Wiggle Wart vs Rock Crawler

This really isn’t a debate. The application of one over the other really has to do with what a person prefers to throw and the subsequent ability to catch more fish. The following information offers clarification about each bait and how one differs from the other. In particular applications, though, one might be the better option to help you catch more fish.

These numbers are simply the specifications of each bait. To get a Wiggle Wart to 10’ deep even using fluorocarbon line is tough; getting a Rock Crawler deeper than 12’ takes it to an extreme depth range.

Unique Features: The Wiggle Wart. We’ll start with the Wiggle Wart because it has been around the longest. The Wart is a hunting crankbait. Very few crankbaits are known for hunting, and the Wiggle Wart and old school Bagley Square Bills make the short list. Once the bait is in the water, it becomes erratic without the angler doing anything but crank the bait. This bait will ricochet better than any other and may just go left for several turns of the handle before it gets back to a standard retrieve. Hunting is the correct term for an erratic crankbait, and the Wart does it well.

The Wart is more difficult to get hung up. To be clear, do not confuse this reference with the notion that it can’t be hung up—it is just better at getting free. When a Wart gets hung, stop the retrieve. As a general rule, if you stop the bait, it floats up with a slightly backwards angle and will actually free itself. For this reason, the Wart does well around wood cover.

The last piece of what makes a Wart so different is the sound it makes. Various types of plastics have been used to make a Wiggle Wart over the years, and the older versions have a very dull “click.” That sound has never been replicated, which is a significant factor in making a Wart so unique.

Unique Features: The Rock Crawler. This bait can be cast a mile. This bait is designed to be exceptional at covering mid-range crankbait depths. To get to the depth, the cast has to be long, and with this bait, it can be done by the novice angler to the seasoned veterans. The precise balance and weight of the bait allows any angler to let it fly across the water. The most important part of that long cast is how well the Rock Crawler casts into the wind. Lighter, smaller crankbaits won’t fly; this bait cuts the wind and gets to work.

From 3’-12’ feet of depth is where this bait will get you bites. On Table Rock, to cover a bank at a 45˚ angle allows you to cover a lot of ranges where a fish might be in just one cast. As a bigger bait with a swift dive, it gets to where fish are in a hurry.

The Rock Crawler has the right colors for today’s anglers. Not every color is the magic color, but the range of colors along with some short run colors makes a difference in certain waters and particular water temperatures. Spro has done a great job getting the colors right.

Which One?

The Rock Crawler wins when the fish are deeper. The Wiggle Wart is not able to compete if the fish are deeper than 8’-9’ water. Covering those deeper ranges make a big difference to getting more bites in a day, depending on the day. Casting to cover more water in a day gets more bites. The Rock Crawler allows just that: Longer casts with dives to deeper waters.

However, if the water has more color, that tends to position the fish a bit shallower and, in this situation, the Wart will win every day, especially with wood cover around. The Wiggle Wart will blast right through most wood cover. At a slower retrieve, the Wart performs magic under the water that no modern crankbait does—it’s just how that bait was made. This performance is especially true when cranking the “Dave Barker Drag:” The bait slides and kicks in a manner that will trigger a bite.

So which one do you select? It all depends on the day and time of year. For these baits, these suggestions apply to both spring and fall fishing. If the water is dirtier, the Wart is the right pick. If the fish are a bit deeper, go with the Crawler. Whichever you choose, one thing is certain: Just go fishing.