Durability: The DeepX 200T is made very well and I experienced no premature wear of the finish on any of my baits. Nor did I experience any cracked bodies or broken diving bills through almost a year of heavy use. All my baits held up surprisingly well right down the relatively thin gauged, stock hooks.
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A closeup of the side and belly detail
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Application: As mentioned earlier, I threw the DeepX 200T in rocky and weedy conditions with great success. Whether along the rip rap shores of the California Delta or along the dykes that border and define many of our clear water reservoirs here in Northern California, this bait excelled at triggering strikes in these environments. It also performed well retrieved and ripped through scattered weedbeds.
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After several month's of use, the PM Ayu color shows a small amount of wear |
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Effectiveness: In our review of the F4-610GT3 Shiryu back in May of 2006, I shared a story that took place at O'Neill Forebay in Northern California while fishing with JIP and Zander. It was a time where the bite slowed and I decided to tie on a crankbait to fish over a shallow hump that was strewn with scattered weeds. I was testing both the sensitivity of the Shiryu cranking stick and when I hooked into an unexpected 3lb largemouth bass. I never mentioned which crank was using that day until now, and it was, of course, the DeepX 200T. Both JIP and Zander thought I was nuts for tying on a crank in that situation since we were
targeting striper, but I had the last laugh with the surprise catch of the day.
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This scuff mark is courtesy of the bait's hooks
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Zander's Take:
Crankbaits are one of my
favorite baits, as they
are deadly in so many
situations. The various
pattern and lip designs
found on crankbaits
allow anglers the
ability to tailor their
choices depending on a
number of factors
including the hatch,
water clarity, and
targeted strike depth.
Before Cal introduced me
to the Deep X my go to
crankbaits were both
aggressively priced
Normans DLN and MLN
lures as well as the Lucky Craft Fat CB
and Bevy Shad. I was
hesitant to purchase a Megabass Deep X, after
all they aren't cheap,
and my other crankbaits
had served me well all
these seasons. After
months of hesitation Cal
simply couldn't wait
anymore and handed me a
brand new lure..."you
gotta try this," he
said. I looked over the
Deep X and responded "I
dunno, it doesn't look
like much." In fact I
thought it looked very
similar to the Bevy
Shad's that I normally
fish, only with a little
less flair.
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Another small scuff on our PM Ayu DeepX 200T
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To Cal's dismay it
would be another 5
months before I
actually tied the
Deep X on. On this
day we had a decent
day on Berryessa
lake, mostly filled
with spots around 2
to 3lbs in size, and
a few smallmouth.
The largemouth had
eluded us and to mix
it up I finally tied
the Deep X Ayu onto
the end of the line.
After around five
casts I started to
zone in on how to
fish the Deep X. It
gets down quickly,
but holds its tight
straight pattern if
retrieved at a
medium pace, when
burning the lure
back I found it
would veer to one
side. I did notice
that the lure put
out a very
interesting knocking
sound in the water,
and as I listened
for that sound I
nearly lost my
entire rig as a fish
slammed the Deep X.
When I brought the
fish to the surface
Cal yelled "we need
the net, its a good
one!" Sure enough in
the net I stared at
what the Deep X had
rewarded me with in
less than 10
casts...a healthy
9lb largemouth.
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Look what happened when I finally convinced Zander to tie one on and give it a try!
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I was filled with
exhilaration, and as I
went to high five Cal I
suddenly realized that
he had done it again.
Just as he did when he
introduced me to the
Megabass Vision, I found
myself immediately
hooked on the Deep X.
But rather than rush
out and purchase a whole
bunch of new baits I
waited till the week
to see if the
catch had been just a
fluke. We headed to Clear
Lake and while the bite
was decent it wasn't
spectacular for the lake, and I still landed
7 bass (after losing 3
thanks to an overly
stiff rod...but that's a
story for another day)
with the very same Deep
X lure that Cal had
given to me. Yes, I was
officially addicted, and
that night I ordered a
boatload online. The
e-tailers can officially
thank Cal for spreading
the madness, as I
liberally bought up all
their available stock.
Since then the Deep X
has made it to the front
locker on my boat, and
continues to be one of
my top performing
cranks. This is one time
I am glad that the bait
monkey bit....and it
sure bit hard.
Ratings:
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Megabass DeepX 200T
Ratings (?/10)
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Construction/Quality |
A well made crank that has stood up very well over long term testing |
9 |
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Performance |
Dives quickly and effectively and moves well through weeds and over rocks |
9 |
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Price |
Typical of most things Megabass... pricey |
7 |
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Features |
Tungsten weighting system, sharp hooks |
9 |
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Design (Ergonomics) |
Aside from some of the finishes, this bait doesn't look like much, but does it deliver! |
8 |
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Application |
Fish it in weeds or over rocks, this is a good mid-level crank |
9 |
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Total Score
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8.5 |
Pluses and Minuses:
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Plus Minus
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| J Environmentally friendly tungsten weighting system |
L Doesn't look like anything special, so it can lull you into not using it |
| J Sharp, stock hooks |
L I finally had to write the review |
| J A good variety of finishes to choose from |
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| J Quick diver |
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Remember this fish from the F4-610GT3 review? Not only was it the first fish I caught on that rod, it was the first fish I caught on this lure!
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Conclusion: Well, the testing is over and one of my best kept secrets for 2006 is out. Certainly I will continue to fish this bait whenever I get the chance, but it's just not the same when it's no longer in the testing
queue. Not a new bait by any means, but the Megabass DeepX 200T is one
stealthily effective crankbait. It doesn't look like much, but it certainly gets the job done, and
throughout this past
year, it had done so
when nothing else was
working. Maybe it was
the confidence the bait
inspired the first time
I really threw it and
was instantly rewarded
with that eight pound
bass, or maybe it was
that time at another
lake cranking the dikes where,
thanks to this bait, I managed two legs of the triple crown in bass fishing with a nice smallmouth and spotted bass. After all, it's mostly about what you have confidence in throwing, right? Well, if that's the case, the Megabass DeepX 200T has certainly been a confidence inspiring bait for me. Hopefully, if you decide to take the same chance based on this review, you'll be rewarded, as I was, with a year full of heavy sacks. I started out the year with just two of
these baits. I now have forty-five (That's
right....45) and counting. Is there any question I like this bait enough to name it this editor's choice?
("I'll second that,
while I may not have as
many baits as Cal I
already have half as
many, and they continue
to perform
spectacularly. This bait
still doesn't look like
all that much to me, but
there's no denying it
sure looks like a lot to
big fish." -Zander)
