Illex Diving Chubby 38: the mini crankbait for tight perch and trout spots

There's a category of spot where most hardbaits simply don't apply: urban canals, small city-edge ponds, shallow lowland rivers where perch and trout hold tight to bottom without ever straying far from cover. The Illex Diving Chubby 38 was built exactly for that ground.

A size that fits on a two-euro coin

At 3.8 cm and 4.3 g, the Diving Chubby 38 is one of the smallest floating crankbaits on the market still able to dive properly. Its lip, long relative to the body's size, sends it to about 1.5 m on a simple straight retrieve — plenty for most shallow-water perch and trout spots, with no need for a special casting or retrieve technique.

A Deep Diving version exists for spots past 2 m, but that's outside this guide's scope: the standard Diving Chubby 38 remains the right pick for the vast majority of small-stream or pond situations.

Why this size over a soft plastic

On a spot where perch or trout are being selective — a heavily fished canal, a municipal pond, a lowland river late in the season — a soft plastic needs a precise retrieve to close the deal. The Diving Chubby 38 works differently: its jittery swim and built-in rattle often trigger a reaction strike on a plain retrieve, no particular skill required. That makes it a good pick for:

• scouting a new spot quickly, before fine-tuning with other lures;
• fishing with a group or a child, thanks to an easy-to-learn technique;
• prospecting shallow water cluttered with small obstacles, where the compact size limits snags.

A crankbait this small doesn't tolerate too fast a retrieve: past a certain speed, the lip loses lift and the lure rises to the surface instead of holding its intended depth.

How to work it by species

Perch

A slow-to-medium straight retrieve is enough most of the time. On a spot known for wary perch, add short pauses every couple of metres: the lure rises slowly thanks to its buoyancy, a movement that often triggers the strike right as it resumes.

Trout

In rivers, a steady retrieve across the current works well, adjusting speed to offset flow. The rattle carries especially well in choppy or slightly stained water, where a trout might otherwise struggle to spot a silent lure.

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Colour by water clarity

• Clear water: natural finishes mimicking bleak or perch, for a subtle approach.
• Overcast or slightly stained water: a finish with stronger flash without going full fluoro.
• Murky water: fluoro finishes like spicy or chartreuse, where visual contrast takes over from realism.

What not to expect from it

The Diving Chubby 38 isn't built for deep prospecting or fast-covering a large body of water: its small size limits casting distance and its lip won't dive past 1.5-2 m. In those situations, a Blue Fox Vibrax or a heavier spoon will cover more ground in fewer casts.

Knowing when to favour a small crankbait over a spinner or a soft plastic mostly comes down to the spot's layout and the day's conditions — exactly what CarnaFish helps identify: one photo of the spot is enough for the AI to suggest a zone and a lure type that fits. To go further on river trout beyond crankbaits, our guide to river trout fishing remains a solid reference.

In summary

• 3.8 cm, 4.3 g, dives to about 1.5 m on a plain retrieve.
• Jittery swim and built-in rattle trigger reaction strikes with no complex retrieve.
• Great for scouting a spot quickly or fishing with easy access for anyone.
• Limited in depth and casting distance compared with a heavier spoon.

FAQ

How deep does the Illex Diving Chubby 38 dive?

About 1.5 m on a standard straight retrieve. For deeper spots, the Deep Diving version reaches past 2 m.

Is this crankbait beginner-friendly?

Yes, that's one of its main strengths: its jittery swim and built-in rattle work even on a plain retrieve, with no advanced technique required.

What retrieve speed suits the Illex Diving Chubby 38?

Slow to medium. Past a certain speed, the lip loses lift and the lure rises to the surface instead of holding its intended depth.

Can you fish river trout with this crankbait?

Yes, especially in shallow lowland rivers. The rattle helps particularly in choppy or slightly stained water where trout struggle to spot a silent lure.

Does this lure suit cluttered spots?

It handles spots with small scattered obstacles well thanks to its compact size, but stays vulnerable to snags in dense branches, where a weedless soft plastic works better.

What's the alternative for fishing deeper or further?

A spinner like the Blue Fox Vibrax or the Deep Diving version of the Chubby will cover deep spots or long casting distances better.