differences between cranks

[PWE]

So I do love cranks - even though I don't catch fish I can make even the cheap ones "swim" really well and can guide them easily over many types of cover/structure with ease and little to no hangups.  

I used speedtraps mostly which retail around $7 each.  However, I don't catch fish, the only one I did catch was caught on a bluegill pattern speedtrap crank from a boat.  

So, why would I buy a $14+ crank from a brand name - I can see right away they look nicer, but do the bass really care - I mean they can't tell a bullet weight and plastic bead on top of a brush hog or "kreature" (which species is a kreature again?).  So, why would they be picky over a better paint job on a crank?  

Thanks.

[Jake.]

Personally, I like them and think they are worth it.

That being said, there are lots of different opinions on this subject. Some people think high end baits are worth it, and some don't. You will most likely just have to try one yourself, and see if they are worth it to you.

[Marty]

I don't know about the more expensive lure catching more fish. All I know for sure is that crankbaits in the $4-7 range catch countless millions of fish. I've been using cranks for 39 years and never owned one that cost more than $7. My gut feeling is that we can't buy our way to more fish, but who knows for sure, these things are almost impossible to prove.

My opinion is that the Speed Trap is a good lure and I'd venture a guess that yours hasn't been in the right place at the right time.

[roadwarrior]

...even though I don't catch fish...

Hmm...

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you always got."

-Catt

8-)

[Stringjam]

Buy some customs and you'll see what the fuss is about....there are actions and profiles available that you can't get from the mass mfgs, and only experience using them will prove to you if they're better. (I always have to smile to myself when I hear people who have never even fished with these baits say that they aren't worth it...)    

I'll be happy to list some of my favorites if you're ever interested.  

[bmadd]

I agree with Stringjam, there is a huge difference in customs then in mass productions. However, I do think that the cheaper cranks will still catch fish. You can look at tournaments every weekend and see them won on mass produced cranks. They each hold their niche but there is a lot more to be the deciding factor like what the fish are looking for and what you can make the lure do  

[Stringjam]

I agree bmadd - - and there are some really killer inexpensive cranks.   I don't judge crankbaits by price - - only by effectiveness.  

I think the Storm Wiggle Wart is one of the best cranks ever made - and it doesn't get much cheaper than that.  

I'm also a huge fan of the Cordell Super Spot - - what is that..$2.75?  And I have high-end Japanese lipless cranks that cost almost $20 each.  Bottom line is, the Spot hangs with them, or bests them, and that's why I use it.  

Same reason why I reach for for one of Big M's baits, or Zoom WEC, BlackJack, Flat-Shad, Richard Manley, D-Baits, or other custom baits.....because they offer something that works, and at times, what they offer can't be touched by anything else.   Worth every penny to me.    

[Grey Wolf]

Bounce those cranks off some of the stuff you are so skillfully going around and you might start catching fish on them.

Most intelligiant people buy what they can afford.

[detroit1]

I promised myself that i wouldn't get into another discussion on this subject.   :-X

[Joel W]

Crankbaits are a reaction type bait.  I rarely caught anything with them when I used to just retrieve them back to the boat. Once I learned that the real secret is to hit, bounce, crash into structure and cover. Pause for a second or two, and that's when the hits usually occur.  Most of my early spring LMs have come on Crankbaits: Rapala DT-10s & 16s as I was running then into everything I could find on the bottom.

As for detail paint jobs, they're for us as a selling point, the Bass just don't care. I use neutral/natural colors in clear water, and bright colors in stained water.

[bass wrangler569]

(I always have to smile to myself when I hear people who have never even fished with these baits say that they aren't worth it...)

I couldn't agree more. Most of the people I have talked to who think these high end baits aren't worth the money have never used them. On the other hand, most of the people who I have talked to that have tried them think they are worth every penny. These expensive japanese lures won't triple your catch rate but they definately will bag a couple extra bass, and a couple extra bass in a tournament can mean a lot.

[PWE]

Thanks for all the thoughts guys - I love the - crash into stuff idea - since I have been avoiding them - mostly I have been trying to avoid hangups.  

My take on the high end cranks is this:  the paint job is mostly irrelevant unless you in shallow super clear water.  The action is the key to me - if the action is better the lure will catch more (assuming you have the right technique).  This is what I believe, but it's only based on intelligent research, I really don't know for sure.  What I do know is at depth colors fade and disappear and thus I can't believe the extra paint detail matters at depth because they are based on light and light fades the deeper you go ultimately going to compete black and white.  I also feel that if a bass can't tell the difference between a real animal and a "kreature" bait with a lead weight stuck on top then it sure won't be drawn the a super artistic paint job.

Again, I think the action of each lure dictates more of the catches.  This also makes sense from what I know of how bass prey and hunt.  

Thanks again for all the input, I can't wait to get back out and crank it up some more, it really is my favorite rig to date.  

 

[Joel W]

We seem to keep on forgetting that a Bass's brain is just the size of a pea. The don't reason, and they don't think. They react to the conditions around them driven by instinct.  

Color helps the Bass find the lure in stained water. In clear water some guys say to match the hatch. Others say that you need to make your lure look somewhat different so the Bass will key into it. Whether that be by looks or sound, you need to get the Bass's attention.

Now the more realistic a lure swims, the easier it is to trick a Bass. But detailing it with a beautiful paint job is just a waste of time. The only thing they catch is us via the bait monkey.

[Cephkiller]

mostly I have been trying to avoid hangups.

You could spend $1000 on a crank and you won't be successful fishing it like this.  This is your problem, not the amount you spend on your cranks.  That being said, I believe that the high dollar cranks catch me a few extra fish, but who knows?

[bmadd]

One thing I do know for sure about the higher end cranks is consistency. They dive consistently, float consistently, ALL I've seen run true from the get go, and consistently catch fish when used in their rightful applications.

[HydrillaKilla]

imo , i think this debate boils down to this "Confidence In Your Bait"