Bandit crankbaits are available in a wide variety of patterns

Impressions: I’ve received a lot of emails from readers asking for a review of the Bandit Series 100-300 crankbaits. I’ve always wanted to fish them but my go to crankbait has been the Norman N Series for such a long time that I’ve found it hard to work the Bandit cranks into my test regimen. That all changed last season when I finally committed to giving them a shot and loaded up on a complete range of the baits from tackle Warehouse early in the season.

The deep diving Series 300 Bandit crankbait's body is only 2 inches in length

When I first unpacked the lures I noticed that they looked a lot smaller than they do in pictures online and the 100 to 300 size are all only 2” in length and also weigh in the same at only 1/4oz. each. The Bandit lures feature a compact shape and an internal rattle system. While the bodies on the different lures are very similar the lips vary greatly in angle and length to generate the different diving depths.

The lures feature a clean and simple profile with painted on eyes

More impressive than the actual profile of these lures is the wide range of patterns that the lures are available in. The finishes are quite diverse ranging from more standard chartreuse and citrus shad patterns to some surprisingly custom looking patterns including the Frog, Sunperch and Crappie finishes which actually look more like custom hand painted lures than mass produced crankbaits. The quality of all the patterns is equal to or better than the competition at the same price point.

Real World Tests: To test the Bandit crankbaits I headed to my favorite local fishing destinations which included the California Delta and Clear Lake. I fished a variety of different Bandit patterns targeting both Largemouth Bass and Crappie. For the majority of the tests I tossed the Bandit lures with a Dobyns 704CB crankbait rod and 10-12 Trilene and Suffix line.

A look at the Sunperch 's underside

Casting: Weighing in at ¼ each the Bandit crankbaits are easy to cast with a rod that is equipped to handle lighter crankbaits. I couldn’t cast the lure as far as some crankbaits which are more heavily weighted overall or feature a weight transfer system but the Bandit cranks are consistent. They cast the same each and every time and I was able to get them out a good distance or drop them right between submerged structure when necessary.

The Series 300 baits feature a long lip for a deeper dive