DRT Tiny Klash vs Klash 9: Which One to Throw and How to Rig It
The DRT Tiny Klash and the DRT Klash 9 are the same idea in two sizes. The Klash 9 (K9) came first: a 9-inch, 4 oz class jointed swimbait with a removable lip and a tail you can flip or swap. The Tiny Klash (TK) takes that design down to 6.6 inches and about 2 oz, small enough to throw on a regular heavy casting rod instead of a dedicated big-bait stick.
Both come in Hi Float and Low Float versions, and both fish very differently depending on which lip and tail you run. Below are DRT's published specs for each bait, what the two float versions are designed to do, and the rods and line that suit them.
Tiny Klash vs Klash 9 specs
| Tiny Klash (TK) | Klash 9 (K9) | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 6.6 in (170 mm) | 9 in |
| Low Float weight | 2 oz class | 4 oz class |
| Hi Float weight | 1.8 oz class | 3.3 oz class |
| Lip | Removable | Removable |
| Tail | DRT variable tail, runs fins-up or fins-down | DRT variable tail, runs fins-up or fins-down |
| DRT spare lips | Normal, Short, Wide, YTMK, DTK, YABASE | Normal, Roll, Wide, YTMK |
| DRT spare tails | V-Tail, TransferTail, CRAMP Tail, VariableTail | V-Tail, TransferTail, VariableTail |
Lengths, weight classes and parts are from DRT's own product pages. Every TK and K9 we carry is Low Float unless the listing says otherwise.
Size and weight
The TK is about three-quarters the length of the K9 and half the weight, and that difference drives almost everything else. DRT describes the TK's 170 mm body as a size bass will readily eat, with a reinforced setup so it can still handle a big fish. For the Low Float, DRT recommends a 6'6" to 8' rod in medium-heavy to extra-heavy power, which means a standard heavy bass rod will do.
The K9 is a true big bait. At 4 oz class in Low Float and 3.3 oz class in Hi Float, it calls for an extra-heavy rod and a reel with some line capacity.
Hi Float vs. Low Float
The two versions are built for different jobs, so it's worth knowing which one you're buying.
The Low Float is the subsurface bait. According to DRT, the TK Low swims even at a dead-slow retrieve, reacts to light rod work as well as straight reeling, and is good at coming through cover, so you can fish it in spots a conventional big bait can't. When you pause it, it hangs in front of the fish much like a suspending jerkbait.
The Hi Float is built around buoyancy. DRT pitches the TK Hi as a lip-on bait for situations where you want the bait to rise, which is what backs it off a laydown when you stop reeling. With the Wide Lip and V-Tail installed, DRT calls it the SuperWake setup, and it turns into a wakebait. Take the lip off and walk it like a pencil bait: it takes a little more feel to work that way, but DRT says it makes a better topwater than the Low. The K9 Hi carries a counterweight in a rattle chamber. At speed, or with the lip removed, that weight rolls around and makes the bait swim unstable on purpose, which is where its erratic action comes from.
Lips and tails
The lip clips in and out, and the tail plugs in fins-up or fins-down. DRT describes the K9's range as anything from a hard-thumping joint action to quiet straight and S-curve swims, with the occasional unpredictable panic move, and most of that comes down to these two parts. On a Low Float bait, the four basic combinations behave like this:
| Lip | Tail | Action |
|---|---|---|
| In | Up | Wide, rolling swim, similar to a hunting crankbait |
| In | Down | Steadier crankbait swim that runs deeper |
| Out | Up | Straight, subtle swim with very little wobble |
| Out | Down | Erratic, glide-style action |
DRT's spare parts take it further. The YTMK lip is DRT's yotamaki lip, for slow-rolling the bait just under the surface, and DRT makes one for both baits. The Wide Lip and V-Tail combination is what makes the TK Hi a SuperWake. We go through the TK's glide, crankbait and yotamaki setups in more detail in Best Swimbait Of All Time?
How to fish the TK and K9
Tiny Klash
The TK doesn't need much speed to work. A steady retrieve with an occasional twitch is enough to get it swimming. Around laydowns, docks and seawalls, try burning it past the cover and then killing it. When it's rigged as a glide bait, short twitches keep the glide tight and longer sweeps open it up. Wired2Fish's review found it especially effective during shad spawns, in stained water where you want a reaction bite, on pressured water, and on days when bass won't commit to a slow glide bait.
