Presso Rolling Crank Junior – Chris Seeto

It’s time to start dusting off those spring/summer lures, so get your crank baits, wake baits, and top water lures out of hibernation and be ready for the sound of the cicadas, the longer daylight hours and warm weather.

It seems perfect timing that Daiwa have gone and released the little brother (the little brother is always the best brother) to the Presso Rolling Crank, aptly named the Presso Rolling Crank Junior. I was fortunate enough to see this crank bait last year and was somewhat impressed, especially after seeing the Rollin Crank. I was a little unsure of the casting distance but figured that there would be a time and a place for such a small crank bait.

Fast forward roughly six months and I was on the water with Brad from Daiwa and was able to test the bait out in the flesh. I have to say that my concerns around the casting distance were unfounded and the diving depth was perfect for cranking edges, pontoons, bridge pylons and supports and even boats. Like all good crank baits, I was able to tune the lure slightly to be able to swim under and bump into the structure to really key in on the fish.

Being such a small crank bait, I figured the best time to use it was when the bite was a little quieter than usual. I was expecting to attract the smaller bream that were around that day but my first real test of the bait came from a much better quality fish, around the 34cm to the fork mark. Although the bait is smaller in every way, it’s still an exceptionally stable lure when cranked hard through the water column. For me, this is often a great test for lures to determine their design and build quality.

Being able to use such a small presentation will provide a lot of advantage to anglers, often downsizing is the key to getting the bites on days, where the fishing is harder and the Rolling Crank Jnr is one of the smallest, yet usable crank baits that I have come across. Paired with the big brother, the Rolling Crank Jnr compliments the small bream/trout range of lures that Daiwa have released recently and will become another Daiwa “go-to” lure for me.