is the central mechanism of the technique.
The 5XD is built around it. Its long lip takes it down to 3.5 to 4.5 metres, and above all lets it work in contact with the bottom across that band, which is where most fish hold in summer and autumn.
Contact, not depth
A lot of anglers pick a crankbait on its stated depth, thinking "I want to fish at 4 m". That is the wrong way round.
The right question is: how deep is my bottom, and which lure will touch it? A crankbait that dives to 4.5 m over 3 m of water is perfect — it will grind the whole way. The same lure over 8 m is useless: it swims in mid-water, far from everything.
Contact produces three trigger effects:
- A sharp deflection. The lure hits, veers off, rights itself. That break in trajectory imitates a panicking prey.
- A cloud of sediment lifted at every impact, very visible in stained water.
- A dull knock carried a long way, which pulls in fish from outside visual range.
On the water: if you cannot feel the lure touching during the retrieve, you are not fishing — you are just walking a lure. Switch to a deeper-diving model, or move onto shallower bottom.
Reaching the stated depth
The 4.5 m is not automatic. Three parameters decide it.
Casting distance. A crankbait reaches its maximum depth halfway through its run. A short cast never gives it time to get down. Cast long, always.
Line diameter. Fluorocarbon in 0.25 mm lets the lure run markedly deeper than 0.40 mm, which brakes it by its own resistance in the water. It is the most effective way to gain 50 cm.
Rod position. Tip pointed at the water through the retrieve, not raised. A high tip lifts the lure by several tens of centimetres.
Tackle is not optional
Cranking wrecks wrists and sheds fish if the setup is wrong.
- A parabolic rod, 2.10 m minimum, slow action. A fast rod tears the trebles out of the mouth: bass attack a crankbait on the move and a stiff rod forgives nothing.
- A low-ratio reel, 5.4:1 or less. A high ratio makes you retrieve too fast and tires you for nothing.
- Fluorocarbon 0.25 to 0.30 mm. It sinks, helps the dive and resists abrasion over rock.
Braid straight through is not advised: too much sensitivity, no cushioning at all, and fish shed one after another on a lure carrying two trebles.
Not sure what to tie on?
Photograph your spot: CarnaFish reads the scene, cross-checks the conditions and gives you the zone, the lure and the retrieve. Free on iOS and Android.
Colours by season
| Period | Colour |
|---|---|
| Spring | Craw, red, brown — the crawfish are out |
| Summer | Natural roach and perch |
| Autumn | White, silver, fry imitations |
| Stained water | Chartreuse, black back, strong contrast |
5XD or another XD
Strike King's XD range reads by depth: the 3XD runs to about 2.5 m, the 5XD to 4.5 m, the 6XD to 5.5 m and the 10XD beyond 7 m.
The choice comes down purely to the depth of bottom you want to grind, never to the size of the fish. The 5XD is the most versatile model in France: it covers the flats, the medium drop-offs and the deep margins of most gravel pits and reservoirs.
Our beginner's guide to bass fishing covers how to read the structure where cranking takes the lead. And if you are unsure what depth to target on a spot, CarnaFish analyses a photo and gives you a lead.
Key takeaways
- A crankbait catches when it touches. In mid-water it does nothing.
- Pick the model on the bottom, not on the size of the fish.
- Cast long, thin line, rod tip at the water: that is how you reach the stated depth.
- Parabolic rod essential, never braid straight through.
- The 5XD covers the 3.5-4.5 m band, the most versatile one in France.
FAQ
How deep does the 5XD really run?
Between 3.5 and 4.5 m, provided you cast long, use thin fluorocarbon in 0.25 to 0.30 mm and keep the rod tip pointed at the water. A short cast or thick line easily costs it a metre.
Why does it have to hit the bottom?
Because contact makes the lure deflect sharply, lifts a cloud of sediment and produces a dull knock. Those three signals trigger the attack. A crankbait swimming freely in mid-water catches far less.
What rod should I use for cranking?
A parabolic, slow-action rod of 2.10 m minimum. A fast rod tears the trebles out of the mouth of a fish that hits the lure on the move. That is the commonest cause of lost fish.
Can I fish a crankbait on braid?
Not straight through. Braid cushions nothing and sheds fish one after another on a lure carrying two trebles. Fluorocarbon of 0.25 to 0.30 mm is the right choice.
How do I choose between 3XD, 5XD, 6XD and 10XD?
Purely on the depth of bottom you want to grind: around 2.5 m for the 3XD, 4.5 m for the 5XD, 5.5 m for the 6XD and over 7 m for the 10XD. The size of the fish does not come into it.
Which colour should I pick?
Craw and red tones in spring when the crawfish are out, natural tones in summer, white and silver in autumn over fry, and strong contrasts with chartreuse in stained water.
The full bass lure guideSeason-by-season strategy: which family of lure, when, and why.Go from theory to fish
CarnaFish reads your spot from a photo and gives you the game plan: zone, lure, retrieve. Free on iOS and Android.