Klash 9
DRT says the K9's tail creates downforce at speed, so the bait stays in the water instead of blowing out on a fast retrieve. Its tall, flat sides are cut into eight facets, and when it rolls they throw flash and push water. Slow-roll it for the thump and flash, burn it when the fish want a reaction bite, and take the lip off when you want the quieter straight and S-curve swims.
Rods, reels and line
For the TK Low, DRT recommends a 6'6" to 8' rod, medium-heavy to extra-heavy, and 16 to 25 lb line. A 7'6" heavy casting rod with 20 lb fluorocarbon sits right in the middle of that range, and a 150 or 200-size baitcaster will handle it.
DRT doesn't list a rod or line rating for the K9 itself, but one of its own rods gives a good idea. The DRT ARTEX R2 Gen 3 is a 7'10" extra-heavy casting rod rated for lures up to 4.5 oz and line up to 30 lb, and DRT says the Gen 3 was refined to respond better when you put sharp action on swimbaits like the K9. Plan on a similar extra-heavy rod and a 200-size or larger reel. You can browse the rest of our casting rods and casting reels to put a setup together.
Tiny Klash and Klash 9 colors
Match the forage first, then adjust for water clarity. These are some of the colors we've carried, grouped by what they imitate:
- Trout: Magic Trout (TK and K9), Satsuki Trout (TK), Lake Trout and Brown Trout (K9)
- Shad and baitfish: Magic Shad, Suplex Hickory Shad and Ultimate BaitFish Ver.2 (TK)
- Smelt: Lake Smelt (TK and K9), MidNight Smelt (TK)
- Perch and bluegill: U.S Perch (TK and K9), Stealth NM Gill (TK), Tule Perch and Toxic Gill (K9)
- Chartreuse for stained water: Suplex Blackback Chart (TK and K9), Hama Chart and Legend Chart (TK)
Stock changes with every drop, and each product page shows what we have on hand. If a color you want is sold out, select it on the product page to get a restock alert.
Which one should you buy first?
If you want one bait that works on a standard heavy setup, start with the TK. It comes through cover well, works riprap and laydowns, and lets you try every lip and tail combination without buying a big-bait rod.
Go with the K9 if the bass you're after are feeding on large forage, or if you already own an extra-heavy rod and want the bigger profile. The two baits are built on the same lip-and-tail concept, so what you learn on one carries over to the other.
Tiny Klash and Klash 9 FAQ
How big is the Tiny Klash?
The Tiny Klash is 6.6 inches (170 mm) long. DRT rates the Low Float at 2 oz class and the Hi Float at 1.8 oz class.
How much does a Klash 9 weigh?
DRT rates the K9 Low Float at 4 oz class and the Hi Float at 3.3 oz class. Both are 9 inches long.
What rod do I need for a Tiny Klash?
DRT recommends a 6'6" to 8' rod in medium-heavy to extra-heavy power with 16 to 25 lb line. You don't need a dedicated swimbait rod. The K9 is a different story: plan on an extra-heavy rod.
Is the Tiny Klash a glide bait or a crankbait?
It can be either. With a lip in, it swims like a big crankbait. Take the lip off and flip the tail, and it glides.
What's the difference between Hi Float and Low Float?
The Low Float is the subsurface version and holds in front of fish on the pause. The Hi Float rises, which suits wakebait and topwater setups and backing the bait out of cover. Our TK and K9 stock is Low Float unless the listing says otherwise.
Where do your DRT baits ship from?
New Jersey. Orders are processed within 1 business day and ship fully insured, and U.S. orders of $250 or more ship free (rods excluded).
Shop the Tiny Klash and Klash 9
See every color in stock on the DRT Tiny Klash and DRT Klash 9 pages, or browse the full DRT collection. New to big baits? Start with our guide to swimbaits for bass fishing.
Sources: DRT's official pages for the TiNY KLASH Low, TiNY KLASH Hi, KLASH9 Low, KLASH9 Hi, TiNY KLASH spare parts, KLASH9 spare parts and the ARTEX R2 Gen 3. Fishing notes also draw on Wired2Fish's Tiny Klash review and Tackle Tour's Klash preview.
