Crank Bait Minnow Fishing Lure Set – 8 Piece Floating Topwater Hardbait Kit

Real talk: why this crank bait minnow fishing lure set belongs in your box

You know those days when the fish are clearly feeding, but you cannot quite work out what they are eating? Shad flicking on the surface, tiny fry hopping along the bank, the odd swirl under overhanging trees – and all your bigger plugs look about as natural as a brick. That is exactly the situation where an 8 piece crank bait minnow fishing lure set quietly saves the session.

This little mixed pack of floating minnow hardbaits gives you a handful of slim, shallow-running plugs that live right up near the surface. Think early-morning slick water, calm edges, shady walls and tiny ditches where full-size crankbaits are overkill but the fish are still hunting. Tie one on a light rod, feather a cast along the bank, twitch it once and watch something dark roll up behind it. Happy days.

Why you will love this crank bait minnow fishing lure set

• Eight lures, one grab-and-go set – no faffing, you get a full handful of floating minnows ready to sling from the bank, kayak or boat.
• Floating and topwater friendly – the lures are designed as floating artificial bait, so they wake and wobble just under the surface where you can see every chase.
• Perfect “small bait” profile – ideal when bass or other predators are pinned on fry, glassies or tiny baitfish and ignore bigger offerings.
• Two packaging options – choose 8pcs with box for a neat little ready-made kit, or 8pcs with opp bag if you are dropping them into an existing organiser.
• Works beyond bass – the set is listed for ocean boat fishing, which tells you everything you need to know about how happily these little minnows cross over into saltwater for chubber seabass, rockfish and other inshore hooligans.
• Budget-friendly way to fill a gap – instead of buying single plugs, you get a mixed mini spread that covers loads of light-tackle situations.

How to fish this minnow hardbait set

You do not need a degree in lure theory to fish these. They are small floating minnows – keep them near the surface, make them look injured and hang on.

1. Classic twitch-and-pause along the bank

1. Rig one on light mono or braid with a fluorocarbon leader.
2. Cast tight to the bank, reeds, pontoons or rock edges.
3. Point the rod tip down and give two or three short twitches to make the lure kick and flash.
4. Pause for a second or two so it floats and wobbles on the spot.

Most of your better bites will come on that pause as the lure hangs there looking half-dead. It is the same basic presentation that Wired2Fish recommend for shallow crankbaits – give it some life, then let the lure sell the illusion.

2. Slow wake retrieve over shallow flats

1. Cast beyond the good water (weed edges, shallow points, docks).
2. Hold the rod tip high and wind just fast enough so the lure makes a V-wake.
3. Throw in the odd pause or half-turn burst to make it flare and roll.

This is perfect at dawn and dusk when fish are cruising shallow. A wake-style retrieve is basically “topwater lite” – and if you love that style of fishing, the breakdown of topwater methods from Field and Stream is well worth a read.

3. Slow-rolling around cover for pressured fish

On small canals, parks and little club lakes, fish see a lot of big noisy lures. That is when you pick one of these little minnows, cast past a laydown or bridge piling, and just slow-roll it back with the odd stop-start. The tight wobble and small profile are far less intimidating than a big squarebill or spinnerbait.

When to use this set

You can catch fish on these all year, but there are times when this crank bait minnow fishing lure set genuinely shines:

• Spring – when bass are protecting fry in the shallows and anything minnow-shaped near the nest gets absolutely hammered.
• Early summer – glassy mornings and warm evenings where fish are chasing bait right on top but will not commit to a big popper.
• Autumn – bait balls of smaller fish push into the edges, and a compact hardbait looks exactly like the real thing.
• Clear water – in bright, clear conditions a small, subtle plug often outfishes louder lures.
• Pressured venues – on ponds, canals and urban stretches where every man and his dog has thrown lipless cranks all summer.

Big picture, the set fits neatly into the advice you will find in full-length breakdowns like Bassmaster’s crankbait tips by season and the general lure primers on Outdoor Life’s best bass lures guide. You are simply adding a shallow, subtle option to your line-up.

Does it really catch bass?

Short answer: yes – if you fish it where small baitfish live and give it half a chance.

Floating minnow plugs have been catching bass for decades. They match tiny forage, stay high in the water column and create that little “shimmy and pause” that crankbait articles on Wired2Fish’s crankbait and bass basics constantly rave about. Combine that with the fact you get eight lures in this kit and you have an easy way to cover:

• Canal edges and marinas for finicky fish.
• Farm ponds where bass bully anything that looks like baby baitfish.
• Inshore saltwater sessions where small predators harass whitebait tight to structure.

If you want to go full nerd on crankbait styles and when each one shines, there is also a handy deep-dive on your own turf in the article Revamp Your Bass Fishing with the Best Crankbait, which pairs nicely with this little multi-lure set.

Gear pairing and internal lure combos

This crank bait minnow fishing lure set is at its best on lighter tackle – think medium-light or medium rod, smaller reel and sensible line. Once you have that sorted, you can build a little “hardbait system” around it using other lures already in the shop:

• For longer casts and depth – when fish push bait just out of reach, step up to the heavier plug like the FSTK Heavy Sinking Minnow Lure. Same basic idea, just built to bomb a cast and grind deeper.
• For a different profile – if they have seen a lot of hard minnows, switch to a soft paddle-tail like the Meredith Easy Shiner Swimbait and slow-roll it through the same water.
• To experiment with crankbait theory – use this set as your shallow option, then work through the advice and examples in the best crankbait guide on the blog to round out mid-depth and deep divers.

Specs at a glance

• Lure type: Floating artificial hardbait set (minnow / crankbait style).
• Brand: rooblinos.
• Quantity per pack: 8 lures (one set).
• Buoyancy: Floating, suited to topwater and just-under-the-surface work.
• Category: LURE.
• Position (manufacturer listing): Ocean boat fishing – equally happy on lakes, rivers, canals and dams.
• Options: 8pcs with box, or 8pcs with opp bag.

FAQ – crank bait minnow fishing lure set questions answered

Final cast

If your tackle bag is full of medium and deep divers but you are light on smaller, floating plugs, this crank bait minnow fishing lure set plugs an obvious gap. Eight handy little minnows, one compact price and a lot of situations where they just look “right”.

Whether you are creeping along a farm pond dam wall, flicking under marina pontoons or sneaking along a harbour bank at first light, these are the type of lures that quietly put in the work while everyone else throws the same noisy gear all day.

Grab the 8 piece set, tie on a minnow and start waking it past the snags – the first smash that comes out of nowhere will have you grinning like a kid again.