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I forgot to mention outdoors is best. Indoors is a real challenge to control lighting. Flash works but never as good as outside. Outside mother nature does the work for you.

Most better cranks are designed to incorporate the mass of the diving lip, size, surface and line tie placement into the critical equasion as to how they preform. Changing those dynamics can yeild some desired results, but just as well can ruin the action of the bait and its fishability totally, its really a gamble you have to be willing to make when you start modifying them. I have designed and built prototype cranks to be injection molded for several bigger manufacturers in the industry. I also have hacked and played with creating frankenstein baits out of almost everything available, some with great results, but most get throw in a box till I get that next "brilliant idea"... You can change almost every dynamic of an typical injection molded bait with a bit of trial and error... One of the hottest thing to do as of late for tourney guys is to drill a small hole in bottom, remove the rattles and inject a small ammount of epoxy into the moving balancer chamber to fix the weight transfer system to one desired position so the bait has the tendencies they desire. On lip modification, you can actually chop off any of the deep diving lips and graft on any shallower type lips you desire, as well as change the angle of the lip dramatically changing the actions. Much of this can be achieved using acetone solvent to melt and weld the plastics back together. Drilling and inserting small pins in both pieces can also help to strengthen the areas being reattached with acetone. This is all very advanced, and I caution that much trail and error is to be expected. Even if you simply just shave or file portions of a lip off, try dipping it in acetone briefly and you will see it cleans up the scuffs and evens out areas. Quickest way to experiment with changing the action and getting a bit less depth is to take a lighter and lightly heat the lip area on underside of bait near chin, then simply bend the lip down at a sharper angle. Very little mod in this way with yeild shallower depths, and make the bait swing much harder, but as with any mods, it may also cause the bait to pitch out, roll and become ustable and unusable... enjoy!

"That photo is probably older than I am, & one of my favorite avatars, had to fix it 4 you". That Pix has been with me a while taken by Max Hunn (deceased) a great Photographer and Fishing Writer .. Taken sometime in the Middle 70's .. Lucas Lake FL,, that was just over 9 lbs (my 2nd largest) taken on a Snagless Sally .. yellow with red frog trailer ... He had an article on it in Bassmaster Fishing Guide 1977 Edition .... The pic (avatar) was sold by his widow to an advertising firm for K Mart and was used in several mags (in the 90s) ... Just a little history. (By the way he "Staged" the pix) .. JSC