LC RTO Series

The LC RTO is a series of floating squarebill crankbaits from Japanese lure manufacturer LUCKY CRAFT, developed around the shallow-cranking style of professional angler Takahiro Omori.

The series covers an unusually wide range of sizes, from the compact 38 mm Tiny to the 80 mm 4.5, while the standard models are designed to run in shallow water from approximately 0.3 to 1.5 meters deep.

A central concept behind the LC RTO is combining the characteristics anglers value in traditional shallow-running crankbaits with a durable plastic body.

The lure is highly buoyant and designed for fishing around hard cover, including rock, wood, and other shallow structure. Its square bill allows the lure to contact and deflect from cover while maintaining its swimming action.

The LC RTO 1.5, one of the best-known models in the series, measures 60 mm, weighs 12 g, and runs approximately 3–4 feet deep.

Rather than being purely a Japanese-market interpretation of a squarebill, the LC RTO reflects Takahiro Omori's extensive experience fishing American bass tournaments and became closely associated with his shallow-cover fishing style.

The LC RTO occupies an unusual position in Japanese lure design because its identity is closely connected to American tournament bass fishing.

Takahiro Omori built his reputation as a shallow-water specialist while competing in the United States, eventually winning the 2004 Bassmaster Classic. LUCKY CRAFT describes the RTO series as closely tied to Omori himself and his distinctive shallow-cranking style.

For Japanese anglers, this gives the LC RTO a different background from many JDM crankbaits. It was not developed simply by adapting an existing American lure for Japanese waters. Instead, it represents a Japanese lure manufacturer working around the techniques and experience of a Japanese professional angler competing at the highest level of American bass fishing.

Its broad size range also makes the concept adaptable to Japanese conditions. Anglers can move from the very small Tiny and 0.5 models to substantially larger versions while retaining the basic shallow-running squarebill concept.

The basic LC RTO presentation is a steady retrieve through shallow water.

Cast the lure beyond the target and retrieve it through the desired depth while allowing the square bill to interact with the environment.

Around rock, wood, and other hard cover, contact is often desirable. When the bill strikes an obstacle, the lure changes direction and deflects away from the cover, creating an irregular movement that can trigger a reaction bite.

Its high buoyancy also helps the lure rise when the retrieve is stopped, which can be useful when working through shallow cover.

Retrieve speed can be changed according to fish activity. A faster retrieve allows anglers to cover water and search for active bass, while slower retrieves can keep the lure around productive shallow structure for longer.

Size selection is another important part of the series. Smaller RTO models can be used when bass are feeding on small forage or when a more compact presentation is needed, while larger models provide a stronger presence and can be selected around larger forage or more aggressive fish.

• Shallow-water bass fishing
• Rock and riprap
• Wood and hard cover
• Shallow flats
• Cover cranking
• Reaction bites
• Steady retrieves
• Searching for active bass
• Situations where strong buoyancy helps avoid cover
• Matching different forage sizes with the wide RTO size range

The LC RTO does not fit neatly into a simple "Japanese lure versus American lure" comparison.

It is a Japanese-designed and manufactured lure series closely connected to Takahiro Omori, a Japanese professional angler whose shallow-cranking style was developed through years of competition in the United States.

The fundamental concept—using a highly buoyant squarebill to repeatedly contact and deflect from shallow cover—is deeply rooted in American power fishing.

LUCKY CRAFT approached that style through precision plastic hard-bait manufacturing, creating a durable and consistent alternative to traditional wooden shallow-running crankbaits.

The result is a genuine crossover between Japanese lure manufacturing and American tournament bass fishing.

For US anglers exploring JDM tackle, the LC RTO is therefore important not because it represents an unfamiliar Japanese technique, but because it shows how Japanese lure design became part of the evolution of modern American squarebill fishing.