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Silent
but Deadly: The Molix SB Crank 55 Silent
(continued)
  Durability:
I
have thrown these cranks around a lot of rip rap and some wood, and at the end
of it all the baits came out in excellent condition. While this bodes well for
real-life fishing situations, I decided to be a bit more harsh. My test baits
consisted of three colors: Giallo Capri, MX Ayu, and WCC Red Craw. I used the
key to my truck and scratched each bait as hard as I could in an attempt to make
some sort of prominent mark.
As you look closer you'll see some of the sweet detailing.
To my surprise,
with modest scratching force I was barely able to scratch the surface. It took
very heavy force and repeated strokes to finally make some decent scars. I
tested three other square-bill cranks in my box (from other brands) and found
that they all scratched noticeably easier than the Molix SB 55 Crank Silent.
The large, dark eyes really stand out.
Price &
Applications:
TackleWarehouse.com sells these baits for a regular price of
$11.99. It's not the most expensive square bill out there, but it's far from
being the most affordable. While there are some awesome cranks that cost several
dollars less, the Molix delivers a high-quality package that is water-ready
without needing hook upgrades. The same can't be said for cheaper square-bill
cranks I own.
The belly of the craw pattern looks awesome.
Because it's so specialized, shallow water will be the most obvious and common
area to throw this bait. Throw the SB 55 Silent around wood, weeds, rocks, or
docks. Since this crank is silent, it will be a better choice for stained to
clear waters. If your lake or river is moderately stained to muddy, a rattling
bait will probably draw more strikes, but with the right color choice this bait
pushes enough water to likely get some bites in the dirty stuff, too.
Ratings:
(We've
re-calibrated our
ratings standard for
2008 and have
included a key at
the bottom of the
following matrix as
a guide):
|
Molix
SB
Crank
55
Silent
Crankbait
Ratings
(?/10)
|
|
Construction/Quality |
These
are
nicely
made
baits
that are
free of
defects |
9 |
|
Performance |
Runs to
the
advertised
depth,
tracks
true,
deflects
well,
and
casts
easily |
9 |
|
Price |
A bit on
the
expensive
side,
but
still
far from
the
priciest
offerings |
6.5 |
|
Features |
This is
not
really a
bait
that's
full of
unique
features,
however
I am a
big fan
of the
excellent
stock
hooks |
7.5 |
|
Design
(Ergonomics) |
The bait
is a
nice
size and
the
color
schemes
are not
only
beautiful,
but
durable
too |
9 |
|
Application |
A
specialized
bait
that
will
excel in
shallow
water
that's
clear
|
6 |
|
Total
Score
|
7.83 |
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
|
|
+ High
build
quality |
-
Moderate
cost |
|
+
Excellent
stock
hooks |
- Not a
real
versatile
bait |
|
+
Quality
color
schemes |
|
|
+
Performs
well |
|
This freshwater schoolie striper liked the SB Crank 55 Silent!
Conclusion:
You haven't started throwing square-bill cranks? What are you waiting for? I
must admit, it took me awhile to warm up to them. Once I started tossing these
shallow divers consistently, my confidence in them built very quickly. They are
fantastic producers under certain conditions, and you should absolutely have a
selection of them in your tackle box. The Molix SB Crank 55 Silent is a sweet
offering that shouldn't be overlooked when shopping for a high quality shallow
crankbait. With the ability to probe the shallows quietly, these baits have
proven to not just be silent, but deadly!
Looking for the Molix SB Crankbait? Try
Tackle Warehouse
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