Tackle Review: Rapala Ike’s Custom Ink DT Crankbait

Professional bass fishermen know their stuff. Many of them have been angling for the majority of their lives and all that time on the water, honing their skills and learning everything there is to know about fishing, has allowed some of the sport’s best pros to coordinate with tackle companies to design outstanding pieces of equipment. One such product has recently been designed by one the bass fishing’s top anglers, Mike Iaconelli. Keep reading for my review of Ike’s Custom Ink DT crankbaits, by Rapala.

Rapala and Mike Iaconelli—two names synonymous with bass fishing—have come together to create a series of crankbaits. If those fish aren’t shivering in fear, they should be. Rapala’s DT series crankbaits are one of the most popular baits on the water, and with good reason.

The DT’s (Dives-To) lures come in a variety of sizes and diving depths to accommodate any situation on the water. Their balsa wood construction and tapered body design allow them to dive to their designated depth and remain there for a long time. This versatility in depths is what makes them so well-received by anglers. Furthermore, the DT crankbaits also possess Sureset treble hooks on their tail, which offers more assurance of getting a solid hook-up on the strike.

What sets Ike’s Custom Ink DT crankbaits apart from the standard DT’s is their paint job. Mike Iaconelli has spent years on the water perfecting his craft and had learned what colors work best in any given situation. The series is comprised of eight different color patterns—Penguin, Old School, Demon and Mardi Gras (which imitate a crawfish perfectly), Smash, Caribbean Shad, Disco Shad, and Blue Back Herring—in three different lengths and weights, so you’ll have no trouble finding a specific one for your needs. Also, one of the best things about Ike’s Custom Ink DT’s is their easily affordable $6.99 price tag.

As any bass angler will tell you, targeting structure such as logs, boulders, or rocky bottoms at certain depths with crankbaits is one of the most productive tactics you can employ to catch big bass. Mike Iaconelli is a legend among the bass fishing community and his customized DT crankbait project with Rapala will turn any angler into a bass assassin this season.