Organizing Cranks

[jaskoh]

I am looking at all my cranks that I have bought over the years and most of them I have no idea what depth range they are suppose to run at.  Does anyone have any tricks that helps you remember or mark the lures depth range?  I know you can generally tell if a lure is a deep, mid, or shallow diving by looking at it but I am trying to be a little bit more specific.  

[Chris at Tech]

My father in law simply marks the bottom of the crank with the depth it runs using a permanent marker with a fine tip.  I thought it would wash off, but so far, so good.

[Tucson]

I also use a fine tip permanent marker to mark the bait depths.  You can probably find out the running depth by going to the manufacturers website.  I update all my Rapalas this way.

I also arrange them in plano 360 boxes according to running depth, then I can just grab the boxes that have the dive depth I'm looking for.  

[Mid-MO]

I do the same thing - I take a sharpie and write the depth range on the underside of the bill right at the body.  They've been on there for over a year and not come off.  I thing nail polish remover will take it off though if needed.  

[brian_82]

I use a razor blade and scratch it into the lip.

[LAO162]

I've also started using a fine Sharpie.  I mark the lip.

[detroit1]

I can tell just by looking at it. Once you use it, you should be able to remember...LOL!

[Glenn]

I don't get that detailed.  I can tell by looking at them if they're a topwater, shallow runner, mid-depth or deep crankbait (and add the super-deep cranks as well).  That's it.  I have seperate Plano boxes for each set.

Key here is for your crank to bottom bump.  So I always grab one that seems just a little to deep for where I'm fishing.  Do I care exactly what depth?  No, just as long as it's banging bottom or ticking the weed tops I'm happy.

Simple, but effective.

[Needemp]

I use to use a sharpie to mark them, but it is not necessary any more. After awhile you figure out with lip size, angle, buoyancy and where the line tie is how deep it will go. Then you do as Glenn said and get one deeper than the area you are fishing. But knowing the depth can be critical when banging off of standing timber, docks or anything else suspended off the bottom (good late summer/early fall pattern).

[grimlin]

I go by lip sizes....otherwise i have no clue myself.I made the same mistake starting out mixing them all together.Some of them i don't know who they are made by...so trying to figure it out is no help.

[Munkin]

I use to make them with a fine tip marker but after a while you will remember the ones that work. My crankbait boxes are organized by running depth anyway so it is easy for me to figure out.

Allen

[The_Natural]

I don't mean to sound condescending, but the bill is a clear indicator of the running depth...at least within a couple of feet.  I keep my cranks organized in 3700's, with each getting a separate box-  shallow shad, shallow chartreuse (and craw), medium shad, medium chartreuse (and craw), deep, and large deep.  Each of these boxes contain a mix of my favorites, and my most used baits get an additional 3700 designated just for backups.  If a crank catches you fish, and you find it on sale...buy 3,4, or 5 of that bait/color.  You will wish you did as soon as you have a day where they want a certain crank, and you start losing baits.  Backups are a necessity of a serious crankbait fisherman.  If you aren't losing them...you aren't fishing them hard enough.