Predator Bass Baits Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Hey guy's. Anyone else haveing bills on your crankbaits breaking off ? I have had 3 bills break now. 2 were from hitting a rock that I guess the lure must have hit bill first and split the bill right in half. one yesterday I slapped the water to get a weed off and the bill broke right off at the body, this one was not my painted lure but someone elses. I am just wondering if the clear coat is making bills weaker ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lincoya Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Are you using Lexan or plexiglass? Gene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Predator Bass Baits Posted May 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 These are re-paints, Rapala, Mann's ect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodieb8 Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 rapalas are famous for breaking lips. manns not so. . i dont think clear coat is the culprit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlcam Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 If it was a Rapala DT series it was the bait for sure and not the clear coat.Me and my fishing partner broke several getting weeds off until we figured out it was the Rapalas.That is one fish catching crank,just don't know why they can't make a good sturdy bill...Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palmetto Balsa Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Please don't slap your wooden crankbaits on the water (production or handmade). The bait is traveling at or near 100+ mph when it hits the water and that is going to break most any lip. Rocks should not break a lip unless it is made from things like plexi, or other inferior materials. A rock will break a quality lip that has been damaged by someone slapping it on the water. At 100 mph water absorbs impacts like it is a solid. Don't slap the baits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Predator Bass Baits Posted May 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Cool. Ya it was a DT 10 that I slapped, I did not slap it very hard at all. The other 2 I hit a rock , over shot my cast, well one was a cast into a bridge piling LOL So I understand how those 2 broke. Bummer on the DT's having weak bills. Thanks for the replies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizza Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 I agree with those who said rapalas are known for breaking bills. I like their lures but they are not durable. I've broken lips on DT's, Xraps, long-cast minnow, floaters, countdowns. I only very rarely (once or twice ever ) have broken bills on non-rapalas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diemai Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 @ Palmetto Balsa Thanks a lot about your explanations , very interesting , 100 mph , that's a great force ! Many years ago one of my early homemades , a meaty 10" trolling lure , still unpainted , accidentally fell from my hand on the floor , tail first , and it's plexiglas lip snapped off just around the belly outline , as if it was filed level to the body ! I could not believe this , thought , that it must have been damaged before(got the material from scrap) , so I dropped two more alikes of that lure , that I've also made , in the same way , tail first , on the floor . Their lips came off on first drop as well ! Took some effort to cut away the plexiglas remainder from the lip slot of those lures , but I made it finally and replaced the lips with aluminium ones(never knew Lexan back then) . Hands off from plexiglas ! ! ! @ Predator Bass Bait It is quite sad(or should I say annoying) , that such happens to lures of a world famous brand name . Is there nothing left to trust on nowadays ? Greetz , diemai Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wickyman Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 I haven't had a bill break, but I have had one crack... It was on a Cotton Cordell, Wiggle 'O. It's the strangest thing, as I haven't hit anything, bill first... It hit tail first... It's not a 100% cracked, but it is definitely cracked in the middle somehow... lol Weirdest thing. Eh, you pay for what you get... Just hope that never happens to a lucky craft, or Jakall bait! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Ditto on slapping water to get rid of grass. There aren't many wood baits, especially balsa baits, that can withstand the abuse. I found out the hard way. Fishing in Canada in the middle of nowhere I was catching smallies like crazy on one particular balsa bait. No time to pick grass off! Slapped it on the water and the belly weight shot out the bottom of the lure and the head snapped off above the lip. No more bait, no more fish Just don't do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pikester Posted May 24, 2008 Report Share Posted May 24, 2008 Ditto on the Rapalas breaking up easily, my fishing buddy lost a real good pike last year due to a Taildancer bill busting out of the body right at the net Oh well, when you have a lure that is made in one of about five different countries & costs around ten bucks, I guess you get what you pay for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted May 24, 2008 Report Share Posted May 24, 2008 I like Rapala balsa baits including the DT's. Could they be made more durable? Yes, I wish they made the lips out of better stuff but I'll take their fish catching action, and the chance they'll break, over more expensive crankbaits. I think guys get used to throwing hard plastic and just don't recognize a balsa bait - any balsa bait - has to be babied a little for it to last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
