How Randy Howell Builds a Deep Crankbait Game Plan
Deep crankbait fishing is not one bait doing everything. Randy Howell laid out a clear system in this conversation, and it comes down to matching the crankbait to the depth, the fish position, and how aggressive those fish are.
The first bait he talked about was the Vapr 50 Deep Plus. That bait is built around a smaller body with a longer circuit board lip. It gets into that 10 to 15 foot range and gives anglers a finesse crankbait profile that still reaches suspended summer fish. Randy likes it when fish are grouped up but not really feeding, especially when there is not much current.
That bait is not about overpowering them. It is about getting something smaller through the school with vibration, sound, and the ability to pause.
Then the system starts stepping deeper.
Randy talked about the Deep Impact 12 and Deep Impact 18 as important pieces of the Livingston Lures deep crankbait lineup. The Deep Impact 12, even though it has 12 in the name, will reach about 15 feet pretty easily. Randy said forward facing sonar has made that easier to see now. That bait is one he throws up north for smallmouth on places like St. Clair and the St. Lawrence River.
That is an important point. It is not just a TVA ledge bait. It has a place anywhere Randy wants to crank that mid depth zone and make contact.
The Deep Impact 18 is the next step. Randy compared its running range to the commonly known 16 to 20 foot crankbait class. On a long cast with 10 or 12 pound fluorocarbon, he said it is a true 18 to 19 foot runner. But the way he described the action matters just as much as the depth.
The Deep Impact 18 is more subtle.
Randy said it does not have a big overpowering vibration. It is not trying to be too gaudy. It is designed to come through a school more quietly and naturally when fish are out deep, laying out there, and not chasing hard. Sometimes that is exactly what those fish need. They do not always want something loud and aggressive. Sometimes they need a bait that gets into the right depth, comes through the group, and triggers a reaction without blowing them out.
Then there is the big one.
The Howler Deep Plus is the super deep tool in the lineup. Randy described it as a big bait that can reach that 25 to 30 foot zone. This is for the deepest part of the summer pattern, usually July into early August, when fish slide as deep as they are going to get all year.
That bait has a different job.
It is for the ends of shell beds, deep ledges, long points, river channel edges, and places where fish are set up well below what a normal deep crankbait can reach. Randy talked about finding fish out in 32 or 33 feet and using the Howler Deep Plus to get down to them. He even had to long line it to get the bait deeper and reach those fish.
That shows what this bait is for. It is not a casual bank crankbait. It is a specialty tool for when the fish are truly deep.
The choice between these baits is simple if you think about it the way Randy does.
If the fish are suspended in that 10 to 15 foot zone and not eating well, the Vapr 50 Deep Plus gives you a small profile and a stop and go crankbait option. If the fish are around that 15 foot zone and you want a mid depth crankbait, the Deep Impact 12 fits. If they are deeper, around that 16 to 20 foot zone, the Deep Impact 18 is the tool. If they are way out there in the deep summer places, the Howler Deep Plus is the bait that gets into that 25 to 30 foot class.
This is not complicated, but it is exact.
The mistake is thinking all deep crankbaits are the same. They are not. Some are built to be subtle. Some are built to push harder. Some are built to reach fish that normal cranks will never touch. Some are built for suspended schools when the current is weak and the fish are not feeding right.
Randy’s system is about putting the right crankbait in the right depth zone.
That is what makes the Livingston deep crankbait lineup so valuable. It is not just about having a deep bait. It is about having the right bait for the level those fish are using that day.
About the Featured Expert — Randy Howell
Randy Howell is the 2014 Bassmaster Classic Champion and a veteran professional bass angler with decades of tournament fishing experience. A longtime member of the Livingston Lures professional team, Howell is recognized for his expertise in crankbait fishing, offshore bass tactics, seasonal pattern development, and adapting traditional fishing techniques to modern electronics. His firsthand experience provides the foundation for the fishing strategies discussed in this article.
About the Author — Steven Paul
Steven Paul is a professional angler, USCG-licensed captain, internationally award-winning fishing lure designer, author, and Chief Development Director for Livingston Lures. As the Tennessee state-record muskellunge holder, Paul spends more than 300 days annually on the water guiding, developing fishing tackle, and studying predator behavior. He is the author of Next Level Musky Fishing and Musky IQ: Analyze & Execute, a contributing writer for Field & Stream and Great Lakes Angler, and the owner and host of Musky 360. His work with Livingston Lures combines firsthand fishing knowledge, professional angler interviews, and practical lure engineering.
Steven Paul Professional Biography | Livingston Lures Pro Team
