What spurred this thread was the fact I had a hankering to order a crank, and figured I'd check out my favorite maker....ed chambers who is the founder of zoom of course.  When I go google his name; it pulled up an article from 2010 that he was celebrating his 70th bday.

I feel like ed is one of the last great crankbait makers and I have the urge to buy what I can when thinking of his age/legacy (I hope that didn't sound awful).  Maybe I'll get off my butt and take a pic of the few I have, but was just curious if anyone else is paying attention.

There are a few crankbait makers that produce baits on par with the WEC models. Phil Hunt makes baits under his PH Custom Lures brand that are known to produce the kind of fish that the WEC has been know for getting. Lee Sisson is still making baits for his Old School Baits brand, and he does some work for Bagley as well, and if you look to East Tennessee you'll find a bevy of excellent flat side crank makers, one of the better known ones is Craig Powers who has his brand of CP Customs baits. I agree that Ed Chambers makes a great lure and it will be a shame when he passes but I think as long as there are tournaments, you'll always have skilled crankbait makers because there really isn't a substitute for that kind of lure, I have my own collection but I rarely use them as I don't tournament fish much anymore. I feel that the baits are unique enough that it just isn't worth taking a chance on losing one when fun fishing, and not to mention there are factory made baits that really do well, almost at a custom level as manufacturing techniques have come a long way since these guys have been making baits.

I've used the WEC cranks for years. Awesome bait around wood.

I agree smalljaw...there are other custom baits that match the wec quality.  Don't have any ph's, but I have a couple of black jack's (nomad) that certainly are on par.  I just have a few stories involving zooms.  Something about theoseTapp's in cold water....