The pro lure S36 has been a standout hard body lure for me lately, and it has helped reignite my passion for cranking.

I’ve been cranking hard body lures for over 25yrs now.

I have also spent plenty of time mixing it up with soft plastics and vibes.

Over the last couple of years, though, my passion for hard body lures has really come back strong.

There is nothing quite like the feeling of a crank bait being smashed by a big bream while slow rolling over the flats.

I also love that moment when a suspended hardbody sits on the pause and gets eyeballed by a big bream.

It can feel like an eternity before the fish decides enough is enough and sends your reel into a screaming frenzy.

Why the pro lure S36 works for me

I’ve got a fair mix of lures, but recently I have had some great success with the S36 range.

These really are great bream lures.

They have fitted in nicely with the way I like to fish the flats and edges.

I’ve been using a mix of techniques that consist mostly of slow rolling, with the occasional pause and twitch thrown in.

That approach has worked well for me, especially when fish are sitting over weed beds or moving across shallow flats.

The lure has a nice balance in the water and gives off a strong, exaggerated wobble on the retrieve.

That action is one of the main things I like about it.

It feels lively without being over the top.

The colour range of the S36 Crank is also great.

My absolute favourite is the Tiger Shrimp.

I also like the Phantom and Violet Shrimp.

I picked up a Matt Black last week that I’m yet to try.

Having a solid colour range is always handy.

It gives you a few options when the light changes or the fish get fussy.

The action is a really nice exaggerated wobble.

They come in two depths – S36 (shallow) & D36 (deep diving).

That makes the range versatile.

You can pick the lure that suits the depth you want to work without changing too much else.

The pro lure S36 is the one I have leaned on most in the shallower water.

It suits the sort of flats fishing I enjoy.

Hooks are good, but the 38cm fork length bream I caught recently bent the hooks so badly they pretty much just fell apart getting out of the fish’s mouth.

That was the only real downside in my experience.

Aside from that, the lure itself has performed very well.

Best of all is the price.

Pro Lure have done a great thing keeping the price down.

At around $6 cheaper than the Ecogear SX40, I find it hard to go past this lure.

It’s really nice to see a high quality lure at a reasonable price in Australia.

Thanks Pro Lure for keeping it accessible.

Price always matters when you fish a lot.

It is even better when a lure is affordable and still proves effective on the water.

That is a big part of the appeal here.

This model gives you a quality option without pushing the price too far.

Here are the specs from Pro Lure.

Not to be confused with logic pro or final cut pro.

Those names may be familiar elsewhere, but this review is about a fishing lure from pro lure.

• TYPE: Hard Body Tournament Crank D36 (deep) & S36 (shallow)
• LENGTH: 36MM
• WEIGHT: D36, 4.1g. S36, 3.8g
• Buoyancy: Floating
• Colour Range: 10
• DEPTH: D36, 1.6-2m. S36, 0.4-1.2m.
• HOOKS: Decoy Y-s25 size 14
• TECHNIQUE: Slow roll, Jerk, slow retrieve
• RIG: Ultra-Light to Light. 4- 6lb Fluro leader. PE0.4-0.8. Suitable for mono and Braid
• D36 Crank Primary Target Species: Bream and Bass
• Other Proven D36 Crank target Species: Flathead and Trout

On the water, I have mostly used the pro lure S36 with a slow roll and the occasional pause.

I’ve also mixed in a twitch here and there.

That has helped keep the lure in the strike zone a bit longer.

The shallow model has become my preferred option over weed beds.

It tracks well and suits that style of retrieve.

For anglers who like fishing bream on the flats, that sort of lure behaviour can make a big difference.

Overall, I think Pro Lure have done a great job bringing us a high quality effective lure at a price that won’t break the bank.

For now, the pro lure S36 is my go to flats lure over weed beds.

It has earned that spot through good action, useful depth options, a strong colour range, and solid value for money.

Cheers

Matt's Fishing Blog. (courtesy of Matts Fishing Blog)