Stringjam

I hear people say "They look the same" all the time when referring to hardbaits......here's a bit of info. LOOKS WILL NOT TELL YOU HOW EFFECTIVE A HARDBAIT'S ACTION IS - and THAT'S what matters. There are a lot of minute details that go into a hardbait's balance and action characteristics. You could make a lure that LOOKED just like another......but move the line tie 1/16" up or down move the ballast weight a tiny bit forward, up, or back change the lip angle 10 degrees change the density of the material used etc.etc.etc.etc.etc. and it is a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BAIT.

Awesome, Marty - - - I dig your take on Table Rock Shad. Excellent job!

IMO--- stay away from the BPS Duolocks! They are WAY weak......I can pull them apart just tying a knot. My advice - - pick up some Berkley Cross-Loks. It's impossible to pull them apart - even the small ones. I use the #1......it's very light and small - something I prefer with as many small balsa cranks as I fish.

Practice....simply put. I fish crankbaits 90% of the time I'm on the water.....if you pay attention, you'll learn something every time out. One thing of note......"overpowering" a crankbait is NOT always the best way to catch fish on them. Although making contact with cover is always a good idea, banging and smashing the bait through stuff will sometimes turn off fish big-time! Most people fish crankbaits when fish are really aggressive, and that will work - - but I fish crankbaits when they aren't "hitting" crankbaits - and the same conventional thoughts don't always apply. Sometimes your best option is to use a crankbait that ticks along the depth you need and just barely glances off of objects. David Fritts once said that a crankbait is most effective when it is just barely hitting the cover. I could post 100 examples of this but I'd run out of room.... Another thing.....if you're in an area you know fish are in, and they're not hitting your crank using a typical presentation - BURN IT. As fast as you can reel that thing. Burn it and stop, burn it and stop - my 3 biggest crankbait bass last year came using this method.......sometimes it's the only way they'll hit it. One more thing - - find out what crankbaits are effective in your area. I've noticed when a lot of people start cranking they go out and buy big, aggressive action crankbaits - and these don't work all the time! My most consistent baits are flatsided cranks with a tight action. Since you like fishing lipless vibes, these are a very easy switch. Go pick up a Spro Little John and give it a try, or contact Marty Burns (Big M on this forum) and get an M-Flat from him. Dont' give up . . . . crankbait fishing is an art, and it can literally take years to get a grip on what works best in what condition. But I really get a kick out of throwing these things. Oh, and if you fish diving cranks, get a telescoping retrieval pole - - - I wouldn't even tie a crankbait on without one.

The bait's profile is very similar to the Yo-Zuri Rattlin' Vibe, but I MUCH prefer the Yo-Zuri. It has a harder tail kick and retains it's action at slower speeds than the XCalibur. Basically the same price. That's not to say the XCalibur doesn't work - - I know a lot of people around here really like them. So fish with confidence. But FWIW, my favorite lipless crank is still the Cordell Spot - and I have over 20 different brands of lipless cranks.

Why wouldn't the price go up? The price of balsa wood is going up, the price of shipping is going way up, the value of the USD is going down. Most Rapala lures (I believe) are made in factories in Ireland and Estonia.....if dropping prices means shipping those productions to China and having lures made by 10-year-old factory slaves, I'll gladly pay a couple of extra bucks. At any rate....less than $10 for a premium quality bait is a DEAL. People want quality, but they don't ever want to pay for it - - or they want prices to stay the same as they were 20 years ago despite increased cost of production. If you had to buy a bait the equivalent of Rapala's balsa line of baits from a small custom company, it would likely cost over $18 a bait. Some perspective......back in the 1960's people were paying $25-$60 for blackmarket Rapalas because the demand was so high. People were paying over $40 for Fred Young's Big-O.

I might add, they're also some of the most effective cranks! Glad to see some progress pics, Natural! Looks like things are coming along!

Quit messing with jigs and finish that dagum crankbait! ;D J/K, Natural......those jigs look great!

There's only one box of his I care about.....the one with all the Zooms in it - - and I'm not talking soft baits.

Those look killer, Marty......especially the crank under the pink one.

The black Sammy looks like murder.

Does that natural/silver backed M-Flat towards the left bottom have a longer lip than normal? I noticed some of the M-Flats have Lexan lips - - have you been experimenting? Sorry for all the questions, Marty - - I'm always interested in anything M-Flat related.... BTW.....that is a BEAUTIFUL natural shad pattern!

Nice - - love the dark purple backed bait

Like others have said - - Zoom and Culprit both make great 10" worms. As far as one being better than the other - I sure can't tell. I like them both.

Fluorocarbon sinks. Tying straight to the frog will work just fine.

Not personal. You explained your side of the coin - - I was just explaining the other. That's what discussion forums are all about.

Why? It's similiar to buying a new auto. How do you want to get there ? In elegance (Lexus) or more practical (Ford), They both get the job done. Most people buy what they can afford. I'm glad that in my case, this assumption is completely incorrect. It's a sorry state to buy things just to boost your ego......I believe the appreciation of artistry and design is the main motivating factor for many - including myself. I don't think arrogance discriminates - - - seems to me it comes from people who don't like high-end stuff as much or more than from people who do.

Why?

Very nice, Marty! All of them look killer - especially the M-Flat on the bottom....I like the subdued hue of yellow with the dark back - is that some green in the shoulders?

That's quite an assortment, Marty. That first bait is HUGE! The bottom mid-diver in that second pic looks like a very interesting design. Superb looking bluegill pattern on that bait. Love checking out all the new baits you come up with.....you're always up to something interesting!

If you really want to save money - buy a lead pot and start pouring your own jigs and making your own spinnerbaits. You'll wonder why you ever paid so much money in the first place for all that stuff - - it's so easy a 5 year-old could do it. I pay a premium for crankbaits - because cheaper baits (for the applications I use them for) aren't even in the same league....and life's too short to use something that doesn't work right. There are a few exceptions (Cordell Spot, Storm Wiggle Wart, etc.)

Indeed!

My personal favs for shallow water: Big M Customs (especially the M-Flat) JawJackers RAM Baits Luv Plug Zoom WEC Hicky John Mills Custom Flatsides Bagley GForce B-Flat II Bagley KB1 (short, round lip ver.) Bagley Honey B Lucky Craft RC 1.5 and Flat CB SR (disc.)

Flat cranks work year-round and in nearly every condition.....it just so happens they excel in high pressure waters, or cold conditions. I've caught just as many bass in hot water with them. There's an endless variety of designs and actions for them as well. I have mass produced flatsides (what few there are available) and flatsides from probably over 20 different custom makers. Flatsided cranks are my confidence baits.......I'm definitely a junkie.

Oooh....that's something I've been hoping you would mess with!!!! Love the profile you went with as well - - I'm betting that design is gonna be murder (I didn't realize from the pic how small it was!) How do you like the white cedar? Is it much different than red?