HOME | TACKLETOUR FORUMS  | EDITOR'S CHOICE | REVIEW ARCHIVE | ABOUT US | 

Reels | Rods | Lures | SwimbaitsBFS Lines | Term. Tackle | Tools | Storage | Apparel | Enthusiast | Watercraft | Interviews | Events | Autopsy


 


 

 


Lure Review


Strike King Hits the TT Jackpot with their 10XD Crank! (continued)

Deflection: The 10XD is a very buoyant bait. Couple this characteristic with its wide bill and its resulting deflection performance is quite good. To test this, I made a long cast out over a shallow flat (about 10ft deep) strewn with rocks and slowly cranked the 10XD back to the boat. The bait bounced around quite a bit, and of course would hang on occasion, but the majority of the time, a simple pause in my retrieve and/or pop in the line would free the bait to swim some more.

Performance Ratings for Strike King's 10XD Crankbait

Castability (1-5)

Dive Time(1-5)

Slow Speed (1-5)
High Speed (1-5)
Deflection (1-5)
Total
Possible
Rating (= Tot/Pos * 10)
4
5
5
4
4
22
25
8.80


Finishes are relatively basic.

Features: Strike King's 10XD is a pretty specific tool. Inherent in this specialization is a limited range of features - at least as we score them in a crank bait. There is only one depth option with this specific bait, however, Strike King has an entire series of baits in its XD lineup to cover more shallow depths. Finishes are somewhat limited to solid colors although two, Green Gizzard Shad and Clear Sexy Shad are what's referred to as "ghost" patters (translucent). The 10XD, for now, is only available with a rattle and the only miscellaneous feature of which to speak is the shifting internal weight to aid in casting.

Features Ratings for Strike King's 10XD Crankbait

Depth Options (1-3)
Finishes
Sound Options (1-2)
Misc (1-3)
Total
Possible
Rating (= Tot/Pos * 10)
Solid (1-2)
"Ghost" (1-2)
Foil (1-2)
2
2
2
1
1
2
10
14
7.14

Design/Ergonomics: One area of slight disappointment the 10XD was consistency from bait to bait, but in an odd way. Performance in the water seemed very consistent, but what we discovered weighting these baits in our lab is that this stat would vary from bait to bait. We measured weights from 1.62 ounces on up to 1.97. On the issue of weight itself, some may find an almost two ounce crankbait cumbersome to cast and retrieve all day, but really, with the right rod and reel, this is a non issue. Then again, I'm used to throwing four to six ounce baits quite regularly too.


Hooks are effective but surprisingly thin for a bait of this heft.

If Strike King were so inclined, the 10XD could use a little help in the realism department, but the bait's appeal is in its old school look as if it were just carved out of a piece of wood with someone's pocket knife. Hook spacing with the stock hooks is good. The hooks can touch, but they won't foul during a cast.

Design & Ergonomics Ratings for Strike King's 10XD Crankbait

Bait to Bait Consistency (1-5)
Weight (1-5)
Realism (1-5)
Hook Spacing (1-3)
Total
Possible
Rating (= Tot/Pos * 10)
3
4
3
2
12
18
6.67


From hard bottoms to soft bottoms with weeds, the 10XD can crank them up!

Application: Strike King's 10XD is designed to do one thing and one thing only - that's to grind out bites in the plus twenty foot depth range. Employ a long enough rod, a free casting reel, and a strong yet thin diameter fishing line and that goal is easily achieved with this bait.

Ratings

Strike King's 10XD Crankbait Ratings (?/10)

Construction/Quality Clean, simple, basic and non-flashy 8.0
Performance It's difficult to get a bait with such a large bill to fly without tumbling but the 10XD casts well nonetheless and really goes to work under the water 8.80
Price Not the least expensive crank but far from the most expensive 7.5
Features Nothing too extraordinary in this department, but solid nonetheless 7.14
Design (Ergonomics) Certainly not flashy, but it gets the job done with some old school charm 6.67
Application Need a deep diving crank to really get down there? You need to try this bait. 8.5

Total Score

7.77
Ratings Key: 1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable!
For More Details of the updated rating system visit our explanation here

 

Pluses and Minuses:

Plus

Minus
+ Old School crankbait charm - Not a huge concern, but that weight inconsistency is puzzling
+ Relatively affordable  
+ Gets down to business right when you start cranking  

  

Conclusion: Of all the bait and technique options in bass fishing, there's something very comforting and nostalgic about tying one on, tossing it out, and cranking it up. Strike King's 10XD, with its old school appeal reminds me a little of my original Bagley cranks except they're bigger and far easier to cast!


The LOUS era is upon us and in the category of crankbaits, Strike King's 10XD wins this Editor's Choice Award!

Click that reel over, begin your retrieve, and this bait gets down to business right away. It's a really fun bait to throw in a technique that to me, defines bass fishing. These baits aren't flashy, are far from exotic, the finishes are basic, yet they do what you need them to do and that's dive deep and catch fish. The LOUS era is upon us and in the category of crankbaits, Strike King's 10XD wins this Editor's Choice Award!

Looking for Strike King's 10XD Crankbait ? Try one of these reputable sources!

 

TackleWarehouse : Hi's Tackle Box Shop : Monster Fishing Tackle

 


 

   

Google
  Web
  TackleTour

 

 

 
 





 

 



Copyright © 2000-2024 TackleTour LLC All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy information