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Spro’s Little John
MD is one mean little crankbait (continued)
  Retrieving:
The LJMD runs silent but does displace a good amount of water as it wobbles side
to side on retrieves. We tested a total of seven lures and each and every one of
our test baits ran true right out of the package. The same soft tungsten weight
system that helped make casting easy also effectively centers the bait when
retrieved. In the inner Delta I found the LJMD was effective for smallmouth but
I wanted to see if I could get bigger largemouth to take this diminutive lure.
A largemouth bass takes the Sunny
bream pattern
We ran to the other side
of the Delta and fished the LJMD over vegetation and didn’t have to wait long
before the lure was inhaled by a three pound largemouth. Thus kicked off a four
month test in which the lure caught many fish all the way up to six pounds. This
little bait isn’t just for filling the livewell with keepers it is more than
capable of catching quality fish especially when you match the hatch.
With translucent patterns like the
"watermelon red craw" the tungsten weight is clearly visible
At Lake Falcon I found
that the Little John MD was great for working over structure and deflected off
wood better than the original version. The longer lip helps the lure get through
branches and because it is relatively easy to control the depth of this lure
with the tip of the rod it can also be run over the top of vegetation like
hydrilla without worrying about hanging up every few seconds. With 10lb line I
was able to get down to around 7 feet but with 8lb. line I was able to get to 9
plus feet down.
There are a lot of patterns to
pick form and some are reflective like the "Chrome Olive"
Durability:
The LJMD’s paint finishes held up very well in our tests and even the foil
patterned lures resists scratches from structure. Unlike many other crankbaits
the hooks don’t need to be changed out on these baits, the Gamakatsu trebles
held up very well and even after numerous fish remained razor sharp. The MD’s
lip is no as durable as the original and we were able to crack on of the baits
when we hit the edge of a metal dock. Fished under normal conditions the LJMD
will last through so many fish that you are more likely to lose the bait to a
nasty underwater snag versus rendering it unfishable due to damage.
A largemouth kills the Little John
Price & Applications:
Spro gives their prostaff a lot of flexibility and baits like the Little John MD
are actually designed by the anglers themselves. John Crews put his expertise in
shallow cranking into the design of his series of baits and his expertise is
incorporated throughout.
With a bait this small we were
finding a lot of the fish were hooked with both trebles
For example why does the
new bait make use of a plastic bill versus a longer computer chip board? John
chose plastic because he wanted to put the line tie in the bill itself to create
the optimal retrieve. The longer bill angles the bait more on the retrieve so
that it comes through cover a little bit better as well.
This bait may be small but it
catches fish of all sizes
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)
|
Spro Little
John MD Crankbait Ratings
(?/10) |
| Construction/Quality |
A
solid construction and excellent hooks |
8.5 |
| Performance |
Consistent performance, each and every bait swam perfectly right out of the
package. This is a good bait for clear water when a more subtle action is
preferred |
9 |
| Price |
A
little more expensive than the average crankbait but cheaper than premium
Japanese lures |
7 |
| Features |
A
tungsten weight transfer system aids in both casting and retrieving. This is
one crankbait where the hooks do not need to be changed out |
8 |
| Design
(Ergonomics) |
Easy to fish with both spinning and baitcasting gear. The weight transfer
system aids in casting of this small little bait |
8 |
| Application |
Good for mid depths and clear water this bait can be used to target both
small and largemouth bass |
8 |
|
Total Score |
8.08 |
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 |
| J
A nice addition to the series that allows
anglers to go deeper |
L
Higher price but not as high as some
premium Japanese lures |
| J
Tungsten weight transfer system works |
|
| J
Excellent hooks
|
|
| J
Great in clear water where a more subtle
action is preferred |
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Conclusion: This is a
good bait for both largemouth and smallmouth bass and if you are a fan of the
original the new MD and DD versions allow you to adapt to target deeper strike
zones. I think that the Little John MD has a stealthier look to it than the
original with the transparent plastic bill and is good choice for ultra clear
and cold water cranking. Though small in size don’t count this little bait out
when it comes to drawing strikes from big fish, this mean little bait has the
ability to get in and out of structure and in doing so can entice the big girls
to come right out of both vegetation and timber for what they think is an easy
meal, they couldn’t be more wrong. The Spro Little John MD is a deadly little
bait and is certainly worth tying on the next time you want to target fish at
medium depths.
Looking for the Spro Little John MD Crankbait? Try
Tackle Warehouse
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