Modifying my crankbait hooks?

[nralover]

Guys, I HATE losing expensive crankbaits. I have seen some newer lures with the front "prong" of the treble hook removed. Has anyone tried clipping off the front of a regular treble and filing it down?

[Big Tom]

Maybe you should invest in a plug knocker/bait grabber.  

It has saved me a bunch of money and you won't have to worry about altering the business ends of your cranks.

[Gone_Phishin]

Lure saver type split-rings are an option.  http://www.***.com/descpageSAVERRING-ULSR.html

[BIG M]

Get an extendable lure pole and don't worry about the hooks.   Now to answer your question, yes I've cut off 1 hook on the belly so it was a double.   Use that when I'm cranking in grass and it works very well.

I've not noticed a difference with my catch rate.    If the grass is thick I'll make the rear hook a double also.

[Stringjam]

Get an extendable lure pole and don't worry about the hooks. Now to answer your question, yes I've cut off 1 hook on the belly so it was a double. Use that when I'm cranking in grass and it works very well.

I've not noticed a difference with my catch rate. If the grass is thick I'll make the rear hook a double also.

+1......telescoping pole = no more lost baits.  

[guitarkid]

What about a link to the lure pole?

                -gk

[moloch16]

I've thought about doing this when fishing over grass to help keep the grass snagging down.  Haven't tried it yet.

[Shad_Master]

Last year I picked up an extendable golf ball retriever at Wal-Mart for about $10 - it extends out to about 12" - I cut a slit in the circle at the end to go over my line and can reach down to shake the lure loose.  Actually got this idea from another guy in my club, but it works.

[Gatorbassman]

Here's an article written by Triton Mike.

Snaking a Crank in heavy cover

by Triton Mike

"Snaking a Crank in heavy cover"

 

One of my favorite search baits by a long shot is little cranks to unlock the fish patterns on the water.. Why?? For several reasons. They are small and compact and are attractive to smaller fish as well as the occasional bigger fish. Secondly, I can cover quite a bit of water quickly to search for fish. Thirdly, I can vary the depth by several feet depending on where I hold my rod tip and finally I can cover both open water and THICK cover alike effectively for reaction strikes..

What?? Did I just say THICK cover?? Yes, I don't know of a better way to cover alot of water as well as structure faster than reeling a crank through the thickest cover on the lake.

I like to throw cranks in over and under and around laydowns and snake them over every branch and trunk I can find. But, I do use slight modification along with a little technique combined in "Snaking a Crank" through heavy cover. One of the best ways I have found to avoid getting hung is when you start to feel the crank load up on a limb and it is getting close to coming over I immediately stop reeling and use the rod tip to feel the crank over the limbs with my rod tip high around 10 oclock and work it to 12 oclock. I have found over the years that holding the rod tip high vs sideways or low has a little less chance of getting the bait snagged. This technique coupled with a soft tip rod to allow "give" so that if the crank does stick on the limb it is not buried deep and sometimes you can snap it off by picking your line and snapping it through the rod to dislodge it.

Second thing I like do to make my cranks more weedless (as much as I love gammies ;-( ) is to clip off the front hook of the treble that is protruding outward if you have the treble hook up against the belly of the crank. BUT!! I don't just clip it off completely as you will see in the enclosed picture. I clip it off and bend the remaing part of the hook outward. By doing this the remaining part of the hook helps deflects the crank and its back hook off the structure to avoid hangups. To see if I have the correct angle I like to run my crank on the side of a desk, table or even my finger to see if the hookless part snags the table or if it catches it. If it catches I bend it outward more and vice versa. Also this seems to give the crank a little more bounce off the structure as well as getting the rear hook over as well. This is creates a good reaction strike as well. This should definitely help you "Snake a Crank" through those laydowns and hook fish instead of the cover. I still hang up while using this technique, but not near as often. Like the old saying "You ain't fishing if you ain't snagging"

[nralover]

Here's an article written by Triton Mike.

Snaking a Crank in heavy cover

by Triton Mike

"Snaking a Crank in heavy cover"

One of my favorite search baits by a long shot is little cranks to unlock the fish patterns on the water.. Why?? For several reasons. They are small and compact and are attractive to smaller fish as well as the occasional bigger fish. Secondly, I can cover quite a bit of water quickly to search for fish. Thirdly, I can vary the depth by several feet depending on where I hold my rod tip and finally I can cover both open water and THICK cover alike effectively for reaction strikes..

What?? Did I just say THICK cover?? Yes, I don't know of a better way to cover alot of water as well as structure faster than reeling a crank through the thickest cover on the lake.

I like to throw cranks in over and under and around laydowns and snake them over every branch and trunk I can find. But, I do use slight modification along with a little technique combined in "Snaking a Crank" through heavy cover. One of the best ways I have found to avoid getting hung is when you start to feel the crank load up on a limb and it is getting close to coming over I immediately stop reeling and use the rod tip to feel the crank over the limbs with my rod tip high around 10 oclock and work it to 12 oclock. I have found over the years that holding the rod tip high vs sideways or low has a little less chance of getting the bait snagged. This technique coupled with a soft tip rod to allow "give" so that if the crank does stick on the limb it is not buried deep and sometimes you can snap it off by picking your line and snapping it through the rod to dislodge it.

Second thing I like do to make my cranks more weedless (as much as I love gammies ;-( ) is to clip off the front hook of the treble that is protruding outward if you have the treble hook up against the belly of the crank. BUT!! I don't just clip it off completely as you will see in the enclosed picture. I clip it off and bend the remaing part of the hook outward. By doing this the remaining part of the hook helps deflects the crank and its back hook off the structure to avoid hangups. To see if I have the correct angle I like to run my crank on the side of a desk, table or even my finger to see if the hookless part snags the table or if it catches it. If it catches I bend it outward more and vice versa. Also this seems to give the crank a little more bounce off the structure as well as getting the rear hook over as well. This is creates a good reaction strike as well. This should definitely help you "Snake a Crank" through those laydowns and hook fish instead of the cover. I still hang up while using this technique, but not near as often. Like the old saying "You ain't fishing if you ain't snagging"

You couldn't be more right. My father in law fishes the river alot and like he says, "If you won't cast into the junk, you won't catch much." Still, I have lost enough lures that I wanted to help my odds as much as possible.

[NYfishwow]

what is that thing a triton mike crankbait?

looks like some did stuff to it other then  fishing!  :-?

[BIG M]

That has to be by far the worst job of foiling a bait I've ever seen

But a very cool little trick with the front hook.

[bladeslinger]

I can't imagine cutting off a prong.  I hate missing fish and have noticed a noticeable difference with even a prong bent wrong. I agree you have got to throw in the thick stuff, but that is what a plug knocker is for- I estimate I get over 95% of my snagged cranks back with it.

[Team9nine]

I can't imagine cutting off a prong. I hate missing fish and have noticed a noticeable difference with even a prong bent wrong. I agree you have got to throw in the thick stuff, but that is what a plug knocker is for- I estimate I get over 95% of my snagged cranks back with it.

x2 - I'm not cutting anything off of my high dollar hooks ;D In most cases a simple switch in either bait style or technique wll accomplish the same thing without ruining your trebles. Not all lure designs are created equal when it comes to ability to come through cover.

-T9

[The Next KVD]

Bow and Arrow trick is what I notice alot of guys do around my area.  I haven't mastered the technique yet so I'll stick with my retriever.