Stringjam

I have to echo what BobP mentioned.......I fish a lot of deep brushpiles that are up to 30 ft. deep - - no way I'm going to try to get a sinking crankbait through that. The floating quality of a crankbait is also a big trigger for strikes. Sometimes a crankbait will nail big fish out of these things when they won't even look at a jig or worm.

Same kind of waters here - - I just use a leader on the braid, and it absorbs all the nasties of the rocks without giving up the fine diameter of the braid. The 20 lb. PowerPro I use is about the same diameter as 8 lb. test - and it breaks at close to 25 lbs. That means I can get super deep and still fish around cover that I wouldn't even think about throwing small mono near. People sink a lot of cedars and blackjacks around here, and it's murder on line if you get a hot bass that wants to go back in after he's hooked.

Braided line is also my preference deep cranking - - especially when fishing around really deep cover like brushpiles or stumpfields....you just have to feel what that bait is doing to really finesse it around that kind of stuff.

That's an interesting thought(?) Although, I can feel Marty Burns' wooden crankbaits shaking like Shakira at up to 25'...

You will be impressed - - nothing I've used goes so deep, so easily. BTW.....I got to spend some more time with Marty's new crank today. I can cast and reel legitimate 18-20' depths, and just for fun I kneeled it down to ~23'. I am VERY impressed with that crank. (BTW....this is using 20 lb. PowerPro braid.....I hate mono)

I'll definitely keep you informed.....I'm surprised Marty hasn't chimed in yet - - I know he frequents this board. I've been impressed with everything I've gotten from him - - especially his little flatsided cranks. He has done some really unique pieces.....check out this one that I recently got from him.....I've never seen anything this skinny - - I think I'm actually going to try using it for sight fishing this year... I used his standard thickness crank extensively during the fall - - it has become one of my go-to baits for shallow cranking.

Yup, it's the crank at the very bottom of the page You can also order them straight from straight from Wordens (if US doesn't have them, or the colors you want - I've ordered from him before and he usually doesn't stock a lot of these in the winter). http://www.yakimabait.com/catalog/html/Competition-Cedar-p-16160.html It's the "1 oz." model in the drop box. Just to let you know....the finish on these will sometimes split or crack (typical Poe's....and the Comp Cedars are the "Premium" line").....so you'll want to keep some epoxy handy to touch up splits in the finish. It's no biggie to me, but I realize some people won't want to deal with it. IMO, however, it's worth it.......I stopped fishing with the Manns and LJ the first time I threw one of these - they are a supurb design. I'll keep you updated on how I do with Marty's bait, too......I immediately started catching fish on the proto he sent me, and he just sent me another version that I think is going to be even better.....he does some great work:

Or you could just get a Competition Cedars 4500LR and you'll have a crankbait that will bust 20 feet with MUCH less resistance than the Mann's bait (or the LJ 3/4 Hot Lips). Of course, that wouldn't matter if it didn't catch fish once it got there, but believe me, they do.... (upper 2 cranks) I'm trying out some lures from this forum's own Marty Burns, however, that I think are definitely going to give it a run this year for my "favorite" spot.

All these baits were about $25 each Just an illusion. This is all I have as far as web info.....I'm not sure of how to get any of these in the States unless you have a contact in Japan who will track them down and ship them to you. I was fortunate enough to be in contact with someone who was in Japan at the time, and was helpful enough to purchase these for me and ship them when he returned to the US. I have no idea how to get them otherwise... Flat Flicker http://tackleisland.co.jp/onlineshop/agua/flat_flicker/image.jpg Kaihatsu Crank http://tackleisland.co.jp/onlineshop/kaihatu/chip/chip.htm Nakamura Rodeo Drive http://www.tackleisland.co.jp/onlineshop/nakamura/rodiodrive/rodiodrive.htm Woodream http://www.woodream.net/woodreamproduct2.html I also have a few baits from this builder (FD) coming in a few months (one will have the abalone reflective sides).....a link to his place: FD Custom

I just got in a few cranks from some makers in Japan that I thought I'd share with you guys - - I know there's a "few" flatside enthusiasts hanging around here... Nakamura "Rodeo Drive" Flutter "Flat Flicker" Kaihatsu "Chip" WooDream "No-Name Flat"

I would love to have a balsa "Trap" style lipless. Something with a fairly slow sink rate and no rattles. This type of lipless works great in clear, shallow situations - and they seem to be really hard to find. (here's my fav....Air Viper Risebacker - sound-less model.)

Thanks, Blackjack. BTW....the videos on your website are a VERY nice touch - - seeing the action of the lure is better than all the descriptives in the world. I wish more websites would use the idea!

Just purchased a hand crafted crank made by a Tennessean named Mike Estep. This was the only info the person I bought it from had. Does anyone here have any experience with these or any knowledge of it's builder / history? I can't seem to find anything.

Thanks Skeeter -- I haven't found the early spring/tight wiggle thing to be particularly true, either. One of my best cranks for this time of year (and among the biggest springtime money winners here in the Ozarks) is a Wiggle Wart. I guess I lucked out on the Tapps - - all the lips and hardware appear very straight - however, I also picked up a couple of WEC Z-Flats and one of them has a blatantly crooked lip....I wasn't expecting that from such a premium (priced) lure.

This is one style of crank I've never really spent any time with, so I picked up a few copies and variants (Zoom WEC Tapp and Ugly Duck, and an On-The-Line Tapp copy). I have noticed one common trait, they have a very tight wiggle with very little roll (compared to some of my other straight-lipped coffin-bill baits, anyway....I find my Herman Oswald MC2 and Rapala DT Flat to be more lively than any of these). Is there are particular situation or condition where these baits excel?

I'm not sure it would make a difference - - if anything, I would rather not have a big dot. It seems that large dots like this in nature are typically used by small prey to create a more imposing image to predators - - I want my lure to look as helpless as possible.

As BlackJack noted, it is a pretty thick flatsided bait. According to the packaging, it was designed by Boze, USA - - but on the back, it says it was designed in Japan, and made in China. The finish is beautiful, and well sealed around the lip, but it does appear the hanger wire is a little thinner than normal. At any rate - another crank to toss around.