Skip to content
First Cast Fishing
  • Berkley Dredger Crankbait, 1 1/8 oz, Blue Chartreuse

Quick take

Deep-diving crankbait with slow rise on the pause, designed to stay in the strike zone on the retrieve and fall.

This 3 1/4 inch Dredger in Blue Chartreuse dives between 22 and 26 feet, a range that suits anglers fishing deep ledges and main-lake structure. Its compact body and weighted bill help it reach that depth on a cast, and it rises slowly on a pause. It fits anglers who need a larger deep diver for the deepest water they fish.

Best for

  • Fishing deep structure and ledges in lakes and rivers
  • Slow steady retrieving over and around submerged timber
  • Finding bass holding at depth in clear to moderate water

Skip if

  • You need a fast-sinking or fast-rising lure
  • You fish shallow water or dense weeds

Strengths

  • Dives to 20-22.5 feet to reach deep fish and structure
  • Unique slow rise on pause triggers strikes from hesitant bass
  • Pre-tuned and ready to fish right out of the box

Trade-offs

  • The synthetic material is not as durable as balsa under hard impacts
  • Deep diving limits casting distance on lighter rods and line
  • Slow rise means you must pause and wait for the bite on each cycle

Fishing fit

Species
  • Bass
Water
  • Freshwater
Techniques
  • Casting

When and where to fish it

Its bright, high-visibility pattern suits stained and muddy water under an overcast sky or in low light. Crankbaits are often fished in spring and fall, when fish are feeding on baitfish.

Season
  • Spring
  • Fall
Water
  • Pond
  • Lake
  • Reservoir
  • River
Clarity
  • Stained
  • Muddy
Light
  • Overcast
  • Low light
Water temperature
  • Cool (50 to 60°F)
  • Warm (60 to 75°F)
Fished from
  • Bank
  • Boat
  • Kayak

How to fish it

A crankbait with a long lip needs a long cast to get down, so it is fished by deep cranking.

Deep cranking

  1. Make the longest cast you can; a deep diver needs distance to get down.
  2. Hold the rod tip low and reel steadily until you feel the bottom.
  3. Keep the lure grinding along the bottom and pause when it deflects off rock.

Steady cranking

  1. Cast past the target and point the rod tip down toward the water.
  2. Reel at a steady medium pace until the lure reaches its depth.
  3. Keep it ticking the bottom or the cover, and pause when it deflects.

How deep and around what

At 1 1/8 oz it runs down to 26 ft, reaching fish that hold on deep structure and in open water.

  1. Surface
  2. Shallow (to 5 ft)
  3. Mid (5 to 12 ft)
  4. Deep (12 to 25 ft)
  5. Very deep (over 25 ft) (this product)
Maximum diving depth
26 ft
Depth zone
  • Very deep (over 25 ft)
Cover
  • Open water
  • Drop-offs

What it imitates

Its bright pattern imitates shad and, in stained water, bluegill.

  • Shad
  • Bluegill

How to choose a color and size

Color

Colors and when to pick them
OptionsWhen to pick itConditions
Black Chartreuse, Blue Chartreuse, Citrus Shad, Vanilla ChartreuseThis oneStands out in stained or muddy water and in low light.
  • Stained
  • Muddy
  • Overcast
  • Low light
FiretigerA loud pattern that shows up in stained and muddy water under cloud.
  • Stained
  • Muddy
  • Overcast
  • Low light
Ghost Morning DawnGives a see-through baitfish look in clear water and bright sun.
  • Clear
  • Bright
Green Shad, HD Blueback Herring, HD Tennessee Shad, HD Threadfin Shad, Honey Shad, Stunna ShadFlashes like a baitfish in clear to lightly stained water.
  • Clear
  • Stained
  • Bright
  • Overcast
  • Shad
Chameleon Pearl, HD White BassStays easy to see in lightly stained water and under cloud.
  • Clear
  • Stained
  • Overcast
  • Shad
HD Bluegill, HD Yellow PerchLooks like real forage in clear water, where fish get a long look.
  • Clear
  • Bright
  • Overcast
Irish GoldFlashes in stained, tea-colored water and on dark days.
  • Stained
  • Overcast
  • Low light
Old BlueShows a solid outline in muddy water, at dusk and at night.
  • Muddy
  • Low light
  • Night

Size

Sizes and when to pick them
OptionsWhen to pick itConditions
2in - 5/16 ozAn all-round size for bass and walleye on medium spinning or baitcasting gear.—
2 1/4in - 1/2 oz, 2 1/2in - 5/8 oz, 2 3/4in - 5/8 oz, 2.5 in - 5/8 oz, 2 3/4in - 3/4 oz, 3in - 7/8 ozCasts farther and handles wind and bigger fish.—
3 1/4in - 1 1/8 ozThis oneA big profile for pike, musky and striped bass in big water.
  • Striped bass

Which one should I pick?

Choose the version by the depth you need to reach, then choose the color by water clarity.

Versions of this product on this site
VersionLure weightLengthHook sizeMaximum diving depthSuits
Berkley Dredger Crankbait, 5/8 oz, GillyLure weight:5/8 ozLength:2.5 inHook size:4Maximum diving depth:15.5 ftSuits:Deep (12 to 25 ft), clear water, bass, walleye and pike & musky
Berkley Dredger Crankbait, 5/8 oz, Lone RangerLure weight:5/8 ozLength:2.5 inHook size:4Maximum diving depth:15.5 ftSuits:Deep (12 to 25 ft), bass, walleye and pike & musky
Berkley Dredger Crankbait, 3 in, 7/8 oz, Big MoneyLure weight:7/8 ozLength:3 inHook size:2Maximum diving depth:22.5 ftSuits:Deep (12 to 25 ft), bass, walleye and pike & musky
Berkley Dredger Crankbait, 3 1/4 in, 1 1/8 ozLure weight:1 1/8 ozLength:3.25 inHook size:2Maximum diving depth:26 ftSuits:Very deep (over 25 ft)
Berkley Dredger Crankbait, 1 1/8 oz, Blue ChartreuseLure weight:1 1/8 ozLength:3.25 inHook size:2Maximum diving depth:26 ftSuits:Very deep (over 25 ft), stained and muddy water

About this type

A crankbait is a hard-bodied lure that wobbles on a steady retrieve; most have a lip that sets how deep they run.

On a lipped bait, a bigger or steeper lip usually sends it deeper.

Most lipped crankbaits float at rest and dive when reeled, so a pause lets the lure back up and away from a snag.

Compared with Jerkbaits: A jerkbait is worked with twitches and pauses and often suspends or floats; a crankbait is reeled.

Facts

This version's specifications
Lure weight1 1/8 oz
Length3.25 in
Minimum diving depth22 ft
Maximum diving depth26 ft
LipLong
Hook size2
ColorBlue Chartreuse
Color familyChartreuse and bright

Common questions

How deep does it run?

It runs to a maximum depth of 26 ft.

How much does it weigh?

It weighs 1 1/8 oz.

How long is it?

It is 3.25 in long.

What color is this version?

This version is Blue Chartreuse.

Updated