Strike King Introduces the 6XD Hard Knock

The Strike King 6XD was first released to the market in 2011 but was brought to the attention of the fishing public in June of 2010 when Strike King pro and bass fishing legend Kevin VanDam won the Bassmaster Elite Series Tennessee Triumph on Kentucky Lake with a four-day total of 92 pounds, 5 ounces.  In winning that event, VanDam highlighted the lure that he and legendary Strike King lure designer, the late Phil Marks, teamed up to produce.  The pair would also collaborate on several other projects, but the 6XD has been perhaps their most admired result.

To this day, the 6XD remains a lure that serious crankbait anglers rely on and knowing how many of the deep diving plugs get presented to bass across the country, Strike King took what Marks and VanDam built and added a new sound to help anglers trigger strikes in a new way.

One of those anglers that has relied on the lure is 2018 FLW Angler of the Year and 22-year veteran of professional fishing, Mark Rose.  The Arkansas pro and ledge fishing specialist has relied heavily on the plug throughout his career.  “The 6XD is the best deep diving crankbait on the planet,” announced Rose.  “It is my go-to bait all over the country.”  

Rose credits the unique design of the 6XD that sets it apart from other deep diving crankbaits. “The 6XD simply has features that no other crankbait has,” Rose said noting the curvature of the 6XD’s bill and streamlined body shape.  “It gets down quickly to maximum depth. And when it gets down there, the action is like no other.” 

Even with its effectiveness, Rose knows that it helps to have differences that set presentations apart. The addition of the Hard Knock sound gives him something to adjust in his presentations to generate strikes. “This thing doesn’t sound like any other crankbait, it hits hard under the water like its ringing the dinner bell,” jokes Rose. “All kidding aside though, there is no underestimating the impact of adding the Hard Knock sound to this legendary crankbait; it will make offshore bass respond.”  

The key depth of the of the 6XD is 18 to 20 feet, but according to Rose, the 6XD, “will run 20 feet on 12-pound line right out of the package.”  

While Rose said the lure will reach a depth of 20 feet on 12-pound line, Fellow Strike King Pro, and Kentucky Lake native Mark Menendez, from Paducah, Kent. Likes a little more depth.  Menendez usually fishes the 6XD on 10-pound line to get even more depth from the lure, and at those depths, added attraction is helpful. “You want that 6XD covering as much real estate as you can down there banging off structure; creating reaction strikes,” Menendez said. “The 6XD is one of my all-time favorite plugs, and having this new sound profile will create more commotion and add strikes, which equates to more opportunity on the water.  Professional fishing can be a hard knock life, but the Hard Knock series can help smooth some bumps out of a fishing day.”