Want to take your 6XD cranking to the #NEXTLEVEL, check out Mark Rose differentiate when to use a Hard Knock 6XD vs Standard 6XD vs Silent 6XD.
Finding fish offshore can be a great way to load the boat all year, but especially during the post-spawn. There are a variety of baits that these bass will eat, but nothing is more exciting than catching them on a deep crankbait. A master of offshore fishing, Mark Rose chooses to have the Strike King 6XD tied on the majority of the time. He has shared with us when he uses each model of this awesome bait, and why.
When Rose approaches a school of fish offshore, he starts off with the Standard Strike King 6XD. “I’ve had a lot of success with it. I’ve caught a lot of fish. I’ve won tournaments with it,” states Mark. The 6XD standard just works, and always has. He uses this model to get the school fired up and catches as many on it as possible. Eventually, the fish get too familiar with the bait and the smallest tweak can re-energize them.
When Rose wears out a school on the standard model, he will switch to the Silent Strike King 6XD. Mark says that if he has a spot and “there’s a big school of fish on it and I’ve just literally caught them for 30 minutes, I’ll pick up the silent and I can usually catch two or three more and sometimes a big one.” The fish get used to the sound of the standard model coming through, so the silent version is something new to them. It’s a little more subtle, and often all that is needed to keep catching them.
Rose chooses to throw the Hard Knock Strike King 6XD in more specific situations like dirtier water. “Whenever I get a little bit of stained water, I really like the loud, more aggressive sounding crankbaits,” explains Mark. The bait just attracts fish in the murkier water but might spook them in water with more visibility. This bait hasn’t been out for too long so there is still a lot to learn about it, but we know hard knock baits work. Rose says, “We’ve had it in the two-tap. We’ve had it in other baits, and I’ve seen that sound really makes a difference.”
Make sure to add the 6XD lineup to your rotation. Each model fills a specific role and can put more fish in the boat. If you are looking to start offshore fishing, keep these cranking tips in mind!
